The study is based on a literature review and a number of surveys and interviews with key resource people. Sources consulted included background documents on organization and organizational principles, proceedings and reports of relevant international meetings and symposia (IUFRO Small Scale Forestry Working Party, European Forum on Forest Administration), study tour reports, print and web based material on forest land owner organizations, research results and reviews by selected resource people. The institutional framework draws on papers on organization theory for managing common property resources and from research results from Switzerland, Austria and Germany.
