ANNEX 1. Terms of Reference/Review Brief

Review of the development and implementation of codes of practice for forest harvesting in ASEAN Member Countries

1. Introduction

The Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in the Asia-Pacific was published by FAO in 1999. Since that time ASEAN Member Countries have developed national codes and undertaken development programmes to implementtheir national codes and encourage low-impact logging.

As an outcome of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry meeting in May 2004, the ASEAN Secretariat, in collaboration with FAO, will be undertaking a review of the development and implementation of Codes of Practice for Forest Harvesting in ASEAN Member Countries.

This review will allow ASEAN to review progress and then use the information acquired to:

• define ASEAN's role in code implementation and promotion of low-impact logging for the next strategic planning period (2005-2010); and
• assist ASEAN and the APFC in identifying areas of mutual concern and the priority for future supportive opportunities.

The intention is to visit relevant Member Countries and work with forestry organisations and personnel to develop a clear picture of the status, issues and needs for Code implementation. This will be achieved by review of pre-mission information, discussions with forestry organisations, review of documents or reports, and inspection of relevant projects or trial sites. Each country will be supplied with a draft country report at the end of each country visit.

A review team will undertake the mission. Each country visit will typically involve:

• an initial meeting and briefing with senior forestry personnel
• discussions with individuals and organisations
• inspection of relevanttrial or project sites
• post visit debriefing by the reviewteam

The review will take the form of an open and co-operative fact finding mission. It is not the intention to compare national progress or performance but rather gain a clear idea of:

• the current status and effectiveness of Code implementation in improving forest harvesting
• the type and effectiveness of the development programme and follow up activities that have been undertaken including the effectiveness of ASEAN involvement
• the issues that have arisen and possible solutions
• the intended future direction and needs including the appropriateness of multi-country activities in furthering improved forest management

At the completion of the mission, a synthesis report will be prepared and presented as a paper at the International Seminar on Current Events in Forestry. This report will outline:

• the need for and objectives of future activities and projects together with the most appropriate target groups and entry levels
• the role that regional organisations, and particularly ASEAN, should play in the implementation of regional and national codes

The report and paper should provide information that will allow all Member Countries to contribute to and learn from the experiences in each country.

2. Pre-Mission Material

To permit the review team to arrive with best possible understanding of the forestry situation in each country, Member Countries are requested to supply the review team, via ASEAN, with relevant and available pre-mission material.

This may include:

• general forestry information on the scale, type and organisation of forestry activity
• national Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting
• outlines of the development policy or approach including a Iisting of activities undertaken and training provided
• outline of activities or projects undertaken to introduce and promote the National Code or low-impact logging
• existing reviews, critiques or reports of the progress of or problems in implementation
• outlines of future policy, direction or needs

3. Itinerary

To allow the review team to make best use of available time and gain as clear as possible a picture of the current status and needs of Code implementation, Member Countries are requested to plan an itinerary that will provide for:

• an initial meeting with senior forestry personnel to permit the review team to explain their purpose and approach, and be briefed on the overall national situation by forestry personnel
• discussion with relevant individuals and organisations to gather the information listed in the review sheet. These may include:

• national forest services
• training organisations
• harvesting research or development groups
• industry groups
• aid or other agencies involved in forestry activities
• non-government or community groups involved in forestry activities
• inspection of demonstration forests, training areas or project sites relevant to the objectives of the review
• provision of relevant brochures, promotional or training materials, project reports
• time to permit perusal of documents and preparation of a draft country report
• a concluding meeting where the review team will supply a draft country report, brief forestry personnel and clarify any outstanding issues.

The time that will be spent in any one country will depend on the scale and organisation of that country. The review team has limited time and the itinerary should be arranged so that all key persons or situations are visited.

It would be desirable if Member Countries can assign a liaison person to the team to facilitate their achievement of the itinerary.

Member Countries are requested to plan the timetable for each visit including arrangements for accommodation and travel.

4. Review Information

To allow the review team to gain a clear understanding of progress, issues and needs, the following information will be sought. In all cases the review team will utilise benchmarks such as a Regional Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific, the APFC Regional Strategy for Implementing the Code of Practice and the APFC Regional Training Strategy as benchmarks to assess the status of implementation. Detail should include the effectiveness, problems, issues and future needs for each aspect raised.

Schedule of Missions: Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao PDR and Myanmar