Table of Content

Board of Direction

• President
• Vice President
• Executive Secretary
• Treasurer
• Internal Councilor
• External Councilor
• Membership Councilor

Head of Commissions

• HoC Communication
• HoC International Processes
• HoC Partners

• IFSS 2024 OC

Questions & Answers

You want to create partnerships with private corporations in addition to the ones we already have with IGOs and NGOs. Do you think they need to be approached and handled differently and if so, how?

I believe that in the private sector we can find a huge opportunity to get finance and keep developing IFSA and I agree 100% that the relations are completly different. Throughout this 2 years that I have been heading the OC of IFSS I have handled many relations with different steakholders and I have start to understand slowly the different things we can offer as a network and the ones we can get in return. From my experience I can say that IGOs and NGOs are more of a continius colaboration relationship in which in which IFSA provides a perspective they lack in the discusions and generates proyects together. In the other hand the private sector is more result oriented and invests resourses in something which they belive. Basically IGOs and NGOs are totally different from the private sector but Im sure IFSA is as interesting for the 3 different stakeholders.

How do you want to include regions that are currently underrepresented?

For achiving a growing representation of this regions I have 3 main approches, First, I believe it is important to understand the problem from their perspective, this is why I will love to create spaces of dialogue with this regions. Second, Experiece of IFSA members that have succeeded in getting involved regardless of the problems that will appear in the first point, for this I would like to use consulting members from that regions aswell as young leaders that have made an impact in IFSA. Last but not least, finance. If we manage to get enough finance for taking delegtes to internal IFSA events or getting them in delegations, then I trully belive that it is a thing of time for IFSA to be better represented on IFSS.

What do you think is the biggest challenge of the upcoming term?

The biggest challenge will be to implement the IFSA strategy and be able to monitor its implementation with the great messures that the strategy taskforce created for us. This year will mark the first step on the active monitoring and implementation of the IFSA strategy 2022-2026.

What was your process for choosing this position?

Since the first day I entered IFSA I dreamed with being president. Now after 2 years of being able to learn from different friends and collegues I feel ready for this great challenge. So more than a process I have been actively improving my set of skills so when the moment comes Im ready to go big.

How much spare time do you have to take care of the position?

I have unlimited time for now since I just finished my degree and I quited my job at FAO for organizing and attending IFSS.

What kind of events are you planning to attend?

I will be in Europe for the whole of October and November. My plans are, attending COFO to improve the FAO – IFSA relationship, attending WFF for singning the MoU, attending COP27 in Egypt to improve the IFSA netwok, GLF Climate that is on the weekend of COP, COY for strengthening relations with YOUNGO and other youth organizations, maybe an EFI event in Barcelona. Plan for the future might change though

What positions have you had in IFSA previously?

Vice President LC, HoSC TreeHouse, Head of IPC, Head of the 50th IFSS.

Which major changes would you like to see in IPC?

I would like that the relationship with the youth groups such as (Youth Caucus and Youngo).

What kind of experience do you have in applying for grants?

I have a little experience on applying for grants but we have raised +100 thousand euros within the privte sector. Coming back to the question though, for my understanding we are going to build a team that will be adviced so they are able to.

Questions & Answers

What was your process choosing this position? 

I have wanted to apply for a Board position since the second half of the term, therefore I managed to get a better understanding of the position by asking questions to current Vice President Elif Duman, that alongside reviewing the job description, background and Direction/Board tasks allowed me to take the decision of running for this specific position.

What are you doing next term besides IFSA and how do you plan to manage your time? 

I am still studying full time, therefore I plan to manage my time in a way where during weeks I don’t have class I can fully dedicate to IFSA and for weeks I have class, prioritize IFSA work before going to college.

What do you think is the biggest challenge of the upcoming term? 

A big challenge is going to be having open calls and funding opportunities in time so that every IFSA member can apply in equal conditions. Unfortunately for some countries you need to get a visa depending on the destination and that process alone can take a really long time, which makes it difficult for them to be able to travel if open calls are not done with enough time before events

What problems do you foresee? 

