Institutional Capacity Development
Institutional Capacity Building
Our work
Working closely with host country governments, local and regional higher education institutions, and a range of non-governmental organizations, one of the U.S. Forest Service’s cross-cutting priorities is institutional capacity building. Capacity development is integrated into many of the subject-specific activities, often in the form of technical training and institutional strengthening, but also occurs regionally through specific educational activities described below.
Building Capacity of Universities, Professors and Ministry Staff
Since 2014, the U.S. Forest Service has sponsored a regional scholarship program to send host-country staff from ministries of environment and forestry to complete master’s degrees at the Regional Post-University School for the Planning and Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Land (ERAIFT) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the National Sciences Agronomy and Forestry School (ENSAF) at the University of Marien Ngouabi in the Republic of the Congo, and the Regional Center for Agricultural Education (CRESA – Forêt-Bois) in Cameroon. To date more than 30 students have completed this program, strengthening the technical capacity of many ministry staff and the ministries for which they work.
Building Capacity of Universities, Professors and Ministry Staff
Since 2014, the U.S. Forest Service has sponsored a regional scholarship program to send host-country staff from ministries of environment and forestry to complete master’s degrees at the Regional Post-University School for the Planning and Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Land (ERAIFT) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the National Sciences Agronomy and Forestry School (ENSAF) at the University of Marien Ngouabi in the Republic of the Congo, and the Regional Center for Agricultural Education (CRESA – Forêt-Bois) in Cameroon. To date more than 30 students have completed this program, strengthening the technical capacity of many ministry staff and the ministries for which they work.
The U.S. Forest Service also provides targeted trainings on specific technical subjects for government, university and NGO partners. This includes working with The Carbon Institute, an international academic partnership of carbon accounting faculty and universities. In Central Africa, The Carbon Institute, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, has facilitated trainings in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo partnering with the Regional Specialized Training Center for Forest and Timber (CRESA – Forêt-Bois), University of Kinshasa and University of Marien Ngouabi, respectively. These trainings have trained and mentored over 75 professors, government officials, and technical partners in Central Africa in internationally accepted terrestrial carbon accounting methods. The aim is to increase the number of trained professionals in the region thereby strengthening natural resource decision making through more informed decisions resulting from improved estimates of terrestrial carbon and land use change.
Knowledge Exchange through U. S. Forest Service International Seminars in the United States
The U.S. Forest Service annually sponsors partners, including ministry officials and NGO representatives, to attend the U.S. Forest Service International Programs’ International Seminar series held in the United States. These seminars aim to promote the exchange of knowledge and information on issues such as watershed management, protected area management, sustainable tourism, and other natural resource management issues. Participants come from across the U.S. Forest Service International Programs’ programs covering more than 90 countries, which facilitates an international knowledge exchange while also allowing participants to learn from examples within the U.S. After the seminar, each participant leaves with technical experience, a global network of like-minded professionals, and an action plan to be followed-up on and implemented in their home country.
Knowledge Exchange through U.S. Forest Service International Seminars in the United States
The U.S. Forest Service annually sponsors partners, including ministry officials and NGO representatives, to attend the U.S. Forest Service International Programs’ International Seminar series held in the United States. These seminars aim to promote the exchange of knowledge and information on issues such as watershed management, protected area management, sustainable tourism, and other natural resource management issues. Participants come from across the U.S. Forest Service International Programs’ programs covering more than 90 countries, which facilitates an international knowledge exchange while also allowing participants to learn from examples within the U.S. After the seminar, each participant leaves with technical experience, a global network of like-minded professionals, and an action plan to be followed-up on and implemented in their home country.
Building Capacity of Regional Natural Resource Bodies
The U.S. Forest Service is working with the executive leadership of the Central Africa Forest Commission (COMIFAC) and the Network of Forestry and Environmental Training Institutions of Central Africa (RIFFEAC) to strengthen their institutional structure and management and to support their regional programming impact. This currently includes supporting the adoption of institutional management procedures for improved operational practices and designing academic modules to be used in regional forestry and environmental university curricula.
Building Capacity of Regional Natural Resource Bodies
The U.S. Forest Service is working with the executive leadership of the Central Africa Forest Commission (COMIFAC) and the Network of Forestry and Environmental Training Institutions of Central Africa (RIFFEAC) to strengthen their institutional structure and management and to support their regional programming impact. This currently includes supporting the adoption of institutional management procedures for improved operational practices and designing academic modules to be used in regional forestry and environmental university curricula.
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