Forest Incomes for Environmental Sustainability YEAR IV ANNUAL WORK PLAN

Designed to combat deforestation and loss of biodiversity while developing key rural forest-based enterprises that provide sustainable economic opportunities for farmers and forest-dependent communities, FIFES contributes to USAID/Liberia's overall sustainable economic growth program to promote equitable and sustainable market-led economic opportunities in Liberia accompanied by improved natural resources management. The goal of the FIFES activity is conservation of biodiversity in 11 Community Forests (CFs) in Grand Bassa and Nimba Counties. To reach this goal, the FIFES activity has two main objectives: (1) creation of well-developed rural forest-based enterprises providing sustainable economic opportunities for farmers and forest-dependent communities while combatting deforestation/biodiversity loss and (2) enhanced capacity of government of Liberia institutions and rural communities to sustainably manage and benefit from CF and buffer zone (BZ) natural resources. These objectives are reflected in the following three components of the activity: 1) Sustainable forest-based enterprises developed and strengthened, 2) community forest management improved, and 3) cross-cutting themes, performance management, learning objectives and collaboration enhanced. The FIFES Theory of Change states that if key rural forest-based enterprises provide sustainable increased economic opportunities for farmers and forest-based communities, and the technical and management capacity of Government of Liberia institutions and rural communities is enhanced, then the biodiversity in 11 Community Forests in Grand Bassa and Nimba Counties will be conserved. This theory is based on the assumption that sustainable forest-based enterprises will provide economic benefits to farmers and forest-dependent communities, leading to increased conservation efforts and improved management of natural resources. The FIFES activity will achieve its objectives through a range of interventions, including the development of sustainable forest-based enterprises, improvement of community forest management, and enhancement of cross-cutting themes, performance management, learning objectives and collaboration. The activity will also engage with key stakeholders, including government institutions, rural communities, and private sector partners, to promote sustainable forest management and conservation. The FIFES activity will be implemented in Grand Bassa and Nimba Counties, with a focus on 11 Community Forests. The activity will work with local communities, government institutions, and private sector partners to develop and strengthen sustainable forest-based enterprises, improve community forest management, and enhance cross-cutting themes, performance management, learning objectives and collaboration. The activity will also conduct monitoring, evaluation, and learning to track progress and identify areas for improvement. The FIFES activity has a number of key performance indicators (KPIs) that will be used to measure progress and success. These KPIs include the number of sustainable forest-based enterprises developed and strengthened, the number of community forests managed sustainably, and the level of biodiversity conservation in the 11 Community Forests. The activity will also track progress against its Theory of Change, using a range of indicators to measure the impact of the activity on biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management.