Identification and analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing ‎NGOs in ‎sustainable management of forest areas in Golestan province

Despite the efforts made in the formation of non-governmental organizations and their role in the protection and sustainability of natural resources, non-governmental organizations have not yet been able to gain a proper position. The aim of this study was to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing NGOs in environmental and sustainable forest management. The study population included experts and members of 12 natural resources and environment non-governmental organizations in Golestan province, 120 of whom were selected as the sample. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire in which the questions were designed based on the opinions of experts and members of non-governmental organizations obtained during 60 interviews. SWOT method was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the weight of strengths is more than the weight of weaknesses and the weight of threats is more than the weight of opportunities faced by NGOs. Based on the results of analyzing internal and external factors, the best strategy for NGOs is an offensive strategy that emphasizes the use of existing strengths and opportunities to expand the activities of NGOs.