National Forest Stewardship

Standards Process and Status.

National General Assembly.

FSC Russia.

11/04/2016.

FSC® F000100FSC® A.C. All rights reserved

Fon. Gordian Fanso (MSc./ING.)

Policy Manager – FSC National Forest Stewardship Standards

Content:

• PSU assessment of National Forest Stewardship

Standards (NFSS)…

• Experience with the first set of National Forest

Stewardship Standard…

1

Key bodies and their tasks during

NFSS process and assessments

• The Policy and Standards Unit (PSU) that registers the standards

development process, conducts pre-approval assessments and

presents the National Forest Stewardship Standard to the Policy and

Standards Committee (PSC) for decision.

• Standard Development Groups (SDG) that develop the National Forest

Stewardship Standard.

• PSU regional policy officers (since 2015) that provide guidance and

advice to SDGs during the process and also serve as liaison between

PSU and SDGs.

• Forest Network (since 2015) that provide a peer review of the standard

before or after submission to the PSU.

• Policy and Standards Committee; a 3 chamber balanced committee by

the FSC Board of Directors that makes the decision on National Forest

Stewardship Standard.2

Assessment of the standard

setting process

• Based on FSC document, “Process requirements for the development and maintenance of

National Forest Stewardship Standards'‘‘FSC-STD-60-006

• AND the document, “Development and Transfer of National Forest Stewardship Standards

to the FSC Principles and Criteria Version 5-1”. FSC-PRO-60-006 V2-0 EN.

• Section 2 on how to use the IGI in NFSS process

• Section 3 on how to transfer existing NFSS to revised P&C

• Section 5 on how to address SIR

• Section 6 on Ecosystem services and

• Section 7 on how to deal with international documents that the process of developing them is not

yet finalized

• FSC-STD-60-006 has been converted into an excel based checklist which contains

summarily, following topics:

The official announcement of the standard development process - PSU staff checks:

• Which communications media was used?

• Was the standard announced to all key stakeholders in the country?

If this is not done it could result in lack of credibility and little or no support for the NFSS.

3

Setting up of the SDG - PSU staff checks that:

• The group is divided into the three chambers of Social, Environmental and

Economic,

• The members meet the given qualifications.

There has to be at least 2 persons per chamber all through the process. When a

regional process is proposed, the PSU staff member checks that each nation

within the region has at least one representative in each chamber of the regional

SDG.

Setting up of a consultative forum: PSU staff checks that a consultative forum

has been set up, ensuring that all stakeholders had the opportunity to comment

formally during the standard development process.

Working in consensus: PSU staff checks that every draft that has been sent for

public consultation or for approval to PSU has been approved in consensus, as

verified by signatures of the SDG members.

4

Assessment of the standard

setting process

Public consultations: PSU staff checks that:

• Public consultation is conducted in the official language of the country,

• All formally prepared comments are acknowledged and addressed.

Forest Testing of the standard: PSU staff checks that:

• Before standards are submitted to PSU, they have been forest tested

by an accredited Certification Body (CB),

• The test covers all new indicators,

• Issues that came up during the test and flagged by the CB are

documented and taken into account by the SDG.

It is envisaged that the pre-approval assessment of the standard setting

process will be conducted by the regional PSU officers in Asia, Africa and

Latin America during the transfer process. In Europe, some network

partners will be trained to help conducting the task.

5

Assessment of the standard

setting process

• The structure and content of NFSS are defined in the “Structure and

Content of National Forest Stewardship Standards”, FSC-STD-60-002

• The “International Generic Indicators” (IGI) FSC-STD-60-004 V1-0EN,

contains a set of generic indicators that are to be used by SDGs as the

starting point for developing NFSS. This document is also used by

PSU staff to check for content by comparing indicators in the IGI

standard with those in the NFSS.

• The SDGs are expected to conduct a self-appraisal using a complete

checklist FSC-CHK-60-002 Structure and Content of National Forest

Stewardship Standards before the standard is submitted to PSU.

