Assessing the performance of management is central to natural resource management, in terms of improving the efficiency of interventions in an adaptive-learning cycle. This is not simple, given that such systems generally have multiple scales of interaction and response; high frequency of non-linearity, uncertainty, and time lags; multiple stakeholders with contrasting objectives; and a high degree of context specificity. The importance of bounding the problem and preparing a conceptual model of the system is highlighted.

This paper reports the results of a pre-test in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, of four methods designed to assess the level and nature of participation by local people in forest management quickly and easily. Two of the methods - the "Iterative Continuum Method" (ICM) and the participatory card sorting method - were deemed helpful.One method, the communication network analysis, was discarded in its current form.The final method, the researcher guide on the functions of participation, was felt in need of revision.

Previous research identified three important issues of relevance to forest people's roles in sustain- able forest management which we address here: the presence of a Conservation ethics, a feeling of closeness to the forest, and a significant forest-culture link. In this paper we examine a method (the Galileo), recently pre-tested for this purpose in West Kalimantan, which we hope can help us to assess such issues quickly, reliably and in a quantitative manner amenable to use by would-be assessors of various educational and experiential levels.

This book is a report of a short-term research project. The project aimed to test an approach for estimating local values for landscape units and relate these to formal biodiversity conservation values in Gorongosa National Park (GNP), Sofala Province, Mozambique. First section describes the research site selection and gives short descriptions of the chosen sites: Muaredzi and Nhanchururu. Second section is about the community landscape valuations, includes also the methods and results concerning conceptual models, spatial data sets, and participatory community assessments.

Tulisan ini disusun untuk membantu pihak-pihak yang tertarik bekerja dengan kelompok-kelompok kecil (biasanya suatu masyarakat atau kelompok dalam masyarakat) untuk membantu mereka mencapai tujuannya. Tulisan disusun atas dasar berbagai literatur tentang pengelolaan hutan dan sumberdaya alam berbasis masyarakat, pengalaman menjadi katalisator aksi kolektif di lebih dari 30 masyarakat di 11 negara dengan menggunakan suatu pendekatan yang disebut Adaptive Collaborative Management (ACM); dan pengalaman mendorong aksi kolektif dua kelompok masyarakat di Sumatra.

Beyond Timber: Certification and Management of Non-Timber Forest Products is a valuable contribution and a practical guide for communities, researchers, policy makers, and donors interested in assessing the value of investing time and effort in the still elaborate and costly process of gaining independent international recognition of sound management practices directed to harvest of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). Beyond Timber does not attempt to mask the difficulties of obtaining NTFP certification.

Since President Soeharto stepped down, decentralization has offered a better governance system for this nation of more than 220 million people of varied ethnic groups spread over more than 15,000 islands. Despite its potential, implementation of decentralization has been riddled with unexpected problems. Decentralization turned out to have created problems, ranging from conflicts among people who refused regional fragmentation, conflicts between newly-created districts and the original, larger district from which they were created, and between local and central government.

This report identifies which resources and landscapes are important to the Batak people. It also documents their perceptions and priorities regarding forest management. By playing close attention to the Bataks’ perspectives, the “Levelling the Playing Field” project (LPF) is able to better understand their opinions and hopes for the present and future use of their natural resources.