More from less:More from less:Some ideas about work from Some ideas about work from

FAO-RAP’s forestry teamFAO-RAP’s forestry team

Patrick DurstSenior Forestry OfficerFAO Regional Office for

Asia and the Pacific

Presentation to HQ staff 13 June 2013, Rome, Italy

Presentation overview

“More from less” Limited staff Limited budget Huge region

Some team philosophies

Illustrations from our activities

Wisdom of Jack Westoby

Good ideas

1. Focus on real issues faced by real forestry agencies

Logging bans

Plantation incentives

Forests & Floods

Forests & Landslides

2. Focus on practical, down-to-earth needs

Assisted natural regeneration

Reduced impact logging

Pro-poor assistance

3. Using creative ideas

In Search of Excellence Forest Faces

Edible forest insects

Good ideas – lessons learned

1. Make time to think

2. Cast the net for ideas widely

3. Listen to our partners

Kids to Forests initiative

Barney Chan – former General Manager, Sarawak Timber Association (retired)

In my observation, many development organizations work along the lines of, “This is good for you and you should do it.” Perhaps it’s better to ask, “What's your problem and

can we help?"   

3. Good ideas – lessons learned

When we talk with and listen to people

in the field, we learn of real needs.

Leveraging

Concept at the heart of getting “More from less”

Good ideas attract support

Don’t be afraid to start – build some momentum to demonstrate achievements

Use resources to generate more –use of consultants to raise funds

Many organizations able to provide modest amounts of funds

Executive Forest Policy Course

Leveraging

Asia-Pacific Forestry Week

 “We understood at first there would be 200 participants…but then there were 300! And 400! And finally 700! Some people thought we couldn’t do it, but

with help from organizing partners we can justifiably claim

success.”   

Nguyen Ngoc Binh Director-General

Department of Forestry

Viet Nam

Leveraging

Build a track record of delivery

Nigel SizerWorld Resources Institute

The first thing I think about is, “What do I need to do today

to keep my donors happy?”  

Partnerships

Partners are critical to our success.

Without them we would get nowhere!!!

Significant contributions from organizations and countries

Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network

Accessing extra resources

Associate Professional Officers AYAD Programme Secondments from countries Interns Volunteers

TCP and TCPF Trust fund projects Extra-budgetary allocations Help others spend their money!

Asia-Pacific Forestry Week Secretariat

Student volunteers

Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

A key mechanism in guiding our work program

Substantial efforts to strengthen, empower and make relevant

Building profile through its own working groups, networks, activities, events and publications

1993 – 40 participants

2006 – 250 participants

Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

Provides a focus and framework for priority setting

Valuable mechanism for collaboration and partnerships – APFSOS example

Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study

Bureaucracy:

Number 1 Killer of good ideas

Continuous organizational “re-invention” needed to adapt and remain flexible

Come to my three day meeting on

new administrative procedures!!!

Institutional reinvention

FAO Ambassador Anggun

“Six-legged livestock” launch

Miss Earth collaboration

The UN doesn’t have to be boring!

Finally…… Jack Westoby

 Forestry is not about trees, it is about people. And it is about

trees only insofar as trees can serve the needs of people.   

Jack Westoby (1912-1988)

FAO Deputy Director of Forestry and Forest Industries Division (retired 1974)

Our jobs are really about

people!