Synthesis Report: External Review and Evaluation Services of Forestry Programmes in Tanzania

External Review and Evaluation Services of Forestry Programmes in Tanzania (ERET) team was contracted for three years (2020-2023) to conduct annual reviews and Mid-Term Evaluations of three forestry programmes in Tanzania: Forestry and Value Chain Development Programme (FORVAC), Participatory Plantation Forestry Programme phase 2 (PFP2), and Tree Outgrowers Support Programme (TOSP). The synthesis report presents the main findings and recommendations from the previous ERET reviews and provides recommendations for the current programmes as well as for the possible future cooperation in the forestry sector in Tanzania.

The ERET findings indicate that especially PFP2 and FORVAC were relevant, and achieved some good results, showing that improved practices had been adopted in some key areas. This contributed to increased revenue and income for the beneficiaries and additional employment from forestry. However, both programmes have struggled with establishing effective value chain development strategies, and this is an area that needs further strengthening in the future.

The synthesis report gives recommendations that can be implemented during the last operational year of PFP2 and FORVAC.  Possible future programme should build on the lessons learnt from PFP2, FORVAC, and their predecessors. In the future, further emphasis should be on sustainability of approaches and results, while increased focus should be on biodiversity conservation and strengthening human rights based approach. 

The synthesis report concludes that the ERET concept has been well  perceived by all stakeholders. The increased frequency of reviews contributed to more efficient and effective programme implementation. The recommendations for ERET or a similar approach in the future include observations regarding adequate allocation of time and resources, timely access to data, sufficient monitoring and evaluation systems, and reporting requirements for the evaluation team.

Evaluation report

External Review and Evaluation Services of Forestry Programmes in Tanzania: Synthesis report (PDF)