Summary Sheet for Result of Evaluation Study After the Project
1. Outline of the ProjectCountry: Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Project title: Community Forestry Training andExtension Project in Dry Zone in the Union of
MyanmarIssue/Sector: Forestry

Cooperation scheme: Technical cooperation project

Division in charge: Global Environment
Department

Total cost (at the time of evaluation): 420,321,000 JPY(R/D): December 2001 –December 2006

Partner Country’s Implementing Organization: Forest
Department, Ministry of Forestry, Central Dry Zone
Greening Department

Period of
Cooperation

Supporting Organization in Japan: Forestry Agency,
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Related Cooperation: Grant aid: The Central Forestry Development Training Center Construction Project,
Technical cooperation: The Central Forestry Development Training Center Project, Follow-up on theCentral Forestry Development Training Center Project, Aftercare of the Central Forestry Development
Training Center Project1-1 Background of the Project
The population in The Union of Myanmar (hereinafter referred to as “Myanmar”) is 52.17 million(the estimated number in 2002 statistics) and ranks 129th among 177 countries on the Human
Development Index (HDI) with a figure of 0.578 in 2005, and its per capita GDP is 1,417 US dollars (theestimated figure in 2005 statistics, calculated on the basis of purchasing power parity (PPP)); these facts give this country the status ofone of the least among less-developed countries (LLDC) and one of the poorest countries in ASEAN
nations.
In Myanmar, the forest area is 34.38 million hectares, which is about 51% of the land area (67.65
million hectares, about 1.7 times as large as Japan). In this area of the country, aggravating deforestation
has become a serious problem, recording the highest rate of decrease of forests between 1990 and 2000
(1.4% on the basis of annual average and 0.1% in the whole of Asia at the same period). Especially theCentral Dry Zone, moreover, is significantly dry as there are only 500 millimeters of rainfall per annum,
while environmental destruction such as soil flowage, which is caused by deforestation worsening at anincreasingly fast pace due to overharvesting of firewood or charcoal resulting from an increase inpopulation in the same zone. There are also a large number of poverty-ridden people living in this area,
accounting for approximately one third of the population of the country, despite its harsh naturalenvironment; the Myanmar government, therefore, has put high priority on both poverty reduction andenvironmental conservation in this area.
Meanwhile, the government announced its forest policy in 1995 so that its forestry administration canplace top priority on realizing more sustainable forest conservation by promoting forest management withresident participation. Also in the same year, the chief of the Forest Department (FD) issued theCommunity Forestry Instructions (CFI) as an institutional basis for community forestry (CF)management to be enforced in some regions experimentally. For promoting participatory forest
management based on the CFI especially in the Central Dry Zone with its forest land devastated severely,
Myanmar has requested Japan for technical cooperation for the purpose of providing the FD staff withassistance for CF extension by capacity building. In response to the request, this five-year project wasdrawn up and implemented in December 2001.
1-2 Project Overview （Based on the PDM ver. 4 adopted in this evaluation study）(1) Overall Goal
The FD promotes participatory forest management based on the management in Dry Zone based on the
CFI so that people with spontaneous participation are able to obtain benefits from the Community
Forests.
(2) Project Purpose
All the FD’s Township Offices in the Dry Zone acquire practical capacity to promote participatory forest
management based on the CFI.
(3) Outputs
1. An extension plan for promotion of participatory forest management in the Dry Zone based on
the CFI is prepared.
2. Extension staff understands the importance of participatory forest management and acquirenecessary skill and knowledge for extension through training.
3. Extension of participatory forest management is practiced at the villages in the Dry Zone as a partof extension staff training.
4. Dissemination state of participatory forest management is monitored periodically.
5. Collaboration relationship with the Dry Zone Greening Department is strengthened.
(4) Inputs (at the time of evaluation)
1) Japanese side:
Long-term Expert: 9 (257.2 man-month)
Equipment: Approx. 50,347,000 JPY
Short-term Expert : 2 (2.4 man-month)
Local cost: Approx. 80,954, 000 JPY
Trainees received: 102) Myanmar’s side:
Counterpart: 42 (Staffed by 15 of them at present)
Provision of land and facilities: Land for project offices (in the FD’s sub-center, the Central Forestry
Development Training Center (CFDTC), and the Yangon Office of the FD) and facilities
Equipment: N/A
Local cost: 17,078 Kyat Equivalent to approx. 44,088,000 JPY (for the CFDTC and sub-center)
II. Evaluation Team
Members of
Evaluation Team(Specialized field: name, title)
Leader: Kenichi TAKANO, Executive Advisor to the Director General, Global
Environment Department, JICA
Community Forestry Extension: Atsushi IOKI, Auditor, General Affairs Division,
National Forest Department, Forestry Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries
Cooperation Planning: Hiroshi HIDAKA, Forestry and Nature Conservation Team I,
Group I (Forestry and Natural Environment), Global Environment Department,
JICA
Evaluation Analysis: Minako NAKATANI, Researcher, Social Development