If this is referred to an internal level, rather than a problem it is something to improve, and that is communication between departments. Sometimes news and opportunities to share are lost between many messages that arrive at the same time, and for Regional Representatives in particular, they need to be able to share all news possible to their regions so that we can make sure the information is reaching all LCs in the IFSA family.

How do you plan to handle internal events such as Interim? 

It is mostly going to be having good communication and teamwork with the Organizing Committee, having discussed important topics like accommodation and food, the necessary resources to make sure all sessions are hybrid and Officials who are not there in person can also attend online, and making sure the registration process is done in advance so people can get visas (if needed) and book tickets early so that they don’t become too expensive.

Is there something you’d like to change about how IFSA works? 

I would like to see a clear mechanism on how delegates can share their knowledge and participation in international events so that the IFSA community can be aware of why we send delegates, what are the main outcomes and what is the importance of IFSA being involved in these type of events.

I would also like to see the Officials and IFSA family building a concept where they see the IFSA wheel as a horizontal structure, where we are all in the same line, at the same level.

How do you plan to keep Officials motivated? 

Motivation is always going to be a big challenge, my plan for this is to make sure Officials are listened to, and supported as much as possible in the development of their position, in case they run into any type of problem. Officials work very hard to make sure IFSA runs smoothly for a whole year, the least we can do from the Board is making sure they feel comfortable and do not have to hesitate to ask for support whenever it is needed.

What kind of experience do you have in applying for grants?

At the moment I have no experience in this, however I am more than looking forward to learn and contribute as much as I can in this area. As IFSA we can also implement consulting former members who have experience in applying for grants.

Questions & Answers

What was your process choosing this position?

I wanted to contribute to IFSA as part of the board to support the association with my experiences and skills. As I was part of the Membership Department last term, I got insights into the Membership department as well as into the internal department. Since I also attended a few conferences I also have a good knowledge about the external department. As the Executive Secretary I have to help and support in all departments, so a good knowledge about them is an asset. The Executive Secretary is also flexible with time management which works very well with my internship schedule for the next few months.

With a lot of upcoming projects that you’re involved in, would you rather drop some of them altogether or downscale on all of them to make more time?

My involvement in the YFPDs will end in December after the conference and most of the work is mainly done, therefore I will not have to downscale this task while executing my tasks as Executive Secretary. I have seen in the past, that I am capable of working on multiple projects at the same time. But if it comes to the point where it is getting to much work, I would rather downscale a bit on all projects instead of neglecting one project completely. This applies to my involvement as Executive Secretary, in the YFPDs and in the IFSS OC 2023. However, I would not to downscale as much as to not be able to carry out the necessary tasks needed.

 Why did you want to apply for this position exactly?

I want to keep contributing to IFSA, because it is an amazing association and I feel honoured to be part of it. I feel like I can help IFSA moving forward with my skills and my experience and especially with my motivation. This position suits my experience in IFSA the most and also best aligns with my interests.

Biggest challenge for the upcoming term?

I see the biggest challenge for the upcoming term in increasing the effectiveness of our association. Since IFSA is growing bigger and bigger, we have to make all our processes more efficient to be able to fulfil our tasks as association. This goes from improving the connectivity between LCs and the international level to an improved communication between the Officials and Departments to a faster processing of requests.

 Since there is no clear definition of the position, how do you understand the tasks of this position?

I think that as Executive Secretary there are two kinds of tasks that have to be fulfilled. The first type are the tasks as a board member, which means that I would be responsible for supporting everyone who needs help, checking the mail account, preparing elections, etc. The other type are the individual projects that are needed to make progress in IFSA. These could be for example improving the development fund, improving the transparency of board decisions, establishing IFSA merchandise etc. So in my understanding there is of course a lot of flexibility in the actual tasks of the Executive Secretary, but downscaled they are quite clear when dividing them into these two kinds of tasks.

How do you deal with crises, and do you have the flexibility when needed to jump in?

I think I can handle crises and other unexpected things quite well and am always happy to jump in last minute if needed. For me it is self-explanatory that I will make the time if there’s something coming up spontaneously. I also think that in times of crisis it will be very important to work together as a team to overcome them.

How do you plan to go about the wide variety of things you have to handle?

