This guide is designed for use by community members to conduct independent forest monitoring activities in their local area. It provides tips on how to gather information and, why and how to present these findings. The guide will help community-based independent forest monitors to ensure that economic and other forms of benefits from forests are accessed and managed in a sustainable way by communities themselves.

It is important to ensure community-based forest monitors have adequate understanding of their roles and responsibilities and are thereby enhancing their capacities to monitor and report effectively. The guide lays out the obligations of a community-based forest monitor as well as the need for periodic follow-ups in the form of trainings, mentoring and quality-control.

It is important that the larger public understand the concept of community based-independent forest monitoring so that sustainable solutions for reducing illegalities in the forestry sector are provided.