Department, Global Link Management, Inc.
Period of
Evaluation

June 13 – July 1, 2006

Type of Evaluation: Terminal

III. Results of Evaluation
3-1 Confirmation of Results (Achievement of Project Outputs)(1) Output 1: An extension plan for promotion of participatory forest management in the Dry Zone basedon the CFI is prepared.
The Output 1 has already been achieved and the “Dry Zone Community Forestry Extension Plan” waslaid out based upon experiences and knowledge gained through the extension activities actuallyconducted in the project between 2002 and 2003. After the final plan was approved in the joint
coordinating committee held in January 2004, this plan officially obtained approval from the FD in
March 2004. The plan works as guidelines to be followed for allowing the project to attain its goals by
2006 and enabling the FD to accomplish its overall goals by 2011; more specifically, this plan presents
challenges to be considered for developing model procedures, implementation systems, and training
strategies for CF expansion, and for promoting the extension activities. As the activities in the project
are actually moved forward, the contents of the extension plan are modified whenever needed inaccordance with actual circumstances.
(2) Output 2: Extension staff understand the importance of participatory forest management and acquirenecessary skill and knowledge for extension through training.
The Output 2 has almost been achieved. The training program is implemented in this project consists ofthe following 4 courses: (i) “Participatory Extension System (PES)” Course for heads of the FD’s
Prefectural and Township Offices (8-part series training with 106 participants), (ii) “Participatory
Extension Methods (PEM)” Course for extension staff of the FD’s Township Offices (10-part series
training with 158 participants), (iii) “Follow-up training” for extension staff (2-part series training with
158 participants), (iv) “Resident training” for community forest user group members (6-part series
training with 121 participants). Now the sub-center staff give lectures in most of the training courses,
developing better curricula while responding flexibly to the needs fed back from extension staff orresidents through CF extension activity support. In terms of training evaluation, in addition, trainees
have shown their relatively high degree of understanding and satisfaction since a wide range of methods
have been elaborated for deepening trainees’ understanding.
(3) Output 3: Extension of participatory forest management is practiced in villages in the Dry Zone.
It can be said that the Output 3 has been more or less achieved. There has been considerable progress in
implementing programs to create community forests in the targeted 41 townships out of 54 (accounting
for 76% of the total targeted townships) at the time of the evaluation. This kind of activity to expand
community forests is actually pushed forward on site through extension activity support provided by
two teams of rotating instructors. They offer on-site assistance required mainly at each stage of resident
organizations’ activities, the development of management plans by user groups, and the implementationof the plans in high-priority townships, encouraging extension staff to utilize their knowledge and skills
acquired in the trainings in this project and employ participatory approaches to their tasks in particular.
And their frequent visit to locations where field operation to create community forests is conducted canlead to measures properly responding to circumstances of each township against factors that impede CF
extension, contributing greatly to the development of the function of the Township Offices and theirstaff’s ability.
(4) Output 4: Dissemination state of participatory forest management is monitored periodically.
Although the activities for the Output 4 completed, the expected effect has not been produced. During
the project, a periodic report system was introduced to monitor activities related to CF at regularintervals. The project specified four formats with which the periodic reports should be made and withthese formats suggested the flow of reporting mechanism (from a Township Office to a Prefectural
Office, and from a Prefectural Office to a Regional Office). The details of the implementation of thissystem were explained to all the parties concerned in the Committees for Community Forestry
Organization (CCF) held from December 2005 to January 2006 in prefectures and townships, and thereporting formats were distributed to each Prefectural and Township Office between March and April
2006. At the time of this evaluation study, however, there are few cases where the reports for the firstquarter of FY 2006 were submitted; by the end of the project, therefore, a proactive stance in ensuringthat the reports are turned in regularly is expected.
(5) Output 5: Collaboration relationship with the Dry Zone Greening Department is strengthened.
Judging from the relevant performance indicators, some satisfactory results were achieved inconnection with the Output 5. For example, the project provided 3 PES trainings and 4 PEM trainings to
69 extension staff members of the Dry Zone Greening Department in total. And as for the establishmentof the CCF for enhancing collaboration with the Dry Zone Greening Department, at the head officelevel a conference of the Committee was held in July 2004 and standards for CF development were set,
while at the regional level the CCF was established in all 12 prefectures in the Dry Zone and in 54
townships respectively between December 2005 and January 2006. However, there is some question as
to whether the CCF functioned as an effective mechanism to essentially strengthen the collaboration
relationship between the FD and the Dry Zone Greening Department; this is because any conference of
the CCF has not been held at the headquarters level since July 2004, and there have been no reports of
the holding of regional CCF meetings at the district or townships level either, which gives rise to a needto monitor the situation in the future.
3-2 Summary of Evaluation Results(1) Relevance
From the following standpoints, it can be said that the relevance of this project is high at the time ofterminal evaluation.
＜Relevance with the Development Policy of the Myanmar Government＞
Participatory forest management as the core activity of this project was set as one of the most important
strategies for addressing challenges concerning forestry management in the government’s forest policy
announced in 1995. The CFI issued in the same year spelled out specific procedures to create
community forests, with a policy framework necessary for promoting CF extension developed. And in
the Forest Sector Master Plan (2001-2031) formulated in 2001, the FD aims to expand the area ofcommunity forest land to 2.3 million acres. Against the backdrop of these factors, it is certain that the
CF activities that this project puts its main focus on are considered to be very important in line with theforest policy of the country.
＜Relevance with the Development Needs of Local Residents＞

