Vienna, Virginia, USA – 12 March, 2015 – USAID Peru and Chemonics International have engaged Synergy to implement the Control Module of the National Information System for Forestry and Wildlife (MC-SNIFFS) for the National Forest and Wildlife Service of Peru (SERFOR), which is intended to become the country’s primary source of forest information management. This project is part of the larger USAID-funded Peru Bosques project implemented by Chemonics, a major international development company.
The envisioned online system will streamline national forestry management and reduce the trade of illegal species by effectively tracking the full chain of custody of forest products. This includes forest zoning and planning, concession management, annual harvest planning, and the issuance of transportation permits to verify the legal origin of timber exports.
To effectively develop the envisioned system and improve tracking of timber products, the Peruvian government, with support from USAID and the US Forest Service, first convened all 18 institutions and regional governments involved in the timber chain-of-custody. These stakeholders collaboratively mapped out each institution’s business processes and documentation requirements, identifying overlaps between the institutions and improving the efficiency and consistency of information across ministries. The MC-SNIFFS will build on this foundation to consolidate and automate the execution of annual operating plans, timber harvest, transport and export, and finally the inspection and export of products.
“This large-scale project is aimed at tracking the legal origin and the proper chain of custody of tree species harvested from Peru’s forests from point of harvest to point of export. The system will yield greater transparency and accountability, enhancing the provision and effectiveness of forest sector governance in the country,” said Synergy’s Project Manager Adam Watson, who was recently in Lima, Peru, to carry out the needs assessment mission in Peru. The MC-SNIFFS will allow the Peruvian government to demonstrate compliance with the Co nvention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The Peruvian government initiated the development of a National Forest and Wildlife Information System (SNIFF) after signing the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement in 2006, which took effect in February 2009.
