Capacity Development

Social forestry holds the promise of a people-centered approach while also providing tangible results in climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, there are significant knowledge and capacity gaps in understanding social forestry as a solution to climate change in the ASEAN region, including the link between social forestry and climate change. Therefore, there is a need for ASEAN countries to understand the causes of climate change and how to deal with climate change impacts. 

In the ASFCC partnership, RECOFTC plays a key role in capacity development, especially in its unique approach in applying experiential and adult learning methods. These methods enable participants to explore information and knowledge based on their own experience through various modes of training activities. By the end of the training, participants are able to find the most appropriate solution in overcoming real life challenges using knowledge they have gained from the training course.
 
With full consultation with AWG-SF Leaders and ASFCC Supporting partners, RECOFTC delivered eight regional training courses on the following topics for the representatives of ASEAN countries:
 

• Regional Training Course on Community-Based Forest Biomass Monitoring;

• Community Forestry as a Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change;

• Enhancing Livelihoods through Community Forestry;

• Improving Grassroots Equity in Forests and Climate Change;

• Strengthening Forest Tenure Systems and Governance; and

• Participatory Non-Timber Forest Product Resource Management.

Besides providing regional training, RECOFTC also supports capacity development of ASEAN countries through national level trainings on various topics in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam. According to training monitoring and evaluation reports, participants had a positive experience with all our courses, learning processes, capability of trainers and facilitators, and course infrastructure and facilities.
 
In all trainings, RECOFTC's trainers encourage active participation of training participants through small group discussions, brainstorming, case studies, debate, while applying various adult learning principles. A field visit to enable participants to experience real life evidence of the subject discussed in the classroom is mandatory for all RECOFTC training provided for AWG-SF participants. For the most part, participants attending training course fulfill minimum requirements (such as English ability, experience in the relevant subject, and work in social forestry/climate change issues); however, there have been occasions where participants require special attention due to a lack of English language skills.