In the Central Dry Zone, deforestation and forest land devastation are getting accelerated year after year;
this serious situation makes forest restoration and conservation there crucial issues requiring urgent
attention. Therefore, the design and contents of this project, which are intended to train local residents tofamiliarize themselves with sustainable forest management approaches through CF activities and tosupport the FD’s organizational and technical capacity development, correspond precisely with thedevelopment needs of those living in the Central Dry Zone.
＜Relevance with Japan’s ODA Policy＞
Since May 2004 Japan’s basic policy of economic cooperation with Myanmar has suspended new
development assistance in principle. Nevertheless, it also allows to conduct the following cooperation
programs, considering the potentialities of each case: “ a truly humanitarian program urgently in need ofsupport,” “a program for the development of human resources contributing to democratization andeconomic structural reform,” and “a program targeting all the ASEAN nations including CLMV
(Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam).” This project is positioned as one of the “programs for thedevelopment of human resources contributing to democratization and economic structural reform” withthe understanding that democratization can be promoted by transferring the authority of previously
government-led forest management to local residents and by establishing a bottom-up decision making
system through CF practices. In 2005, JICA announced its country-specific program in which 6 fields ofsupport for Myanmar based on the above-mentioned basic policy are specified; this project boosts one ofthese 6 fields, “the expansion of opportunities for local residents to participate in administrative
operations” as a priority issue for supporting democratization, which is consistent with JICA’s basic
assistance policy. Besides, Japan has high comparative advantage because it has carried out the samekinds of CF programs in ASEAN countries.
(2) EffectivenessThe project has made smooth progress toward the accomplishment of the project goals by 2008, and it
is very likely that the goals will be achieved during the project period. There are possible driving forces
behind the accomplishment; for example, the outputs stated above have facilitated the goal achievement
and there have been significant increases in the number of user groups and CF area, comparing theregions targeted for the project with other regions. However, on the contrary, the factors that prevented
the project goal attainment were also put forward; no direction concerning necessary operations for CF
extension has been given from the FD headquarters to local forest offices and it takes time for the FD tocooperate with other organizations (e.g. the Dry Zone Greening Department, the Committee on Peace
Development) on giving approval to CF plannings.
(3) Efficiency
The efficiency of this project was satisfactory on the whole. To be more precise, inputs required for the
output achievement were almost appropriate in terms of their quantity, quality, and timing. And theoutput production was a result of the flexible operating structure of the project, leading to the improved
efficiency of the project especially in the latter half of the project period. Although it was reported thatthe output achievement was susceptible because local office employees tend to be transferred to otheroffices at the short intervals, the project has taken measures against this negative factor such as making
sure that those transferred employees receive necessary trainings.

