Forest Policy Development in the DRC
With the Congolese Ministry of Environment
LEAF facilitated a 5-day planning and consultation workshop in August 2024, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that aimed to advance the creation of a draft (“V0”) of the National Forest Policy (PFN) for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Hosted by the Ministry of Environment (MEDD) under the Central African Forests Initiative (CAFI) over 80 participants, including public officials, local authorities, private sector representatives, civil society, and researchers, were involved.
We used our strategy games MineSet and Agriforest to simulate forest and landscape management on national and local levels. In combination with the insights from the forest-sector analysis, the games proofed their added value in strengthening participants’ strategic, action-oriented thinking.
Key objectives of the workshop
- Encourage strategic reflection among participants through innovative facilitation approaches.
- Facilitate inclusive dialogue where every voice is valued.
- Capitalize on participants contributions to enrich forest-sector analysis.
- Develop a consensus-driven draft of the PFN by identifying a vision and strategic orientations for the forestry sector.
Key outcomes
- A comprehensive review of the forest-sector analysis.
- Creation of a collaborative environment that fostered active participation, invited the expression of diverse perspectives and facilitated a consensual convergence of divergent viewpoints.
- Identification and agreement on the core pillars for the PFN.
- Clarification of the next steps in the process.
Conclusion
The facilitation approach we applied successfully fostered a participatory and inclusive process, advancing the development of the National Forest Policy for the DRC. The participants expressed high satisfaction with the facilitation and the outcomes. In light of past experiences, hopes for a constructive and successful continuation of the process have been expressed.
Story written by: Céline Dillmann, Sarah Hopsort, Marion Tafani, Claude Garcia
Photo credits: LEAF, Kinshasa, 2024
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