Governance and NRM

1. Governance and NRM Exploring the meaning of ‘Governance’ concepts in NRM (with reference to the FLEGT process) Wageningen InternationalKumasi, May 2008

2. Contents • Introduction • Governance • Good governance and accountability • Good Enough Governance • EU and FLEGT Governance • VPA in Ghana

3. Introduction • Background: the project is also about governance, but what does it mean and what should it mean? • Objective of this session: Obtain more insight on the development and application of ‘good governance’ principles in the forest sector in timber producing countries, in relation to the FLEGT process and Sustainable Forest Management.

4. We can question ourselves: • What is the general thinking about ‘governance’, ‘forest governance’ and other ‘governance’ concepts with possible relevance for the project? What can we learn? • How does the European Union deal with the concept of ‘governance’? How does this compare to general thinking about the concept of ‘governance’? • Take a look at the current Ghana VPA process and discuss the extent to which forest governance can be expected to improve?

5. Governance – ‘scientifically’ • From the ‘old’ style of governance – the government is steering – to a new situation where more actors are co-steering. • The government does not bear the sole responsibility for the governance situation; every actor has to play a role. • Important aspects of this new situation are: • multi-actor, • multi-level (national, international, and local) and • multi-meaning: different stakeholders may embrace different values, interests and world views.

6. Definition of governance: ……..a way of executing (and contributing towards the development of) policies which is focused on cooperation whereby the representatives of government, market and civil society participate in mixed public and private networks.

7. Good Governance • Aspirational, value-laden • Important principles: participation, fairness, decency, accountability, transparency and efficiency. • ‘Universally applicable’ because based on Human Rights • Often used by donors and international organizations (perceived link with poverty alleviation) • Many definitions, each one with specific emphasis, but not much contradiction

8. Definition of good governance: • Often used as umbrella term for the quality of governing institutions (including absence of corruption, effectiveness, transparency, impersonality and respecting rule of law Or • “Good governance is aspirational, concerned with the distribution of power and authority in a society in ways that best serve the widest cross-section of the population (Ribot and Mayers, 2005)

10. Accountability • Vertical: elections • Horizontal: government to government organization • Direct societal participation (social accountability): • Lobbying and advocacy • Media as watchdog • Private Public Partnerships (PPPs) • Citizen action (social mobilisation) • Community score cards

11. Accountability Elected representatives elections Vertical Lobbying • Public Administration • Independent observers • Structures for checking • Ombudsman • Public Administration • Rendering of services • Development policies • Spending of the budget Horizontal (public) Civil Society • Media, NGOs, social audits, citizen/community score cards, etc.

12. Good Enough Governance • Governance agenda unrealistically long and still growing • Democratic principles based on norms and values which are culturally determined • Values not automatically deeply embedded in culture of a country

13. Definition of “good enough governance” …as a condition of minimally acceptable level of government performance and civil society engagement that does not significantly hinder economic and political development and that permits poverty reduction initiatives to go forward (Grindle, 2004)

14. Good Enough Governance: what to do? • Reduce the “good governance” agenda • Introduce a historical, country specific analysis • Sort out aspects critical for poverty alleviation • Assess priorities strategically • Think about alternatives, but don’t forget the public sector

15. Concrete aspects of Governance within FLEGT • No clear definition of Good Governance • Strengthen land tenure and access rights; • Strengthen effective participation of all stakeholders; • Increase transparency in association with forest exploitation operations, including through the introduction of independent monitoring; • Reduce corruption; • Engage the private sector of the timber producing countries in the efforts to combat illegal logging; • Address the financing of violent conflict

16. Roles of EU in FLEGT process • Donor who promotes “good” (forest) governance • Buyer of products (as government or as consumer) – setting standards • Party that influences other donors and agencies

17. FLEGT partner Country • Government’s willingness to improve forest governance is crucial

18. The VPA in Ghana

19. Major change process which aims to: Address governance failures in the forestry sector To ensure continued optimum contribution of the forest sector to national socio-economic development To enable Ghana continue to do business with the international community (trade and development cooperation) What is the Scope of the Ghana VPA?

20. What is included in the Ghana VPA process?

21. Market demanded and enforced legal standard and accompanying Legality Assurance System (LAS) Forest verification system (TVE) that monitors and reports compliance to the standard Licensing system that provides assurance to buyers that products have been legally sourced Participation of an independent forest monitor VPA I – Introduction of the LAS

22. VPA I: the Multi-Stakeholder Platform Democratised policy formulation, inclusion of all stakeholder groups Preparatory research in multistakeholder sub-committees Policy advise (to the Minister) in multistakeholder sub-committees

23. Increased participation of land owners and communities in forest management Increased transparency in the award of resource rights Addressing the ownership and tenure rights of stakeholders Participation of small scale forest enterprises in legitimate resource utilization … VPA I: Legislative Review

24. VPA II – Optimising Sector’s Contribution to National Socio-economic Development

25. VPA II: Industry Restructuring Position industry to be processing hub in sub-region Retool industry for downstream processing Use of small diameter plantation logs Promotion of lesser used species Use of substitute material (bamboo, coconut wood)

26. Introduction of Mobile Recovery Teams and legitimising small scale forest enterprises? Increased use of substitute material e.g. bamboo, coconut wood etc.? Which direction will the legislative reforms go? Industry rationalisation = reduced employment? Will there be changes in benefit flow to communities with increased transparency under VPA? Livelihood Opportunities & Risks

27. Plantation development, what opportunities? Democratisation of policy formulation – greater community participation? Livelihood Opportunities & Risks

28. Group work Divide in 3 groups and critically assess the extent to which the current VPA process in Ghana will contribute to “good (enough) governance” in the Ghana forestry sector • Appoint amongst yourselves a discussion facilitator, timekeeper and rapporteur; agree on the process to be followed and define intended outcome (5 minutes) • Debate for 30 minutes; • Prepare for giving concise feedback to each other (10 minutes) • Give report (5 minutes)