Support for Central African Universities and Research Institutes in Formulating Research Projects

One of the practical objectives of the RESSAC program mandated to CIFOR is to strengthen the capacity for supervision and scientific production of actors in Central Africa involved in the management of forest environments, particularly actors in training and university research, civil society actors, and public institutions involved in forest and environmental management.

In 2023, CIFOR/RESSAC organized successive training sessions covering the subject of “the project cycle”. Four (4) weekly sessions were organized (two in Libreville, Gabon and two in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo) to sensitize representatives of universities of the requirements of the project cycle and to improve the capabilities of writing structured project notes.

Beginning 2024, CIFOR/RESSAC sponsored a consecutive one-week (1) workshop for four (4) promising project proposals in Ebolowa, Cameroon, to further improve the project drafts. Pre and post coaching sessions around the workshop allowed participants to better focus the proposed project scopes and to improve the probability of donor support.

• Acquire an in-depth knowledge of the process for preparing a project or a phase of a project/program in the multilateral aid system.

• Develop the skills to orchestrate preparatory studies required by the government or technical and financial partners.

• Understand the principles and processes of results-based management (RBM).

• Appropriate the strategies and techniques for negotiating funding agreements with donors.

• Successfully design and implement projects and accelerate disbursements.