(4) Impact
Since the completion of CF development supported by the project, increases in the number ofcommunity forests across the targeted regions and user groups in the process of applying for a CF
certificate to be issued as well as expected growth in the number of user groups enjoying forest products
from the already created forests have been observed. If the FD and its sub-center continue to provide
proper trainings and support during CF extension activities, there is a prospect that the overall goals will
be achieved. In this evaluation study of rural areas, two villages, though few in number, showed
positive impacts such as the appearance of new user groups organized by the residents themselves,
which proved that incentives for CF activities have been given to the residents at the regional levels.
Other positive impacts unexpected before the implementation of the project were as follows：・ As a result of providing information with regard to CF systems to concerned personnel oforganizations other than the FD (e.g. the Committee on Peace Development) and encouraging their
participation in necessary conferences in order to secure their cooperation for going through theprocess of obtaining suitable forestry site approval, staff of organizations that hitherto have never had
anything to do with the CF systems extended their knowledge about community forests.
・ Based on results of trainings in this project, the CFDTC decided to give trainings on the developmentof community forests and participatory forestry management also to staff engaging in other projects
in the FD.
At this point in time no negative impact unexpected before conducting the project was reported.
However, the project strives to collect data on negative impacts through socioeconomic research, giving
special consideration to the essentially exclusive nature of CF systems.
(5) Sustainability
The following is a brief description of results gained through consideration from some points of view,that is, technical, structural, and financial aspects, regarding the sustainability of “sub-center,” “FD’spractical ability for CF extension,” and “user groups” respectively.
(A) Sub-center
1) The rate of sustainability from the technical aspect is considered as being high because in addition to
successfully-completed staff trainings and the thoroughly improved ability of expansion support ofthe staff, post-project trainings on CF and participatory forestry management will continue to be
performed.
2) Although sustainability from the structural aspect faces some causes for concerns such as the facts
that there is no senior-level staff assigned to the sub-center and its director is served concurrently by
the CFDTC, an approach to properly locate manpower continues to be made until the project ends.
3) The sufficient budget for the sub-center (as well as for the CFDTC) has been expected to be secured.
However, the activities such as the provision of trainings and forestry expansion support need to bereviewed according to the budget scale, and post-project activity plans etc. should be discussed inadvance.
(B) FD’s practical ability for CF extension1) It appears that extension staff has acquired necessary technical capabilities through F/U trainings,
which will be fully utilized for developing community forests from this time forward.

