The purpose of the Coordination Unit is to facilitate the initiation and execution of activities of the work plan by serving the network as the focal communication and coordination point.

The Coordination Unit has the following specific tasks:

Information Service
• Maintenance of databases: regular updating based on information received from national nodes;
• Question and Answer Service: screening of questions for mailing through listserver; directly answering database-related questions;
• Presentation of information through Internet, Newsletter, publications;
• Improvement of access to international information sources
• Contact partner to other (regional) networks
  
  Forum for Dialogue
• organize or stimulate electronic discussions, as appropriate
• organize workshops
• act as interface between members and the EU Commission
• act as interface between members and the EU Parliament
  
  Links between policy and research
• organize participatory discussions
• participate in international meetings
• assist in the development of methods to identify research priorities at different levels by creating different fora for discussion (newsletter, workshop)
• assist the EU Commission in the identification of priorities for funding
  
  ETFRN Administration and Decision-Making
• Organize Steering Committee meetings
• Ensure monitoring and evaluation of ETFRN activities
• Draft annual work plan
• act as secretariat for the network
• investigate the desirability and possibility to establish a legal entity for the network

In the fulfilment of its tasks, the coordination unit will exercise the greatest economy of effort, making use of existing structures and mechanisms where efficient and appropriate.

At present, the staff of the ETFRN Coordination Unit consists of:

Coordinator:
Management assistant/ Editor:
Web-manager:	MSc Juanita Franco

Please address correspondence to:

ETFRN
c/o The Tropenbos Foundation
P.O. Box 232
6700 AE Wageningen
The Netherlands
E-mail: etfrn@etfrn.org