Institutional strengthening
Institutional strengthening will be a vital part of project implementation. This includes infrastructure required for project implementation, building capacity of personnel who implement and monitor the Project (capacity building of beneficiaries are discussed in Component 2), system of monitoring and evaluation, and publicity for the Project.
All VPIC members (forest owners and other stakeholders from the community) and range officials will be trained on the FWP planning process, basic forest management and group administration etc. to facilitate their informed participation in the FWP development process. The training will particularly focus of their orientation to the project components; VPIC formation, governance, and record keeping; techniques of Soil and Water Conservation, Range Management, Human Wild Life Conflict, spring management, fire protection management; Self-monitoring and evaluation of project activities, knowing and recording of impact of climate change on rural livelihood and adaptation strategies, management of maintenance funds etc.
VEC members will be trained in livelihood promotion, SHG formulation, micro-finance, internal lending and financial inclusion, management of assets created out of and market linkages ad convergence with other state and central sponsored schemes on livelihood and support activities.
Members of Traditional Institutions will also be oriented on the project components to seek their cooperation on achieving convergence with other State and Centrally sponsored schemes.
The community facilitators will be trained on formation of VPICs and user-groups (SHGs), community mobilization and conflict resolution and tools of forest management besides project monitoring and reporting using GPS. These facilitators will be women to as far as possible. Women facilitators will be provided to (re)establish the group, build cohesion, ensure women occupy leadership roles in the executive committees, and provide leadership training to women.
Trainings and community consultations with women will also be held to (i) enhance their awareness about women forest-related entitlements and obligations and (ii) develop clarity on the rules for women engage in forest-related decision-making and to access and benefit from forest resources.
Forest custodians/ owners and forest promoters of forest based enterprises will be trained on various aspects of enterprise development and management, financial management, market development, financial planning etc.
State, national and international exposure visits will be organized for experience sharing cross learning of best practices on various aspects of project management.
Resource Strengthening of PMUs and Implementing Agencies
The project management units at various levels and implementing agencies will be strengthened through provision of hardware and software, professional staffing and technology up gradation in order to improve their efficiency and effectiveness on delivery of their respective roles and responsibilities.
Social and Environment Framework
JICA guidelines in management of social and environmental risk will be followed under the project. Significant adverse environmental and social impacts such as land acquisition, resettlement, which require EIA clearance are not anticipated from the Project intervention. The Environmental and Social Management System for the Project
