Project Name: “Sustainable Forest and Livelihoods (SUFAL)”

Project Introduction:
Bangladesh Forest Department is implementing a 5-year long project ‘Sustainable Forest and Livelihoods (SUFAL) Project’ from July 2018 with the financial assistance of World Bank and contribution from Government of Bangladesh. The overall objective of the project is to improve Collaborative Forest Management and increase access to Alternative Income Generating Activities for forest dependent communities in the project area. Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) has been selected as an Implementing partner NGO for implementing the project at Chattogram North, Chattogram South and Chattogram Wild Life Forest division. As per TOR, DAM has formed a project team for implementing the assignment, consisting of Focal Person, Field Coordinator, Forestry and Biodiversity Specialist, Livelihood specialist, Field facilitators, Accountant and Enumerators having required education and field experiences for collaborative forest management, data entry, training etc. for 24 months from July 2021 to June 2023. The project catchment area includes 106 Forest conservation village (FCVs) and 22 village conservation forums (VCF) to be formed from 64 forest beats. A total of 8533 forest dependent project beneficiaries will be identified through community identification of poor (CIP) process from these FCVs and VCFs. After final selection and approval of project beneficiaries by respective DFO, CFMC/VCF ECF.  5 sub-committees will be formed under each CFMC/VCF EC. In all cases male and female member ration will be 50:50. For capacity building and functional sustainability of the committee and Sub-committee members, several training activities will be organized. Trainings will be conducted for capacity building of the identified beneficiaries on different alternative income generating activities. Training needs assessment will be conducted for identifying the AIGA trades. Specific training modules will be developed for those trainings for supporting conservation focused alternative income generating (AIGAs). Training will be provided on preparation, processing, approval and implementation of different activities under CDF and LDF and Monitoring. All of the activities will be implemented according to the guideline of ToR, COM and PA Management Rule 2017 along with other agreed guidelines.
Project Agreement Number: Contract No: SD-56A; Credit No: 6325_BD- June 202I
Overall Objective: The overall objective of the project is to improve Collaborative Forest Management and increase access to Alternative Income Generating Activities for forest dependent communities in the project area.
Objectives and scope of work: alongside of the overall objective there are some specific objectives and scope of work that DAM will cover during its implementation phase.

• The main objective as the implementing partner of this project is to identify the forest dependent communities following community identification of Poor (CIP) from forest conservation villages, generate baseline information for preparing community profiling by feeding into the data base, mobilize and organize participants for collaborative forest management.
• DAM will support Collaborative Forest Management Committee (CFMCs) and scale up existing CMCs in existing protected areas (Pas), arranging capacity building training for Committee and sub-committee members of CFMC and CMCs and creating key members capable for running institutional functions and identify appropriate AIGA’s following guidelines of the Community Operational Manual (COM).
• This project envisages restoration of degraded forest ecosystems and conserves biodiversity through sustainable forest management practices for enhancing carbon sequestration, ecosystem services, livelihoods opportunities, climate change resilience and improves Protected Area (PA) networks in selected project areas.
• To ensure community engagement with the support of Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD), DAM will work in close cooperation with concerned Range officers and Beat officers for awareness and leadership building of communities and engage them in forest patrolling for forest and PA for forest protection and conservation.
• DAM will support to form Collaborative Forest Management Committee (CFMC) & Collaborative Forest Management Coordination Committee (CFMCC) in case of more than one CFMC in a Beat and also five sub-committees. These committee formation and beneficiary selection will follow participatory approaches and open consultation with the forest dependent community so that each of groups have the equal rights, access to, and control over resources provided by the project.
• The BFD, DAM and communities will work together to develop the institutional framework for collaboration and develop capacity for meaningful engagement in site‐specific planning and full community management of implementation and monitoring of project activities.
•  DAM will facilitate the process of sensitization and awareness building for the forest dependent communities and the community members would be a part of the decision-making process.
• DAM will address the needs of the different demographic groups (men, women, adolescent girls, adolescent boys, children and ethnic people), and also aim at influencing gender roles to promote equity. 

 Expected Outputs:

• A total of 128 Forest conservation village (FCVs)/ village conservation forum (VCFs) will be selected under this assignment from 64 Beats of Chattogram North Forest Division, Chattogram South Forest Division and Chattogram Wildlife Management & Nature Conservation Division.
• A total of 8533 forest dependent communities will be selected through CIP as project beneficiaries.
• A total of 128 collaborated forest management committee (CFMC)/ co-management committee (CMC) will be formed.
• In each FCV/VCF, different Sub-committees like Forest Protection and Conservation Committee (FPCC), Village Credit and Savings Committee (VCSC), Finance and accounts committee (FAC), Social audit committee (SAC), and procurement committee (PC) will be constituted.
• A total of 8533 project beneficiaries will brought under AIGA training on different trades and technologies to develop their skill in viable and conservation friendly alternative income generating activities.
• Baseline surveys will be conducted on selected 8533 beneficiaries to develop household profile of identified beneficiaries and their overall dependency on forests, assets and liabilities and their overall socio-economic status for future monitoring of project activities and success.
• Community operational manual (COM) implementation for all 128 FCVs/VCFs.
• Facilitate Implementation of LDF and CDF in all 128 FCVs/VCFs.

Major Activities: DAM has set some major activities to reach the goal of the Project, every major activity has some sub activities for proper implementation and understanding of the project participants and stakeholders. Major activities are: –

• Field Mobilization
• Village Selection
• Selection of Project Beneficiaries
• Baseline Survey and Community Profiling
• Formation of Village Level Institutions
• Capacity Building Training of committee & sub-committee members
• Capacity Building Process for the Project Beneficiaries
• Preparation of Sub-project, processing & implementation
• Operationalization of Collaborative Forest Management Committee CFM
• Applying Safeguard Policy

Project Duration: 2 years, July 2021 to June 2023.
Financial partner (Donor):  World Bank (Bangladesh Forests Department (BFD)
Implementing partner (if any): N/A
Project Location/s and number of Field offices: DAM is implementing the project in three Forest Divisions- Chattogram North Forest Division, Chattogram South Forest Division and Chattogram Wildlife Forest Division which cover 14 Upazilas that include Hathazari, Mirsarai, Sitakunda, Patiya, Dohajari, Bashkhali, Chakoria, Raozan, Rangunia, Lohagara, Satkania, pekua, Boalkhali and Chandanaish.
Project Budget: 46,963,500/- BDT
Number of project staffs and volunteers:

Staff (Regular)		Paid Volunteer/Enumerator		Non-Paid Volunteer
M	F	M	F	M	F
15	02	42	6	0	0

Contact Person:
Name & Designation: Md. Jahangir Alam, Joint Director, CC & DRR Sector
Cell: 01710-231671
Email:  jalam.promit@gmail.com & j.alam@ahsaniamission.org.bd