I will structure along my work plan that I already created. The work plan is structured in regularly happening tasks and tasks that happen either at the beginning of the term, during the term or until the end of the term. I’d try to prioritize tasks, to make sure that the important ones are done in time.

What kind of experience do you have in applying for grants?

Last year I supported the board with the ERASMUS proposal and therefore got a good insight into the structure and content of a grant application. I am and will also helping with grant applications for IFSS 2023 Germany, which gives me some experience in grant writing.

Questions & Answers

What are the main points you want to achieve over the term?

1. Find another bank for IFSA, so everyone can apply for the position as teasurer from next year on.

2. Imply a new payment method to minimize transaction costs.

3. Keep the non-profit status for the association.

Due to your lack of experience, what challenges do you think you’ll face and how do you plan to handle them?

I think I will face a lot of different challenges such as a lack of knowledge about IFSA itself or financial tasks. As I am motivated and in close contact with the previous treasurer I think I can make up for my lack of experience in a short time.

Do you feel up to the task to handle the non-profit status question and do you plan to get in touch with a lawyer?

I definitely feel up to handle the task. If we need a lawyer or not depends on many things I can not foresee right now, but if we need one I will definitely get in touch with an attorney.

How much experience do you have with finances?

I only have experience with my own finances and I handled the finances of my shared apartment.

Biggest challenge for the upcoming term?

Keep the non-profit status.

How do you see your role as a Board member besides handling finances?

The role as treasurer includes for me being an active board member and work with the rest of the board in a functional and trustworthy team to lead the association as good as they can. I will do my best to fulfill that.

How do you see the role of the newly established Fundraising SC in your work?

The new SC is strongly linked to the position as treasurer. I think there is a lot we can achieve together if we keep close contact.

How much time do you have and do you have time consistently?

As I am still studying I have time consistently but I will have to give up on all the other positions I am holding, in order to have enough time for the position as treasurer of IFSA.

How do you deal with crises, and do you have the flexibility when needed to jump in?

I usually deal with crises very calm but that obviously depends on the type of crises. Nevertheless I think there is no crisis a strong team can not overcome. As I am still studying I am relatively flexible.

What kind of experience do you have in applying for grants?

I have only some experience in applying for funds as a private person but I have no experience in applying for a grant as an association.

Questions & Answers

What are your plans for TreE-Learning and Tree-House?

My plans for the TreE-Learning platform will be the following:

1. Coordinate with the HoSC TreE-Learning, Forestry Education and Training, and Web to ensure that there is new content consistently.
2. To motivate TreE-Learning users to complete modules, I will work with the HoSC Web to implement the issuance of certificates when users have completed a module, as well as a badge/ranking system where users can proudly show their progress in a module to other users.
3. Together with the HoC Capacity Development Commission, I will schedule TreE-Learning workshops to inform IFSA members on how to use the platform and its benefits. In these workshops, the feedback and suggestions of the users will also be asked to continuously improve the platform.
4. Work with the Partners Commission in collaborating with partner organizations (e.g. IUFRO, FAO, EFI, etc.) that can help us create new educational modules.
5. Coordinate with HoSC Web and Social Media to create campaigns about TreE-Learning and tutorials on how to use the platform.

For the Tree House platform, my plans will be the following:

1. Coordinate with the HoSC Tree House in completing the Terms and Conditions form which will ensure the safety and security of both the host and visitor.
2. Update the locations of the hosts to maintain the relevance of information in the platform
3. Conduct TreeHouse workshops to inform IFSA members how to use the platform and its benefits. Similar to the TreE-Learning workshops, I will ask for feedback from the users/members to ensure the continuous improvement of the platform.
4. Coordinate with HoSC Web and Social Media to create campaigns about Tree House and tutorials on how to use the platform.

Is there a plan to try to simplify the number of different communication channels IFSA has?

As we are in the age of the internet, it is vital for IFSA to continuously increase its online presence by maintaining the current communication channels that we have and, at the same time, look for new ways to relate to our online IFSA community, as well as amplifying the organization’s advocacy to a much wider reach. While this is important, what I can do as the next Internal Councilor is to ensure that our Communication Commission has a sufficient number of motivated and enthusiastic volunteers to guarantee the improvement and relatability of our communication channels.