6

Checking the structure and the

standard content of NFSS

Assessment of the structure and content of NFSS includes the following key

topics:

• Structure: PSU staff checks that:

• The standard is written in the following hierarchical order:

• Principles

• Criteria

• Indicators

• Verifiers

• Norms (optional)

• Guidance (optional)

• Glossary

• Mandatory Annexes (see section 3.5 of FSC-STD-60-002)

• List of the national and local forest laws and administrative requirements which apply in

the country or region in which the standard is to be used,

• List of the multilateral environmental agreements and conventions that the country has

ratified and the ILO Conventions listed in FSC-POL-30-401 FSC and the ILO

Conventions which must be complied with in all FSC certified forests,

• List of or reference to official lists of, endangered species in the country or region in

which the standard is to be used.

7

Checking the structure and the

standard content of NFSS

• Indicators should not be too

broadly stated, or unclear what

particular result is required

• Indicators should not be

redundant (= should not be

repeated).

• Indicators should add clarity or

regional specificity to the global

idea that is presented in the

P&C.

• Indicators should be placed

under the right criterion. If

indicator does not address the

requirement of the criterion, it

should be moved to another

location in the standard or

modified to directly address the

criterion - or deleted.

• Introduction with obligatory elements

• FSC glossary of terms

• Reference list of FSC documents

• Scope definition

• Unmodified set of P&C

• Set of indicators to every FSC criterion.

• The indicators cover all elements of each

criterion.

• Indicators identify requirements or

restrictions and not visions.

• Verifiers are appropriate (Not Obligatory)

• The indicators are numbered as required

• Indicators should not allow management

activities that may be common practice in

the region, but which will lead to

unsustainable forest management, for

example loss of biological diversity

8

Checking the structure and the

standard content of NFSS

Some of the most common shortages in

the indicators is that they:

• Do not cover the full scope of their

different criteria,

• Contain wrong language,

• Dilute the contents of criterion,

• Are not auditable

• Indicators are Specific; meaning each indicator refers to a single aspect of performance to be evaluated.

• Indicators are Measurable: meaning that indicators specify outcomes or levels (i.e. thresholds) of performance that are measurable at the audit.

• Indicators are Achievable: Indicators should not go beyond the intention of the FSC P&C

• Indicators are Relevant to the criterion: Indicators are developed to include only elements that contribute achieving the targets of the criterion;

• Indicators are Tangible; they are written using a clear and consistent vocabulary, free from subjective elements. The use of such phrases as “ordinarily”, “substantial”, “proactive”, “appropriate to”, “minimize”, “wherever possible”, or “thorough” are not expected to be used in the standard.

9

Checking the structure and the

standard content of NFSS

Assessment tools +

Documentation

10

Assessment Tool

• Checklist

• Transfer matrix • Document control

11

NFSS development/transfer process NFSS approval process

NFSS proposal

submittedto PSU

Peer Review by

2+ FN members

Experience sharing and harmonization through

Forest Network activities

PSC evaluation

PSU evaluation

Approval

Role of Peer Review + Forest

Network

Standard Operating Procedure post National Forest Stewardship Standard PSC decision meeting.

Policy and Standards

Committee decision making

• The Policy and Standard Committee (PSC) approves National Forest

Stewardship Standard without conditions OR

• The PSC approves the NFSS with minor amendments OR

• The PSC defers decision on NFSS to the FSC Board of Directors.

• After minor amendments have been satisfactorily addressed,

the effective date of standard is assigned by the Policy Director

Recently approved National Forest Stewardship

Standard of the Portuguese Republic.

Process:

• Process backed by a three chamber Standard Development Group SDG;

• Widely consulted process with more than 300 organizational and

individual stakeholders actively taking part in the process;

• Participation at SDG deliberation was opened to any interested

stakeholder;

• One field test that focused mainly on the new indicators for game hunting

• Frequent communication with PSU staff to update on the process

• Process followed the requirements of FSC-STD-60-006 to the later

• Main issue that came up related to documentation, but this was

addressed during PSU assessment.

NFSS OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC

Content:

Content assessed using the IGIs with the following out come:

• With 73% of the IGIs either adopted directly or adapted.

• IGI standard is meant to be adapted, adopted and in some cases

dropped as long as they fit local reality,

• IGI standard would therefore not be an ideal reflection of forest

management unless it has the backing of national stakeholders as

was the case with Portugal .

• The requirements on structure and content outlined in FSC-STD-60-

002 “Structure and content of forest stewardship standards” was

followed as required for most of its parts.

NFSS OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC

Use of IGI standard in the NFSS of Portugal.

Total adopted ; 53%

Total Adapted ; 20%

Total dropped ; 10%

Total new ; 17%Total adopted

Total Adapted

Total dropped

Total new

Current use of IGI standards in NFSS

Use of IGI standard in the NFSS of China.

45%

44%

0%

11%

Total adopted

Total Adapted

Total dropped

Total new

Current use of IGI standards in NFSS

7%

59%

18%

16% IGIs adopted

IGI adapted

IGI dropped

New Indicators

Use of IGI standard in the NFSS of Metropolitan France .

Current use of IGI standards in NFSS

Next standards for prepared for decision in June – Policy and

Standards Committee Vancouver meeting :

• Metropolitan France NFSS

• People’s Republic of China NFSS

• Republic of Uganda NFSS (Not confirmed)

• 2016 about 38 NFSS submitted to PSU

• 2017 about 22

• 2018 about 2

Assessment + Approval schedule…

• Approval depends on

– PSU + SDG resource Availability

– and how often PSC meets

Depending on the above by end of 2017 most NFSS would have been

approved.

NFSS Transfer +Development Process Calendar

NFSS Transfer +Development Process Calendar Jan

2016

Feb

2016

Mar

2016

Apr

2016

Ma

2016

Jun

2016

Jul

2016

Aug

2016

Sep

2016

Oct

2016

Nov

2016

Dec

2016-Jan

2017

PSU Assessm’tVietn, China,

France

PSU Assessm’tUruguay, Brazil,

Bulgaria, UK, Spain

PSU Assessm’tNetherlands, South

Africa, Rep Congo,

Australia, Tanzania,

Russia, Romania,

Germany, Canada,

Cameroon, Central

America, Denmark

PSU Assessm’tBrazil, Mexico,

New Zealand,

Sweden,

Switzerland, India,

Nepal, Italy

PSU

Assessm’t

Peru, Gabon,

Papua New

Guinea

PSC

Meet

PSC Meet PSC

Meet

PSC Meet

Jan 2017 Feb

2017

Mar

2017

Apr

2017

Ma

2017

Jun

2017

Jul

2017

Aug

2017

Sep

2017

Oct

2017

Nov

2017

Dec

2017

PSU

Assessm’t

Indonesia,

Colombia

PSU Assessm’t

Dem Rep of

Congo,

Ecuador, Chile,

Argentina

PSU Assessm’t PSU Assessm’t

United States,

Bolivia, Bosnia and

Herz, Japan, Ukrain

PSU Assessm’t

Belarus

PSU Assessm’t

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

NFSS Transfer +Development Process Calendar

NFSS Transfer +Development Process Calendar

Jan 2018 Feb

2018

Mar

2018

Apr

2018

Ma

2018

Jun

2018

Jul

2018

Aug

2018

Sep

2018

Oct

2018

Nov

2018

Dec

2018

PSU

Assessm’t

PSU Assessm’t

Finland

PSU Assessm’t PSU Assessm’t

Czech Republic

PSU Assessm’t PSU Assessm’t

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

PSC

Meets

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Большое спасибо