Forestry Sub-Sector Policy (2010-2019).

The goals of the present Forestry Policy include: i) Improvement in the living standards of the citizenry through poverty reduction and forest resource enhancement initiatives; ii) Institutional empowerment for effective decentralized forest resource management; iii) Encouragement of coordinated efforts and inflow of assistance into the forestry sub-sector as defined in the National Development Framework; iv) Improvement in Department of Forestry’s absorptive capacity and effective management of forest resources.
The Department of Forestry’s policy intends to achieve the following specific objectives: i) strengthening the institutional capacity of the Department of Forestry and Non-State Actors involved in the management and implementation of natural resource programmes; ii) further integration of Department of Forestry into the medium and long-term national development framework; iii) ensuring that Department of Forestry create multiplier effects on forest resource management and the domestic economy in general; iv) technology transfer to decentralized structures and development of indigenous technology in forest resource management; and v) promoting efficient and unified systems for forest resource management.
The relationship of Department of Forestry with others shall be governed by the following principles: i) The principle of quality: Department of Forestry will seek best practice, defined as work of the highest quality, but also cost-effective; ii) The principle of innovativeness, which requires the courage to be creative and not fear of failure; iii) The principle of partnership and synergy, which allots different responsibilities and respects the mandate, rights and obligations of all parties; iv) The principle of devolution, which conforms to local government reforms and decentralisation.
Chapter Three deals with policy provisions: 1) Institutional Development Policy: i) The Department of Forestry will engage on instructional development and capacity building in all parts of the organisation; ii) The Department of Forestry will advance strategy development for effective programme and policy work, and influence the political will for institutional support; iii) Department of Forestry will engage all stakeholders (particularly, the local government councils) to mainstream Natural Resource Management into their programmes; iv) Department of Forestry to be committed to partnership, alliance building and networking, and engage on a cooperative working culture and learning from others; v) Funding Policy; 2) Programme Development Policy: i) Department of Forestry will engage on integrated resource management programming; 3) Policy on Decentralization and Synergy: i) Government is committed to advance its local government reforms and decentralisation program. Hence, ii) Department of Forestry must conform to this commitment; ii) Department of Forestry to engage related sectors and non-state actors in forest resource management; iii) Establish Farmers Platform to advance strategies in land and agricultural resource management at local; 4) Policy on Research and Development: i) Department of Forestry to engage on resource management technology generation and transfer at local level; ii) Department of Forestry to prioritise programme learning and development.
The text consists of 5 Chapters as follows: Background (1); Goals, Objectives and Principles of Forestry Policy (2); Policy Provisions (3); Policy Conclusion (5).