Forests for Local Economic Development is a Sida-funded project that is being implemented by CNVP Albania. It is committed to strengthening the role of civil society in the country’s forestry sector using institutional development, multi-stakeholder processes, advocacy, lobbying and the promotion of democratic governance.

Linked to this, CNVP organised a national workshop on 18 December 2017 with the National and Regional Forest Federations at which they shared their experiences on how to improve rural service delivery[1]. Participants outlined regional achievements, and highlighted the development models they had used.

The National Federation of Communal Forests and Pastures (NFCFP), the Regional Federations and the Forest User Associations are all important stakeholders in: raising awareness; providing services; advocating/lobbying; providing a voice with which to represent rural people; and ensuring open communication and accountability of decision makers and elected representatives.

The National Federation is now able to consult within its constituencies, meet policy makers, articulate the needs of forest users, and influence government decision-makers. Regional Federations are building awareness, and transferring knowledge at local level through sharing information, raising awareness, and offering training. The Federations are increasingly delivering services (and financial benefits) at local level[2].

Continuation of forest sector reform is necessary, particularly to ensure that all CFP and user rights to support family forest activities are included in future policy and legal frameworks. Two important challenges are to:

1. organize/reorganize Federations at municipality level, and help them to build cooperation relationships within the new municipality structures; and
2. develop further women’s economic empowerment through (a) providing additional support for their producer groups, and (b) increasing the number of women on the boards of FPUAs and the regional Federations.