Reviewing Social Forestry in Indonesia through an Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance

Abstract

Collaboration is a major problem affecting implementation of Social Forestry Policy in Indonesia. This paper aimed at synthesising the results of previous studies to identify challenges and knowledge gaps using an Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance (IFCG) model. A systematic literature review method was used to search the Scopus database, and a total of 47 studies on Social Forestry Policy in Indonesia from 2019‐2022 were reviewed. The results suggested three main challenges: 1) limited community capacity, namely in initiating and making forest management effective; 2) burdensome administrative-bureaucratic fulfilment; and 3) lack of attention to multi-level (vertical-horizontal) collaborative processes from policy making to implementation at the member level. The review found that the IFCG model, though important, does not emphasise actor complexity related to leadership, which has different levels and scopes. Additionally, economic benefits are essential to sustain collaboration between parties. Furthermore, the internal conditions of the community contribute to effective collective action, and economic benefits are essential in sustaining the collaborative process. The paper recommends further research into social forestry to examine the impact of Social Forestry Policy, which have been under-examined by previous studies.