Upskilling Community Forest Managers

Community forest leaders are expected to function as managers, yet most lack training in the technical skills required to assess forest health, monitor biodiversity, conduct socio-economic analysis, and develop strategic management plans. This creates a critical gap: communities legally manage their forests but often cannot effectively create the Community Forest Management Plans (CFMPs) required for official recognition, forcing reliance on external experts or adoption of generic templates that don't reflect local realities.

This programme serves community forest leaders and committee members managing registered community forests, with particular focus on engaging youth alongside existing leaders to facilitate knowledge transfer and leverage young people's technological skills. Through two intensive training courses delivered by RECOFTC Thailand—data collection and forest assessment, followed by data analysis and CFMP formulation—participants learn to evaluate forest health using scientific sampling methods, identify key biodiversity indicators through field surveys, conduct socio-economic assessments of forest dependence and benefit sharing, and apply project planning methodologies to forest management challenges.

What makes this distinctive is the shift from paper-based to digital forest management tools. Participants use computer software and digital platforms to collect GPS-tagged forest data, analyse results through automated systems, and generate comprehensive management plans that meet official standards whilst reflecting community knowledge and priorities. Communities benefit from improved quality of CFMPs that actually guide forest management decisions, increased capacity to respond to climate threats and biodiversity loss through data-driven planning, measurable improvements in forest governance tracked via the CF-NET Index, and youth engagement that ensures knowledge continuity. RECOFTC provides all training, digital tools, field equipment, ongoing coaching support, and connection to the national thaicfnet.org platform where communities can share data and learn from each other.

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