Aligning policies to support forest restoration and promote organizational change

Abstract

Forestry organizations around the world are increasingly emphasizing forest restoration as a management goal. This reflects a progression in mission away from commodity production towards ecosystem management. A key question is how to promote organizational change to support current management objectives. In 2012, the US Forest Service reorganized its budget and performance measurement structure to support the agency's current emphasis on restoration. We report the results of a survey designed to understand whether this policy change contributed to organizational change and whether the approach was accompanied by key factors known to support successful organizational transitions. We received completed surveys from 1210 agency employees (47% response rate). Although results were mixed, we found that the new approach resulted in some changes to planning approaches and staff roles. Approximately half of those in leadership positions said prioritization and integration had improved. Staff identified a need for improved communication and reported that effective leadership was central to success. These results provide some indication that similar tools can be employed to shift organizational structure and behavior to support the evolving missions of forestry agencies. Future research should investigate how to promote organizational change and learning beyond individual actors via effective leadership, communication, and evaluation.