http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-80492-201-1-DO_TOPIC
International Development Research Centre
Partnerships to Success -- International Model Forest Network
Secretariat Celebrates 10 Years at IDRC
The International Model Forest Network Secretariat (IMFNS) has much
to celebrate after a decade: a global network dedicated to
sustainable forest management; a diverse partnership linking people,
communities, business, and governments; and more than 30 model
forests in 17 countries.
* From the smallest seed
* Milestones
* The IMFNS
* Partnerships to Success
* Rooted in a common approach
* Relevance at the local level
* Order a copy of our 10-year anniversary publication
* Model forest profiles
From the smallest seed
The term "model forest" was first used in 1991, to describe an
innovative program launched by the Government of Canada to develop
broad-based partnerships within large forested landscapes that
translate sustainable forest management (SFM) policies into practice.
Each site was intended to be a "model" from which others could learn
in order to advance towards SFM.
When the model forest approach was proposed as an international
initiative by Canada at UNCED, it resonated with people and
institutions from a variety of cultures, political affiliations and
values. It was innovative, practical, and do-able. And, in 1992, it
was also ahead of its time. Model forests are unique in several
ways: in terms of the comprehensiveness and flexibility of their
approach, scale of operation, the breadth of their partnerships, the
level of policy they aim to affect, and the importance placed upon
networking at all levels.
Following a period of program development and pilot project
selection, the International Model Forest Network Secretariat (IMFNS)
was established at the International Development Research Centre
(IDRC) in 1995. Its goal was to support the development of a global
network of model forests that would:
* Foster an international exchange of ideas on the concept of SFM
* Facilitate international cooperation in the application of SFM at
the field-level
* Use these concepts and applications to support ongoing
international discussion on the principles, criteria and policies
related to SFM
Other founding partners include Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC), Natural
Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service (NRCan-CFS), and the
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
A decade later, the Network has grown to 36 model forest sites in 17
countries across 5 continents, and represents a global community of
practice on virtually every aspect of SFM. With an aggregate
partnership base totaling nearly 1 000, the Network also represents a
powerful and cost-effective tool for sharing knowledge and
innovation.
Partnerships to Success
Voluntary partnerships and participatory processes are at the heart
of the model forest approach. The assumption behind it is that local
communities, and locally-based stakeholders, can and should be part
of the problem solving process - and among the beneficiaries of a
sustainably managed landscape.
While building partnerships is not new, model forests have been
instrumental in bringing together highly diverse and often opposing
interests. The glue that holds a model forest together comes from a
need to find solutions to shared problems, to frame a common vision
of SFM, and a shared belief that moving in this direction can meet
stakeholder's needs. This invariably takes time, dedication, and
resources, but we know from experience that there are no short-cuts.
Further, because model forests are directly relevant to National
Forest Programs and strategies, they address some of the most
important policy objectives identified by the international forest
policy community. In other words, model forests have been active
policy implementation vehicles.
And, while many contributions have been made to traditional forest
science through the model forest program, perhaps their most
important on-going contribution lies elsewhere. Not in traditional
bio-physical sciences, but rather in the social science of
sustainability: how people and communities manage themselves in
relation to their physical environment has been one of the most
difficult and neglected areas of sustainable management. Model
forests, through their partnerships, address this head-on.
Rooted in a common approach
Because the specific conditions out of which SFM must be developed
can be highly varied from one site or region to another, the model
forest approach was designed to be flexible. Nevertheless, all model
forests share six defining attributes that give the program coherence
and provide the basis for networking:
1. An inclusive and dynamic partnership in which those with an
interest in their area's natural resources agree on a process for
defining SFM in locally relevant terms and work collaboratively to
achieve them
2. A commitment to sustainable forest management
3. A landscape large enough in size to represent an area's
diverse forest uses and values
4. A governance structure that is representative, participative,
transparent and accountable
5. A program of activities reflective of partner needs and values
6. A commitment to knowledge-sharing and networking
While individual model forests work toward a shared vision of SFM for
their area, the IMFN adds value to individual site-level work by
facilitating knowledge-sharing (networking) among and between model
forests. The idea is to share with others the strengths of and
lessons learned by one site to accelerate innovations across the
Network. Over the years, and as an ongoing objective, the IMFNS has
facilitated this knowledge exchange. Issues of governance, forest
science, economic development, payment for environmental services,
aboriginal involvement, conflict management, policy/practice
interface, resource mobilization, strategic planning and many others
have been supported. For the most part these exchanges have been
peer-to-peer, practical and cost-effective.
Relevance at the local level
The success of the IMFN confirms that inclusive partnerships,
operating at a landscape level, are essential to mobilizing resources
and for making effective, lasting progress on SFM.
In addition, model forests have been able to access an impressive
range of resources - resources like money, data sets, political
support, points of view, traditional and contemporary science - that,
in most instances, would not otherwise have been available. In this
and other respects the IMFN is making a unique and valuable
contribution to the realization of tangible, practical and durable
solutions to SFM at the local level.
Although each model forest is unique and their achievements varied,
over the past year the IMFN Secretariat has collected the lessons
learned in each model forest in order to present a snapshot of the
model forest experience, including where and how model forests are
registering impacts, how they work and what they do, and how they
interact to learn from one another. We have grouped these experiences
into six areas - each of which begins with inclusive partnerships
operating at a landscape scale - and are currently preparing them for
publication. These themes are:
* Collaborative governance structures
* Sustainable economic development
* Forest science and best practices
* Conservation, and protection
* Knowledge generation, capacity-building and networking
* Leveraging resources
Model forests are now a proven concept and approach for SFM. With
ten years of building and learning now behind us, we look forward to
making maximum use of what has been built over the next decade. Our
success will lie in ensuring that individual achievements in areas
such as governance, sustainable economic opportunity, and
conservation and protection are made available efficiently,
effectively and productively to others so that we can continue to
accelerate learning and innovation across the Network and make
tangible progress in support of SFM. Successful partnerships are the
key.
**I'd like to order a copy of the IMFNS 10-Year Anniversary
Publication "Partnerships to Success in Sustainable Forest
Management" due for release this fall.
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