I. On October 29, 2005 , one member of the NSC participated in the participatory evaluation upon completion. The NSC had sent information / observation as follows:

The project conducted the evaluation on Saturday , October 29, 2005 , 09:00-12:00 at Huafai Phatthana Community Forest, Tambol Wiangkalong, Wiangpapao District, Chiangrai Province.

Participants: About 100 persons from following groups:

1. Government sector- district administration officer, chief of district forestry office and staff
2. Teachers and students from the local school
3. Local Administrative Agency ? CEO of Tambol Administrative Organization and members
4. Community members, community leaders , monks, housewife?s groups, community elders
from three villages.

Based on interview , discussion and analyze the presented resulted of the activities, the project appeared to receive continuous supports from relevant national government agencies, local administrative organizations, people organization and youth groups. These organizations had shared responsibility throughout project life.

The NSC was given opportunity to express her feeling and give moral support to community members and reminded the grantee to expedite the reporting process within two months after this date.


II. Completed final report received on January 30, 2006 (with 11 photos showing locations and activities). The essence of the reports was summarized as follows:

Activities undertaken:
1.Conducting workshops, seminars , training and study tours on the following subjects:
-nursery , reforestation, fire-break demarcation, forest surveillance, community waste management, charcoal-producing from biomass
2. Launching nursery and successive reforestation of native tree species of edible type
3. Demarcating fire break zone and launching forest surveillance
4. Launching community waste management , compost production and charcoal production from biomass
5.Disseminating the output of activities to public & private sectors and population in three main villages

Immediate outputs and results:
1. CBOs? acquiring clear and practicable action plans with observable understanding of and cooperation from community members
2. About 50 % success for fruit trees and failure of native ?sweet vegetable? (Sauraopus Bicolor Craib)
3. Immediate environmental problems gaining attention from community members ,being taken care of in a more systematic way.

Dissemination / Public Relation of project

Most dissemination materials consisted of printed materials i.e. tracts and distributed to visitors like students and teachers from Chiangrai and other provinces, and students from faculty of forestry of national universities.The topic included an Introduction of projects and organizations
as well as sharing related experience.

Impact: Through observation on community and behavioral context before and after the project, it was found that some groups were confused with the established regulation for community forest and looked at it as an obstruction to their usual easy and simple way of making use of forest provisions. However, after capacity-building activities of the project, all 22 groups demonstrated increased awareness on environment and natural resources degradation and capacity to reverse it. Evidently, burning forest for hunting , cutting tree for edible ants were rid of , even though community members were still allowed to enter the forest and make other use from it. Non-project members in adjacent villages expressed interest in the approaches , paid a visit for sharing and discussion , and some established community forest committee in their own villages. In addition, responsible government agencies, such as staff members from forestry office, both provincial and district level, were substantially given technical advice to the project ? contributing to solving a chronic problem on misunderstanding between responsible authority and community.

Future Plan: Summarizing the result of the committee meeting upon completion of the project, there were three issues of future plan:

1. Protection o f natural resources and environment: Based on lessons learnt, project activities, especially on community forest and community waste management had to be kept on. Raising conservation awareness, reforestation, fire-break restoration, forest surveillance, and garbage disposal had to be materialized. For example, current two tons/day of garbage from 120 households had to be reduced into one ton /day. The programme would eventually cover 623 households of target population.

2. Forging networking with surrounding villages: organizing open forums to share experience and best practices.
3. Forging networking with other villages in the province aiming to manage natural resources and ecosystems of the Upper Lower Mekhong Basin