Outcome Orientation
In FSC, Outcome orientation means that normative requirements now will include a set of few key intended outcomes to be prioritized for reporting and monitoring progress toward.
Outcome Orientation at a glance
Traditional Monitoring and Evaluation activities are not adapted to demonstrate the contributions of FSC certification to broad sustainability goals at scale given the wide diversity of sustainability topics and forest contexts where FSC-certified forests are found across the globe. A way to overcome this challenge is to bring a stronger focus on intended outcomes and their monitoring as part of standard setting and the certification process. This will ensure robust and comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of FSC certification.
Implementation of Outcome orientation in FSC
Traditional Monitoring and Evaluation activities are not adapted to demonstrate the impact of FSC certification at scale given the wide diversity of sustainability topics and forest contexts where FSC-certified forests are found across the globe. A way to overcome this challenge is to bring a stronger focus on intended outcomes and their monitoring as part of standard setting and the certification process. We are exploring this possibility though two main revision processes:
- FSC Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship (FSC-STD-01-001) and The International Generic Indicators (FSC-STD-60-004).
- Revision of Requirements for the Development and Maintenance of FSC Country Requirements (FSS and FSC RAs).
More information can be found in the concept note and can be provided on demand.
Case Study
In 2025, we implemented the second phase of the Fast-tracking Biodiversity Assessment project. This phase focused on advancing the development of robust and standardized examples of monitoring requirements to test and explore how these could be developed and incorporated into the FSC standard-setting process, and implemented by stakeholders in Brazil, Finland, and Sweden.
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Outreach
Monitoring & Evaluation program has podcasts in several topics including Outcome orientation and eDNA, which can be found in the FSC’s podcast library.
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Episode 75: The Detail is in What We Measure: Making Impact Measurement a Reality
How we measure impact? How do we know that our system has the effect that we think it has on certified forests? FSC has committed to make its solutions more focused on verifying and delivering proof, which is called Outcome Orientation. This podcast is about the progress in Outcome Orientation.