Research based evidence in community forest policy making in Nepal
Student name: Mr Udeep Regmi
Guide: Dr Smriti Das
Year of completion: 2014
Host Organisation: Forest Action Nepal
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Naya Sharma Paudel
Abstract: This study attempts to assess the link between research based evidence and community forestry policy making in
case of Nepal. Evidence based policy has drastically evolved in the field of social science and forestry apart from
medical field in recent years. Emphasis now is given to evidence based policy (research based evidence) making in
contrast to faith based approaches and the conviction policies of earlier period. Community Forestry Programme is
considered as the most successful program in case of Nepal. Based on the ten sample community forestry policy
decision the study tries to understand the process of policy making and while doing the same assess the research
policy linkage. For the purpose of the study several key informants with sound experience on community forestry
policy from the different sector (Government, I/NGOs, Research Institute, Forestry College) were interviewed along
with user groups from three community forest and two collaborative forests. Purposive sampling was used for the
selection of both community and collaborative forest. The findings were analyzed based on the Overseas
Development Institute Framework on Research Based Evidence. The study of the ten different policy decisions
showed the domination of forest bureaucrats on defining the agenda and low level of citizen government
deliberations. The evidence were generated based on some anecdotal cases of financial irregularities, illegal felling,
elite domination and often generated from the conception that CFUGs cannot develop mechanisms for internal
control of malpractices, and forest officials are required to intervene for correction. Civil society actively
participated on contestation however, heavily relied on mass based activities and mobilised their social and
political networks rather than scientific analysis and evidence to put forward their points. It is seen that the uptake
of the research to address the policy gap is highly influenced by the link between the policy makers and the research
communities. The link is often so important that the credibility and the robustness of the research finding won’t go
under scrutiny. Similarly, it is also seen that donors are actively involved in forestry policy making in Nepal and
the evidence generated by donors aren’t questioned at all. This research recommends that the proper documentation
and analysis of the research findings and opening policy decision for public debate would not only help strengthen
policy on paper but also during implementation. One must make sure that the deliberation process is backed by the
evidence generated from research and the evidences are credible and the outcome of which can be deployed to
larger context.
Keywords: Research Based Evidence, Community Forestry, Policy Decisions, Policy Process, Nepal