2) Since no definite operational instruction for the extension has been given to the extension staff andthe relevant reporting system has not functioned, a proper institutional development is necessary.
3) Although approximately 40% of the FD’s budget in FY 2006-2007 is distributed to Township Officesin the Dry Zone, more prioritized distribution to the area of forestry extension in the Zone is needed
so as to actively implement the extension.
(C) User Groups
While the number of user groups receiving benefit from community forests is limited at present, thecontinuous community forests is constantly in demand. To ensure functioning of incentives for local
residents in the future, technical assistance for the management of developed forests and institutional
support concerning sales of forest products are thought to be necessary.
3-3 Factors that Promoted Realization of Effects(1) Factors Concerning Planning・ There was a synergy between two components, CF extension support activities and theextension-related trainings; more specifically, the activities are utilized as a kind of OJT training
ground to practically use the knowledge gained through the relevant trainings, and issues to beaddressed that are identified during the activities are fed back to the training curricula for improving
them at the same time.
(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
・ A good cooperative relationship between Japanese experts and the counterparts has been built, seeing
to it that the ownership on the part of Myanmar is developed.
・ In the latter half of the project, the work contents of experts in charge of two areas, CF extension andtrainings, were integrated to build a more mutually complementary relationship between each of theareas. And appropriate devices to ensure flexible project operation and management allowed the
production of the expected outputs.
3-4 Factors that Impeded Realization of Effects(1) Factors Concerning Planning・ At the outset of the project, activities and input planning to improve institutional arrangements
necessary for CF extension in the FD were not included in the project design. Then after the middleof the project period, Output 4 and 5 were added; however, the activities and input were delayed
because their incorporation into the plan was too late. As a consequence, sufficient results have notbeen yielded yet, but the relevant activities and input are to be implemented until the projectcompletes.
(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
・ Frequent personnel transfer involving managers or extension staff of the FD’s Prefectural andTownship Offices ends up in an outflow of those staff to the outside of the regions targeted in the
project.
・ The institutional development for CF extension by the FD initiative has been delayed. To makematters worse, the relocation of the capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2006 makes it difficult to
conduct the project-related operations and activities because the FD head office became hard ofaccess, constituting an obstacle to the provision of advices and negotiations for promoting therelevant improvement.
3-5 Conclusion
The project has made steady progress up to the point of this evaluation study, and it is very likely thatthe goals will be achieved by the end of the project period. If the FD’s Prefectural and Township Offices
and sub-center continue to provide proper institutional and structural improvement in pushing CF
development activities, there is a prospect that the overall goals will continue to be achieved until 2011
with increase of persistence of the project effectiveness. During the rest of the project implementation
period, therefore, the project ourtcomes will be collated based on the suggestions mentioned in the next
paragraph, and the whole activities related to the project will be finished in December 2006 asscheduled.
3-6 Recommendations (Specific Measures, Suggestions and Advice Related to the Project)(1) Major Recommendations before the Project Completes・ To formulate action plans to achieve the overall goals and present them in the seminar held uponcompletion of the project.
・ To ensure that CF extension is incorporated as one of the FD’s duties while forming coherent
instruction systems for the enforcement of the CFI, and to reinforce the unit to compile periodic
reports set up in the Planning and Statistics Department of the FD while firmly establishing theperiodic reporting system
・ To make sure that the FD and the Dry Zone Greening Department hold meetings and exchange
necessary information at regular intervals at the township and district levels to invigorate functions of
the CCF, and to review standards for CF development in the CCF held at the headquarters level in
September 2006.
・ To hold a seminar upon completion of the project to report and share the project results in November
2006, especially for introducing to the parties concerned a wide variety of lessons learned with regard
to participatory approaches in creating community forests
・ To appoint a person to take charge of the sub-center (to be selected from assistant directors and othersenior-level managers) for pointing out the importance of the center(2) Major Recommendations after the Project Completes・ To make certain that the FD distributes all kinds of manuals and guidelines concerning CF practices
prepared during this project, which are considered to be useful for the development of not only the
Dry Zone but also community forests across the country (e.g. mangrove forest in the Ayeyarwady
delta), to interested persons or organizations all over the country
・ To continue CF extension support provided by the sub-center staff in some way even after the projectcompletes because with this support the extension activities carried out by township staff can exert
their effect・ To ensure that the FD secures costs for the activities of extension staff of on-site Township Offices bytaking such budgetary measures as are necessary for CF extension activities
・ To give advice on forest technology and sales of forest products in conformity to the CFI to maintainand improve incentives for local residents so that the sustainable CF management can be promoted
by user groups
3-7 Lessons Learned (Cases from this projects that may be a reference for the discovery, formulation,

implementation, and operation for other similar projects)
・ For introducing participatory approaches to CF development and extension activities in an effective
manner, laws and regulations such as the CFI and the on-site extension systems need to beestablished. (according to (1) “Relevance” in 3-2 Summary of Evaluation Results and (1) “Factors
Concerning Planning” in 3-4 Factors that Impeded Realization of Effects)
・ For the cultivation of CF extension personnel of the FD, it is important to combine classroom
trainings, fieldwork, and follow-up trainings into a single training program. (according to (1) “Factors
Concerning Planning” in 3-3 Factors that Promoted Realization of Effects and (5) “Sustainability” in
3-2 Summary of Evaluation Results)
・ A Project covering wide areas requires the development of a monitoring system with the work
contents clearly specified upon commencement of the project (according to (4) Output 4 in 3-1
Confirmation of Results)
・ The provision of various equipment adequately meets the needs of certain groups targeted by aproject contributes greatly to the production of the project results. (according to (3) “Efficiency” in
3-2 Summary of Evaluation Results)
・ As for projects for human resource development, in addition to the implementation of trainings,
structural and institutional improvements need to be incorporated into their designs for the purpose ofa practical utilization of knowledge and experiences acquired by trainees. (according to 3-3 Factorsthat Promoted Realization of Effects and (2) “Effectiveness” and (5) “Sustainability” in 3-2 Summaryof Evaluation Results)