What are the gaps you see in the Internal Department from your previous work?

During this term, most officials in the Internal Department were unable to attend official IFSA meetings such as Interim and IFSS due to logistics-related issues such as visa issuance and sometimes, funding. As the current Internal Councilor, I was able to organize a hybrid Internal Department Meeting in Indonesia to give an opportunity to Asia Pacific officials to attend personally and have the IFSA experience. As this issue is an inevitable concern for IFSA members, I will continue ensuring that all members and officials have equal opportunities of attending in-person events and deepen their experience as IFSA members.

Before my term as the Internal Councilor, the Internal Department did not have any department meetings which caused a lack of knowledge of what the other commissions are working on. This made me realize how important department meetings are to allow officials to gain insight into other commissions and sub-commissions projects, strengthen their bond, and foster collaboration which is why bi-monthly department meetings are currently implemented during my term as the Internal Councilor.

Currently, some sub-commissions such as TreE-Learning, TreeHouse, and Podcast are removed. This initially caused an uneven distribution of workload within the department, allowing me to serve as the right hand of sub-commissions that were directly affected by this change in the IFSA structure. Recently, I, together with the Internal Department officials, created the job descriptions of the said sub-commissions and improved existing ones in preparation for its proposal for the Rules of Procedures change and implementation in the upcoming term. This was done to ensure that the workload within the department will be efficiently distributed. If uneven distribution of workload continues to persist in the upcoming term, I will continue to assess the effectiveness of the IFSA structure and again, coordinate with the Internal Department officials and Board to address such concerns.

How do you plan to coordinate such a high number of SCs in the Internal Department?

As the current Internal Councilor, I have conducted bi-monthly Internal Department meetings with both the Communication and Capacity Development Commissions; monthly Internal Department Head of Commissions meeting with both HoC Communication and Capacity Development; and participated in monthly individual sub-commission meetings. I also created a term work plan and calendar that all sub-commissions from the Internal Department can fill out to ensure that activities and plans won’t coincide, as well as to increase efficiency in our work. If I were to become the Internal Councilor, I will continue this system to effectively coordinate and communicate with all sub-commissions within the department.

What are your strengths compared to the other candidate?

I have been part of the Internal Department as I was the Head of Social Media Sub-Commission in 2020 and the current Internal Councilor in 2021, making it my home since 2020. With a deep understanding of the tasks and functions of each sub-commission within the department, I was able to effectively help them in their projects and provide valuable feedback. Even more so, my term as the current Internal Councilor has allowed me to use the knowledge I have to successfully make the Internal Department fun, efficient, and productive. If I am given the opportunity to be in this position again this term, I will use this experience to maintain and improve the environment within the Internal Department.

Most importantly, having not attended any in-person IFSA meeting, I consider this a strength rather than a weakness because it gave me the capability to continuously prioritize the inclusivity and participation of online participants and ensure that they have the same opportunities as the offline participants by organizing the Online IFSS activities and hybrid Internal Department Meeting. Coming from a third-world country has allowed me to empathize with members that also struggle to personally participate in IFSA meetings by ensuring that their concerns are raised and heard within the Board. Becoming the next Internal Councilor will ensure that all regions, especially Asia Pacific, are well represented on the Board. It will allow me to be in a position to lobby the concerns of the members from these regions to the Board as I have done for the past year.

Do you have plans for any new projects in the Internal Department?

For my term as the next Internal Councilor, my plans for new projects within the Internal Department will be the following:

