Ensuring responsible forest management is impossible without establishing interaction with interested and affected by the activities of forestry enterprises stakeholders. The training for the management staff of the branches of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" (Polissia Forest Office) discussed how to properly formulate processes for informing and engagement these parties in decision-making, ensuring their effectiveness and obtaining positive effects for society and the environment. The training emphasized the systematic nature of such activities, the importance of their clear planning and organization, rather than ad-hoc response to circumstances. The training participants recognized the observance of the rights of interested and affected stakeholders in accordance with the FSC national forest stewardship standard of Ukraine as an important component of conflict prevention.
The variety of forms and methods used (small group work, situational exercises, role play, etc.) added to the relaxed atmosphere, dynamism and liveliness of the training. The training participants not only reflected on the need to revise the management system to take into account systematic, process, adaptive, and risk-based approaches, but also had the opportunity to work more deeply on the issue of interaction with local communities. The expectations, experience and opportunities for interaction with FSC-certified forestry enterprises presented during the training by NGO "Ecosphere" and WWF-Ukraine will be useful for FSC certificate holders to find and form mutually beneficial partnerships in the sphere of responsible forest management.
The content and interactivity of the training and its practical emphasis are designed to help transform the views of its participants on the issues of interaction with interested and affected stakeholders. This transformation is based on the need to strengthen communication and expand the means of engagement these stakeholders in decision-making on the establishment, implementation and monitoring of forest management plan.
Pavlo Kravets, Director of FSC Ukraine, noted: "A significant number of participants - representatives of FSC certified branches, administrative staff of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine", certification bodies - testifies to the relevance of the event's topic and the desire of the participants to improve their knowledge and skills in terms of stakeholders engagement. We observe a gradual realization that solving complex issues of ensuring balanced forest management should be done with the contribution of a wide range of stakeholders who can and should become assistants and partners for foresters".
