Forest ecosystems of the Western Himalayas are one of India’s most important ecoregions, providing an array of critical services for the survival and livelihoods of millions of vulnerable people. GIZ is implementing the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem Services in the Western Himalayas project, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the forest departments of two target states. The project seeks to strengthen the paradigm shift in forest management by integrating a Forest Ecosystem Services (FES) approach, with an emphasis on water availability. UNIQUE was selected to conduct a Training Needs Assessment of individual and organizational capacities at state and national level government training institutes, and to recommend ways to improve access to knowledge on sustainable FES management.

• Mapping the existing forest training management system and analyzing relevant state/national curricula
• Proposing curricula that need to be revised or prepared
• Assessing training needs of master trainers with reference to sustainable FES
• Identifying good practices in existing training curricula
• Scoping and screening existing training monitoring and evaluation tools and proposing revisions
• Conducting in-depth interviews, questionnaires and workshops with forest sector relevant stakeholders