1. Mentorship program – I will coordinate with HoSC Mentorship to conduct a mentorship program where mentors (e.g. professors and professionals) will share their knowledge and provide career-related guidance to mentees (e.g. students) to prepare them for their careers in the forestry sector and related fields.
2. Carbon and Sustainability Annual Report – For this project, I will coordinate with the HoSC Carbon and Sustainability to create an annual report that will provide estimated data on the carbon emissions of IFSA members during in-person meetings and even their time for online IFSA meetings and gatherings. This will enable us to gain insight into how we can improve our activities within the organization to ensure that we are minimizing our carbon emissions. The data will come from a form that members will fill out after each in-person or online meeting with information related to transportation and activities.
3. Carbon and Sustainability Workshops – In coordination with the HoSC Carbon and Sustainability, we will conduct workshops related to carbon and sustainability with consideration of regional contexts as each region have different lifestyles. To ensure that the information to be shared during the workshops is accurate and sensitive to each region’s lifestyles, we can coordinate with the Regional Representatives to consult and work with Local Committees for the workshops by having them present ways how to effectively reduce our carbon emissions as students.
4. IFSA Academic Papers in the Newsletters – I will coordinate with the HoSC Publications to create a monthly open call for academic paper submissions in which IFSA members can proudly showcase their academic work and share such valuable knowledge with other students.
5. Voice of IFSA YouTube Series – As a counterpart of the IFSA Canopy Conversations Podcast, I will work with the HoSC Social Media to create the Voice of IFSA YouTube Series where IFSA members can voice their perspectives on environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation, among many other topics. I believe that this will embody our mission of creating a world that appreciates forests as it will raise awareness on such issues not only within the IFSA community but in the online community too.
6. IFSA Teambuilding Activities/IFSA Olympics – Together with the Membership Department, we will work on the online IFSA Olympics which will enhance the teamwork and bonding of Local Committees by conducting games or team-building activities. This can also be done during in-person meetings.
7. Internal Department Annual Report – Together with the Internal Department Sub-Commissions, I will work on the Internal Department annual report at the end of the term to proudly share the department’s activities and projects during the term and increase transparency.

Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

How can we make communications more efficient and make sure they reach the target audiences?

Firstly, I would personally review IFSA’s communication Strategy to evaluate the current structure in place, revising any strategies that need to be revised. To ensure consistency in every design assets across the various communication channels, a brand style guideline document will be created. I will also track and measure performance of the various sub-commissions to ensure consistency and provide feedback whenever necessary.

Comm Comm is maybe the most demanding commission we have and the head of it needs to be flexible and available a lot, how do you plan to manage this and time generally?

I understand the Comms commission would be very demanding and would require I contribute a minimum 4 hours per week and more hours for other spontaneous requests. I will set clear daily goals prioritizing the most important tasks. I will see to it that everything is scheduled and set if-then rules in case unforeseen requests come up.

How do you plan to deal with the work overload in certain Sub-Commissions (e.g. Design and Social Media)?

Such heads are to submit their agenda for the week ahead, and Make Schedules. I would introduce a project management platform such as trello to help monitor progress, and arrive at effective time management.

Do you have any plans for collaboration in the External Department?

Yes, I would ask each head of the external department to develop a web content on the partners of IFSA e.g on FAO, CIFOR etc for which they are liaising with, to help create awareness for the public on what is being done by our partner organizations. This blog post would contain SEO-friendly headings like, history, annual activities, opportunities, etc. to answer public questions about these organizations.

Are there plans to improve people’s in person communication skills?

Yes, to improve people’s in person communication, I intend introducing a platform, where every member of the comm comm would table their plans, air out suggestions and also review work being done by one another.

How was your performance during the last term and how do you plan to improve for the next term?

The last term featured a lot of learning for me. I had to pick up several skills in the process and I am most grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to the association while heading the Social Media Sub-commission. I equally know that there’s a lot of room for improvement especially when the Communications Commission would be more demanding. Since I would be more involved in leading and coordinating, I will go the extra mile to learn more about each of the various sub-commissions.

If you had to prioritize a communication channel, which would be the most important channel for IFSA in your opinion?

This would be based on statistics. From the Social media handle, we are able to reach an average of about 2,000 followers. I would like to know what the numbers look like via the google data analytics on the website. However, following on potential and possible plans, I would prioritize social media for quicker and closer engagement, as we can engage post campaigns, creative, short and attractive content to attract public attention. This would also direct the audience to our website.

In addition, the website would also be of high priority, in order to engage a wider range of audience.

Being HoC is very different from being a HoSC, do you have experience in leadership and coordination?

Yes I do have experience in leadership and communication. I have served as the head of the marketing team with a team of 5 active team members, under my leadership.

