Role of monitoring in institutional performance: forest management in Maharashtra, India

This article uses 3 case studies in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra in India, to examine the role of monitoring in participatory common property resource (CPR) management. In this paper, reference is made to forest management. The authors conclude that monitoring plays a crucial role in impacting the cohesiveness of institutions and the success of forest management initiatives. Monitoring is also important in ensuring an effective management of degraded and dense forests, by ensuring rule compliance by community members, and protecting against outside poachers. The authors argue that monitoring also plays a role in ensuring long-term sustainability of participatory CPR regimes, guarding against conditions that tempt individuals to cheat and gain benefits to the disadvantage of others.

The authors argue that with strict sanctions, free-riding behaviour is prevented, installing a sense of trust in the community. This however is only possible, if sanctions are equally imposed on all members of the community.

The authors observe that the impact of community monitoring depends on the state of the forest at the time when the management is handed over to the communities. E.g. it is difficult to assess the impact of monitoring if the forest was in a poor condition when it was handed over.

The authors further observe that rural communities are dependent on the forestlands due to lack of any alternatives. Since alternatives are expensive to provide, the authors encourage the Forest Department to provide the necessary motivation for the communities to take up forest protection, and to create incentives for people to restrict self-consumption. Apart from creating awareness among the community, the Forest Department needs to create effective incentive structures for the community to protect the resource.

While the role of NGOs as coordinators and facilitators between the state and the communities has been crucial, the authors argue that the reliance on NGOs, who might have their own agenda or objectives, is not desirable for sustainability and independence of joint forest managements (JFM). Rather, they encourage the state to take a proactive role in supporting community initiated forest protection efforts and motivating communities to participate. The role of NGOs should be limited to catalysing the process, and to encourage coordination between the protection efforts of the communities and the forest departments.