Final press release

The experience sharing workshop on data collection process of the COMIFAC Central Africa Forest Observatory (OFAC)

The experience sharing workshop on data collection process of the COMIFAC Central Africa Forest Observatory (OFAC) held from 26 to 27 November 2024 in Douala, Republic of Cameroon. It was organised by the Executive Secretariat of the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) with the financial assistance of the European Union via the Renforcement and Institutionalisation Project of the OFAC (RIOFAC) executed by the CIFOR. It aimed at improving data collection campaigns within the COMIFAC zone and the interventions of the consortium members concerned.  This specifically implies:

-Give a general overview on the implementation context of the data collection campaign with COMIFAC member states;

-Presenting the campaign progress state, results obtained and lessons learned by different countries;

-Make recommendations in view of improving upcoming data collection campaigns and;

-Draw the 2025 roadmap on data collection organisation with countries.

About thirty persons took part in that workshop including; the Executive Secretariat of the COMIFAC, national COMIFAC coordinators and thematic heads of the following countries;   Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Chad, RIOFAC project representatives and resource persons.

The solemn opening ceremony was marked by the opening speech of Dr Hervé Martial MAIDOU, Executive Secretary of COMIFAC.

After the opening speech, a deliberations' office was put in place made of:

President: Mr Chouaibou NCHOUTPOUEN, Executive Secretary and Technical Coordinator of the COMIFAC.

Rapporteurs:

-Mr Onesphore MASABO, Burundian Office Executive for Environmental Protection (OBPE)

-Mr Paul Raymond NDONGO MEVA’A, in charge of forest product statistics, the statistics operational unit, Cameroon. 

-Mr Valerie TCHUANTE TITE, COMIFAC Follow-up and Evaluation Expert

The workshop was moderated by Mr Brice Saturnin MOWAWA, COMIFAC Protected areas and Restoration Expert.

The agenda adopted by the participants with its reviews was divided into the following sessions:

Session 1: Reminder of COMIFAC data collection process

Session 2: Plenary works on improving data collection process.

Session 3: Closing Ceremony.

Deliberations proceeded in plenary with a series of presentations on the following topics: 

-Brief overview on the COMIFAC data collection campaign;

-Balance sheet of the 2023 data campaign;

-Use of the OFAC data;

-Presentation of the data collection campaign by each country.

After the presentations and talks that followed, participants pointed out the challenges and highlighted the following stakes related to data collection and the governance of forestry and environmental data in Central Africa: 

-Of what use is the data collected by the countries?

-How to ensure the safety of data collected by the countries;

-The need for countries to own national statistics data collection units and ensure the self-funding of the data collection process; 

-The need to automate OFAC by providing her with the means and instruments needed for her full operation;

-The acknowledged the importance of data collected (i) help in decision-making; (ii) scientific research; (iii) different publications and (iv) the respect of commitment made by countries to international conventions;

-Acute need for the renforcement of the capacities of countries and of the CNC equipment in terms of data collection systems;

-Difficulties to access funds via national bank accounts dedicated to data collection; 

-Transparency and data quality assurance.

Debates continued in plenary with the examination of fund matters on the following topics: (I) the organisation of national data collection campaigns; (ii) OFAC indicators (N1-N5): Points/sub indicators to improve; (iii) difficulties encountered: Institutional, technical, financial and operational; (iv) what strategy to implement to ensure the implementation of OFAC data at a reasonable frequency? ; (v) what strategy to ensure OFAC’s empowerment ?

Talks followed with the elaboration of the 2025 roadmap.

After debates, participants took their resolutions and made the following recommendations:

Resolutions:

Participants:

-Noted the data collection process campaign in countries;

-Approval of the 2025 roadmap.

Recommendations

To the Executive Secretariat of the COMIFAC

1. Review OFAC indicators in the framework of the sub-regional workshop in

 order to give account for other synergies with other processes and the new stakes at national, sub-regional and international level; 

2. Adapt and update indicator forms of the OFAC platform in a more explicit way, to contextualise and take all COMIFAC languages into considerations;

3. Reinforce CNC’s technical and material capacities by providing her with proper equipment (internet, VSAT, training, communication, etc.); 

4. Increase the budget allocated to the data collection campaign regarding the high cost of the data collection process; 

5. Guaranty the safety of data coded in the platform by clearly bringing out access rights and highlighting the OFAC confidentiality level;

6. Organise national awareness workshops for decision makers on the importance of OFAC data collection; 

7. Work on the financial empowerment and the institutionalisation of the OFAC on the medium and long term to ensure the sovereign of member states in the governance of data, decision-making and the fund-raising.

To the countries,

8. Grant budget allocations to data collection campaigns to avoid dependence on foreign support and guarantee a complete approval of states on data collection;

9. Implement operational unit data statistics collection within the country to ensure sustainability. 

To our partners,

-Continue the support to the data collection process

At the end of this workshop, participants expressed their gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Cameroon for the welcome giving to the delegations and for facilities made available to them during their stay in Douala.  They equally thanked the European Union and the CIFOR for their support in organising the workshop.

Done in Douala, November 27, 2024

Participants