During the September - December 2022 period, FORCLIME completed a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) of Social Forestry Facilitators and Forestry Extension Workers, as well as members of the Social Forestry Acceleration Working Group (Pokja PPS) across three provinces of its working area, specifically: Central Sulawesi, Papua and West Papua. The results of this TNA are expected to be used as a reference by the Center for Education and Training for Environment and Forestry (Center for Human Resources Training for Environment and Forestry), as well as Environmental and Forestry Training Centers operating within the regions (Environmental and Forestry Training Centers), the Provincial Forestry Service, the Social Forestry Office, the Environmental Partnership and other stakeholders to develop capacity building programs for Social Forestry assistants and Pokja PPS administrators working within the three provinces.

The expertise competencies that are being studied in relation to Social Forestry assistants and forestry extension workers include:
1. Competence regarding the conducting of facilitation and counseling.
2. Managerial competence.
3. Technical competence relating to assistance for community members prior to their securing social forestry permits.
4. Technical competence relating to community assistance after social forestry permits have been secured, including institutional management, area management and business management.

On February 1, 2023, the GIZ Team presented the TNA results online to the Makassar Environmental and Forestry Training Center. This presentation is seen as important due to the fact that the TNA coverage area (Central Sulawesi, Papua and West Papua) makes up part of the Training Center’s service area. The results of the competency level study have revealed that PS assistants and forestry extension workers operating in Central Sulawesi Province generally have much higher levels of competency than their counterparts in West Papua and Papua. This generally means that the need for capacity building among Social Forestry assistants in Papua and West Papua is more urgent than capacity building for Social Forestry assistants in Central Sulawesi. The non-training issues that commonly arise during Social Forestry assistance activities encompass the remoteness of assisted areas, as well as problems relating to accessibility and limited operational budgets, which make it difficult to provide intensive assistance.

As a follow-up to this webinar, the results of the TNA will be presented at the national level at an event that will be attended by the Center for Human Resource Training for Environment and Forestry, as well as other by technical directorates in charge of Social Forestry at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

For more information, please contact:
Edy Marbyanto, Strategic Area Manager for Human Capacity Development