Today the Centre for International Development Training (CIDT), University of Wolverhampton launches a set of training materials to support forest monitors around the world. The online Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM) training materials comprise over 30 presentations, group exercises and handouts arranged in four main modules: context, setting up an IFM initiative, implementing an IFM initiative and using what you find. In addition the website provides modules on setting up an IFM training course and ‘Next Steps’ to help ensure learning is put into practice. To complete the set there are three model timetables providing options for a two- four- or nine-day course.

The materials are primarily aimed at civil society organisations and other practitioners of Independent Forest Monitoring, in order that they can provide high-quality training workshops. They can be downloaded and used by trainers and trainees alike, and are a useful reference for anyone involved in IFM to understand more about particular aspects they might be interested in. For example each module can be accessed individually to suit particular training needs, or a complete set in a zip file can be downloaded at the click of a button. The open and modular nature of the materials – along with key learning objectives for each section – also allows them to be adapted to local circumstances or specific trainees’ needs. For this reason and to make them faster to download they contain very few images or local content.

The training materials have very-much been developed from experience, drawing extensively on the work of experienced IFM trainers and practitioners, and each PowerPoint presentation comes with extensive presenter’s notes. They are the product of numerous training courses run over the last decade, including the Independent Forest Monitoring component of CIDT’s popular Improving Forest Governance course as well as those offered by Forets et Développement Rural (FODER), Global Witness, and Resource Extraction Monitoring (REM). They have been collated by David Young.

In addition to these organisations, the production and publication of these materials has been made possible in part through the financial assistance of the European Union and UK Aid provided to CIDT (through SAFG, EUCFPR and CV4C projects), and Global Witness between 2014 and 2017.

For enquiries or further information, please contact CIDT’s Richard Nyirenda.