Forests Sourcebook - HCV Resource Network

ANNEX 7.2A
MODEL TERMS OF REFERENCE
The TOR for a specific FMIS project should be drawn up
only after the vision and strategy for the desired system have
been developed. Nevertheless, the following may help form
the basis of a TOR.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
DEVELOPING A NATIONAL FMIS
Summary and Instructions
This section should provide an executive summary of the
project, including a description of the broad objectives and
scope of the FMIS project; the sources and timing of
financing; and the project management responsibilities and
protocols.
Background
This section sets the broad context for the FMIS project and
provides justification for the goals and scope of the FMIS
project and the development approach to be taken. In most
cases, an FMIS project is intended to do more than provide
new IT support for existing forest management processes; it
will require and support new management and decision
processes. However, any intended “re-engineering” of management
processes should be made explicit, otherwise resistance
to change will be difficult to overcome and FMIS
design will lack focus.
Specific Objectives of the Assignment
An FMIS project should normally be divided into at least two
(and possibly three) phases and contracts that would involve
1) the identification of the forest management decision
processes that the FMIS is intended to support, with a
detailed description of the context that should inform
the project management process and drive and constrain
the design and development phases, and a broad description
of the functionalities of the proposed FMIS;
2) a system design process resulting in clear design specifications
that are justified in terms of that context and
project goals; and
3) a system development and implementation process
based upon the design specifications and the project
management process.
Objectives and Context—Phase I. The first contract
would manage the consultative process for developing the
detailed objectives that the FMIS will support and clearly
defining the context of the system. The contextual information
that should be provided would include
a) a summary of the forest inventory, categorized and characterized
in terms of uses, values, tenure, and management
structures;
b) the status of current forest policies, strategies, and plans at
the national, regional, district, and individual forest areas;
c) the current state of knowledge concerning the status and
dynamics of the forest resources to be managed;
d) a summary of the major influences on and challenges to
good management (including knowledge gaps, public
policy trends, land use and tenure issues, public attitudes,
and illegal activities);
e) current uses and values (economic, environmental, and
social) of the forest and an identification of the beneficiaries
and stakeholders;
f) the laws, regulations, and regulatory and management
structures (including but not limited to the organization
of the forest service) that influence and direct forest
management;
g) the status of the communication and IT infrastructure
(including data quantity and quality) in the country,
classified by region and according to the forest service
hierarchy;
h) internal and external technical support capabilities with
respect to the IT and communication infrastructure;
i) human resources policies that may have an impact on
developing an IT cadre in the forest service (even if much
of the work is outsourced, there needs to be a core of
management that understands and directs IT development
over the long term); and
j) the current level of knowledge and capacities regarding
forest management, business (or organizational) management,
and information technologies in the forest service
and other allied or support organizations that are involved
in the analysis, planning, implementation, and control of
forest resources and forest management activities.
Based upon the above context, the FMIS design objectives
and project management modalities should be clearly
described and explicitly justified. This work should include a
description of functionalities, an identification of users
270 CHAPTER 7: MONITORING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT