Sustainable Forest Management Programme in the Andean Region, technical assistance services extension for the final phase 2015 The overall objective of the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Programme is the increased contribution of forests to the sustainable development of the Andean Region. The SFM Programme purpose is to introduce and adopt innovations to eliminate bottleneck
s that hinder development of the forestry sector with participation of public and private actors thus contributing to the sustainable management of forests and the expansion of forest plantations. SFM Programme includes an innovative regional fund which ha
s co-financed and supported projects that test innovations that will eliminate or diminish the barriers to development of the forestry sector taking into consideration gender equality reduction of inequality human rights and climate sustainability.  A tota
l of 25 projects has been financed through the regional fund. The implementation of the SFM Programme continues from February 2015 to the end of the year 2015 according to the Agreement between the Ministry and the SFM Programme host organization IICA (Int
er-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture) which is a specialized agency under the Organisation of American States OAS. The technical assistance for the SFM Programme has been  procured first for three years 2011- 2014 and further for two years 
2014-2015.  However the  current technical assistance agreement does not cover the technical assistance for the SFM programme extension period. Thus the additional funds are allocated for the already tendered extension period until December 2015.