How do you think we can help LCs that have lost touch with IFSA international? Is there a strategy to deliver information to previously inactive LCs where the access to the official Email account might get lost?

We would work with regional representatives to reach out to LCs via various means, such google meets and social media platforms etc. Following a successful re-union, we would establish a monthly LC desk talk, and officially inaugurate a global LC day, towards recognizing the impact of LC, and their efforts at building Youths and IFSA at large.

What do you think are your main strengths compared to the other candidate?

Thanks to my experience in sales and marketing, social media management, customer support associate, I have gained excellent communication, leadership, and strong writing skills. My people skills are my greatest strength. I find it easy to connect with almost anyone, while still coordinating and overseeing the activities.

Questions & Answers

How can we make communications more efficient and make sure they reach the target audiences?

Questions & Answers

What is your understanding of all of the other processes in the Commission besides UNCCD and UNFCCC?

Questions & Answers

As you haven’t been an official before, what is your understanding of how the External Department works?

The external department is divided into two commissions. The first is responsible for overseeing IFSA delegations at international processes: Internal Processes Commission (IPC). The second is in charge of maintaining the link with IFSA partners: Partners Commission (PAC). In this sense, and based on past conversations with IFSA officials and my readings of the work of this department, I understand that one of the current objectives of this department is to establish and maintain a fluid and regular communication with partner organizations and processes. I am also aware that while such communication has been achieved with some partners (e.g., EFI, IUFRO), with others it is still work in progress (e.g., UNFF). Therefore, one of my main objectives during my term as an officer will be to build and maintain high quality personal and professional relationships with our partners.

Do you have any plans to reach out to possible new partners?

Among the various ways of contacting new partners are: 1) recovering old contacts from previous officers to re-establish contact with some partners that have ceased to be partners, 2) using personal contacts in international organizations (global and regional), 3) active networking during attendance at events and processes (i.e., UNFF, COFO, GLF, COP, etc.).

How do you want to lead your Team of HoSCs?

My leadership is characterized by the motivation of my team. In this sense, for me it is transcendental to know the interests of the HoSCs to direct our work for the institutional, team and personal benefit. In addition, I believe that the delegation of tasks and fluid communication will also be key for the type of tasks that we have to perform.

Do you have experience handling such relationships with organizations?

I have plenty of experience in networking and managing inter-institutional partners. My experience includes working with partners at local, regional, national and international level during my work at the German cooperation GIZ. In addition, as part of my PhD I am in contact with and study international organizations, so my knowledge of them is quite broad.

Are you aware of the current state of relationships with IFSA partners?

As I mentioned previously, I am aware that there is good communication with institutions such as EFI and IUFRO, and processes such as Forest Europe; but it is still work in progress to build it with processes such as UNFF and organisations such as FAO.

How do you see your obligations and work with the Board?

I believe that smooth and reliable communication with the board of directors is key to the proper performance of my duties. Knowing that IFSA members share a passion for our forestry careers and a desire to see this organisation continue to grow, I believe that this joint work will be successful.

What do you mean by operational planning and information systems maintenance in your workplan?

By operational planning, I meant a joint workshop with the Partners Commission team in which, based on our strategic objectives and long term outcomes, outputs and activities are broken down as well as responsibilities are assigned for each task.. By maintenance of information systems, I mean helping to update tools such as the external calendar (https://ifsa.net/external-department-report/) and the Head of the Partners Commission’s google drive disc folder

What do you think is the best way for PAC to collaborate and cooperate with other Commissions and Departments?

I think the PAC has a lot of potential for collaboration because of the cross-cutting nature of its functions and its proximity to partner organisations. I think that representatives of other committees and departments should be involved in our strategic planning and, if possible, also in the operational planning. So that they can be aware of our work and find synergies. Another way would be a clear mutual outdate between commissions and departments, which could lead to new ideas for inter-departmental collaboration.

What is your understanding of IFSA and how it runs as your application was not properly addressed?

I am aware that IFSA is the largest international network of students in forestry and related sciences and its main objective is to connect students with their peers ask as well as with forest related organisations and policy platforms. It has a global institutional design (departments, commissions, and submissions) with official headquarters in Freiburg but is also essentially composed of about 130 local committees along more than 50 countries.

