Update and revision of the platform for monitoring and evaluation of payment for forest environmental service (PFES M&E)

Implementation Time: June, 2022 – June, 2024

Client: DAI

Content:

DAI is implementing in Vietnam The USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project (the Project) to work with the Government of Vietnam (GVN), with MARD as its main counterpart, to reduce carbon emissions associated with deforestation and degradation of natural forests, and increase carbon sequestration by improving timber plantations management. The Project will implement a “Green Prosperity” approach that strengthens local communities’ ability to protect their natural resource base and reduce emissions while building a strong foundation for sustainable livelihoods and equitable economic growth.
The Project will work in seven provinces (Lao Cai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, Quang Nam) and focus on five objectives: (1) Improve and expand community forest management; (2) Increase conservation-friendly enterprises in forest-dependent communities; (3) Increase functionality of law enforcement system for forest crimes; (4) Improve production forest management practices; (5) Mobilize domestic resources for forest management and protection.
The Project will be implemented during the period 2020-2025 by DAI in collaboration with RECOFTC and Preferred by Nature as partners, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) as the counterpart and the Management Board of Forestry Projects (MBFP) as project owner.

Objectives

Currently, there is a platform developed and maintained at address http://gsdg.vnff.vn/ to use for managing indicators of PFES M&E. The platform was introduced to VNFF and provincial forest and protection funds (in short provincial funds). However, with the need to report monthly, quarterly, every six months, and annually requested by VNFF, the platform needs to be updated and revised accordingly. The platform will be updated in two phases, and this task is for phase 1 of the platform update process. The purpose of this phase is to:
– To complete the platform which will help provincial funds, VNFF update indicators, and produce reports to higher levels such as PPC, MARD, National Assembly.
– The platform should have required functions for 6 types of account holders at central and provincial levels (each level has 3 types of accounts which are: admin, user, approval)
– The platform needs to be a tool where provincial funds can provide data per indicator and then VNFF or provincial funds can use those data to produce regularly reports.
– The platform needs to operate smoothly with different types of accounts.

Mission

– Update, revise platform: Ensure the platform compatible with current hardware of VNFOREST, VNFF, and selected provincial funds; Revise main menu to become more user friendly; Revise, and add indicators; Revise and add tables for indicator data input; Revise and add report templates (reports as table and graph); Change, and add features of different account types; Revise the database linkage so that the indicator report data from provincial funds are linked and automatically compiled to a national report; Update, revise add-on tool on excel (the tool is used to enter data for some indicators); Add feature to get attribute of PFES map from QGIS, or MapInfo
– Update guidelines/Manual of the platform
– Develop training documents
– Design and deliver training for provincial funds and VNFF
– Coach VNFF and 7 provincial funds to use the platform
– Revise and finalize platform and handover to the Project and VNFF
– Maintenance