Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?

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Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned? check that all the necessary information is given clearly, and is consistent in content. Even though these processes are national norms, they are followed to a very varied extent around the country. Accountability Accountability may be seen as a two-way mechanism. Having formed a CFUG and decided the rules for forest management and benefi t distribution, the individual members of the group are expected to abide by what they have agreed. They are accountable to each other, to their committee, to the DFO who has authorised their Operational Plan, and ultimately to the State that formulated community forestry policy and law. This upward accountability is often stressed by offi cials, but like any decentralised system, community forestry also contains an important element of downward accountability – requiring the State and its representatives as well as service providers to be accountable to the CFUGs. Here the role of FECOFUN as a grassroots federation of CFUGs demanding government accountability and reacting if any regressive rules or regulations are proposed is particularly important. The project has been careful to encourage FECOFUN in its legitimate efforts in this regard, without supporting any divisive activities (such as violence and preventing staff Forest Department from undertaking their normal duties). Overall, project self-monitoring records show an increasing accountability of Forest Department offi cials over time; for example, frequent staff transfers were common in the early 1990s but are no longer an issue because the government made a provision for civil servants to serve a mandatory minimum two years in post. More importantly, accusations of corruption are at least taken seriously and investigated through parliamentary committees, legal commissions and the offi ce for monitoring abuse of authority bureau. Many forestry offi cials are suspended and cases are fi led; the recent removal of the Minister of Forests on grounds of corruption is a case in point. While this latter illustration goes beyond project infl uence, it is an example of changing attitudes to which NSCFP has contributed. Women take account keeping and fi nancial transparency particularly seriously Accountability at CFUG level may be assessed in numerous ways, although one of the most obvious is with regard to fi nancial management. Drawing on service providers, the project routinely trained all CFUGs in book-keeping skills. The yearly accounts must be presented and discussed at the annual general 15 Chhetry analysed the sample of 116 cluster CFUGs, and quoted the total sums involved. His fi gures have been corrected to average per CFUG. 38
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned? meeting of the CFUG, and any queries clarifi ed. Legally, they must also be audited – although this is diffi cult to enforce. Nevertheless, project fi gures show that among 919 CFUGs surveyed, 87% of CFUGs in the project area audited their accounts using local auditors, with endorsement from the public auditing in their general assembly. The project auditors also made spot checks. Overall, the income generated by CFUGs has shown a very steady increase. Chhetry (2010) 15 , shows that sample average annual incomes increased from Rs 21,336 in 2000 to Rs 80,103 in 2008 – and appear to have further increased since then. As fi nancial volumes grow, the risk of mal-practice might be expected to rise. Instead, over the years the project observed a trend towards increased transparency and accountability, with corrupt practices becoming increasingly unacceptable. The example below, given by Keshav Paudel, is typical. “As part of my duties, I have accompanied members of the project’s audit fi rm in their fi eld inspections. One I remember particularly was Tauke Danda CFUG in Lyang-lyang VDC, Ramechhap. We realised that the group had a very small bank balance, and Rs. 10,000 invested in a loan. The committee was uncomfortable about speaking on this matter, and it was only after much persuasion that the chairwoman admitted the problem. The previous chairperson – an infl uential individual - had absconded with the money, and they felt powerless to do anything. We suggested that they took up the matter in writing and in person with FECOFUN and the DFO. This they did, and the man was threatened with legal action. He then started paying back the money in instalments, and fi nally made good his debt.” Keshav Paudel, Finance Manager NSCFP Equity Equity implies a fair sharing of benefi ts, not just an equal share. One part of equity promotion by NSCFP has been the emphasis placed on making special provision for the poor and disadvantaged – as outlined in the section on pro-poor livelihoods. Equitable decision-making is not, however, limited to such provision. It is about integrating the concept of fairness into all decisions, a concept that the project sought to stress through governance coaching. For example, herders wishing to pasture their animals in the forest will be expected to pay for the privilege – but the amount should be determined according to their wealth, and degree of forest use. Equitable decision-making can be assessed from the way that a CFUG allocates its budget in a broad manner, apart from specifi c allocation to the poor. Expenditure on community infrastructure and development in the project area rose from an annual average of Rs 2,491 in 2000 to Rs 11,974 in 2008, and Equity in community forestry is vital for the poor 39
Page 1 and 2: TWO DECADES OF COMMUNITY FORESTRY I
Page 3 and 4: Namdu, Dolakha, 1989 Namdu, Dolakha
Page 5 and 6: FOREWORD Over 20 years ago, the Swi
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