How do you plan to involve inactive HoSCs?

My strategy in this situation is linked to my type of leadership explained above. I would seek direct contact with this heads to find out what is going on and the reasons why they were inactive. This could be due to professional or personal difficulties they are going through. I would then seek to support them to overcome the difficulties, motivate them to do their job and then make a plan together for them to return to work in the short to medium term.

How do you plan to improve communication with inactive partners?

My first step would be to first get back in touch using some of the strategies mentioned above, such as recovering old contacts from previous officers, using personal contacts or networking in person during events or processes meetings. Once a first rapprochement has been established, it will be to start defining joint short and medium term cooperation objectives that will allow a relationship of trust to be built. Once these objectives have been achieved, I will proceed to motivate a jointly design of long-term project proposals that would benefit both IFSA and our partners’ interests.

What are your plans for internal coordination with all the Sub-Commissions and do you have experience in coordinating a group of people before?

Yes, I have a lot of experience working in teams during my time in private enterprise, scientific field work and international cooperation. My working approach will be based on leadership and mutual trust. I will motivate each of my team members to be leaders in their position and to communicate fluently with each other and with me. Such communication can be achieved through regular meetings to catch up on each other’s work and where we can brainstorm ideas to overcome each other’s difficulties.

How much time do you have to fulfill your position? Do you have time to maybe also cover workload of single inactive HoSCs when needed?

I am a very organised and planned person. I will work the corresponding hours required of the position and, in particular cases, I will be able to cover for some of my team members if the situation requires it. However, it is clear that I believe this should not be the norm as it is up to each officer to delegate such responsibilities as he/she deems necessary.
How do you plan to implement the delegation guidelines? The guidelines for my commission, in brief, indicate that it is expected from me to be the contact person between the different IFSA bodies, supervise the work of the sub-commission heads, maintain constant internal communication within the PAC, support the communications heads when necessary, and keep the commission’s folder on drive updated . In this respect, my coordination tasks will be carried out through strategic and operational planning meetings as well as regular meetings to update the progress of each member of the different teams. 1-1 meetings will be held when required by a member of the PAC team and I will personally organise, as mentioned above, the digital interfaces in charge of my commission.

Questions & Answers

Why is the budget so low?
The expenses in our country are not that high for example our dorm costs approximatelly 60€ per month.
How many people are in the OC and are you planning to recruit more? It’s a two-year commitment, so will they be able to stay until the event?
Currently OC consists of 15 people. We would like to recruit more, because having new people is always usefull. We also have former members of LC that are more than willing to help us with organizing the event.
Is the number of participants flexible?
It all depends on funding, if we will have sufficient funding we can increase number of participants

What is your covid strategy?
We do not have covid strategy yet, there are plenty of things that can change im two years, for example monkey pox. But in accomodation that we want to have for longest time is capable of easilly quarantiing  people.
What are your strategies to reduce carbon emissions?
We do not have solid one yet, we talked only about having only game meat for omnivores, but we would like to discuss with OC of the IFSS 2023.
Any plans to do it hybrid?
All presentations and panels can be live streamed thanks to equipment of our fakulty.
Are there plans for travel support to IFSS?
All depends on donations, but we would like to lower the low-income countries participation fees. We would also like to open a visa support as soon as registration opens.

Do you have a point in your budget to support participants from low-income countries
No we do not have it yet, but if we will have sufficient donations we will lower the participation fees for low-income countries.
Does anyone in the team have experience in organizing events
Yes, there are 4 members with experience with organising NERM, but all of us have a lot of experience with organizing local events.
Why should IFSS be again in Europe right after Germany?
I think this question is irrelevant, because both candidates are from europe. We believe that every country, whether located in located in Europe or Asia, America, Africa or any other part of the world has different cultural, historical or social backround. What connects us is the love for forest and forestry, which we chose as our future profession. Every country -Germany as well as Slovakia, Chile has its own unique way of shoving this love, based om their own history and evolution. We just want to share our path, our way of this love with the rest of ifsa family.