Awareness, Training & Capacity Building

The FORCERT Group Certification Service Network is formed through a close working relationship of FORCERT with its partner organisations (NGO's, training and research institutions, timber marketing organisations). This network can provide the various training, support and services needed to properly run a portable sawmilling business. FORCERT uses this network to facilitate training and support portable sawmilling businesses to properly manage their forest and to become and remain FSC certified.

Becoming a member of the FORCERT Group Certificate does not just assist community eco-forestry enterprises to meet all FSC criteria of good forest and business management, it also opens the road for them to receive other training, support and services needed to develop and continue to run the business sustainably. These are received partly through the Service & Production Agreements between Producer and CMU members, and through other support services, e.g. on business financing and small business management extension support which FORCERT is developing.

The support and training needed for producers to reach the group certification standards will be organised by FORCERT. For this it focuses on coordinating existing small producer services and support, and where necessary improves and/or supplements these. FORCERT is producing specific training manuals and modules for use with its group certification training.

ACPconsign2_400The main areas in which awareness, training and capacity building is given are:

  • Forest certification
  • Community development planning
  • Land group incorporation
  • Land use planning
  • Small business development
  • Forest management & inventory
  • Sawmilling
  • Timber grading & quality control
  • Timber export
  • Occupational Health & Safety
  • First Aid

FORCERT staff together with staff from partner organisations monitor the operations of the Group Certificate members on a six-monthly basis. These monitoring exercises help the members to continue to run their businesses in a proper way, by pointing out existing and potential problems and suggesting ways to solve and avoid them.