Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
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10 • Robert Fisher, Ravi Prabhu and Cynthia McDougall<br />
but this <strong>of</strong>fered opportunities for learn<strong>in</strong>g and comparisons with the other<br />
countries. However, dur<strong>in</strong>g the project period, follow<strong>in</strong>g political changes <strong>in</strong><br />
Indonesia <strong>in</strong> 1998, decentralisation became important; aga<strong>in</strong>, the learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
opportunities were significant. Detailed background on the three countries<br />
is presented <strong>in</strong> the correspond<strong>in</strong>g case study chapters.<br />
Other factors <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the selection were the existence <strong>of</strong> will<strong>in</strong>g partners<br />
for research and <strong>in</strong>itiatives to which the ACM project could add value.<br />
ACM was not <strong>in</strong>tended to replace exist<strong>in</strong>g programmes, however. Rather,<br />
the ACM researchers sought to develop ways to <strong>in</strong>corporate conscious<br />
adaptive <strong>collaborative</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g processes <strong>in</strong> exist<strong>in</strong>g forest <strong>management</strong><br />
programmes and projects.<br />
With<strong>in</strong> each country, several sites were selected based on prelim<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
studies and consultations with partners and other stakeholders. Some <strong>of</strong><br />
the factors considered dur<strong>in</strong>g the site selection were the follow<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
• the presence <strong>of</strong> a local forest-dependent <strong>community</strong> and at least<br />
one other stakeholder;<br />
• conflict or uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty among stakeholders over how the forest<br />
should be managed;<br />
• the status <strong>of</strong> devolution policy (the type <strong>of</strong> decision mak<strong>in</strong>g allowed<br />
to local communities);<br />
• the nature and power <strong>of</strong> the other stakeholders (e.g., conservation<br />
organisations, timber <strong>in</strong>terests, government agencies);<br />
• other communities liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> or near the forest;<br />
• the will<strong>in</strong>gness <strong>of</strong> the communities to participate <strong>in</strong> the study;<br />
• the forest type or quality; and<br />
• the policy or <strong>management</strong> synergy to be ga<strong>in</strong>ed by <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
site <strong>in</strong> the study.<br />
This was not a random sample <strong>of</strong> sites with different characteristics,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce the aim was to test ACM <strong>in</strong> situations with real complexities and<br />
real conflicts. The selection did encompass a variety <strong>of</strong> sites, each with a<br />
different set <strong>of</strong> complexities.<br />
In each country, partners were identified and teams established to work<br />
<strong>in</strong> the selected sites. There were two teams <strong>in</strong> each country. The project<br />
was coord<strong>in</strong>ated and adm<strong>in</strong>istered centrally at CIFOR <strong>in</strong> Indonesia, but<br />
each site team exercised a fair amount <strong>of</strong> freedom <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terpret<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
apply<strong>in</strong>g the commonly agreed research framework (goals, objectives and<br />
methods) to ensure that the approach rema<strong>in</strong>ed locally as well as globally