Community partner viewpoints on forest partnership: why does it matter?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Many studies that have focused on forestry partnerships have failed to examine their substantial impact on social and ecological outcomes from the perspective of community partners in Indonesia. Using Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance Regimes (IFCGs) and qualitative methods, this study, therefore, explores community partners’ views on the quality of their collaboration in the country. The findings indicate that the viewpoints of community partners play a vital role in forestry partnership scheme, influencing substantially the quality of their collaboration. In addition, it has been observed that the viral phenomenon on social media in Indonesia has become a critical catalyst for changes in political dynamics and power relations among collaborating groups that are not well defined in the IFCG framework. The results also suggest highlighting the vital role of collaborative actions, which is even more crucial than acquiring a legal licence.