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Methodology

Participatory governance assessment (PGA) is a practical tool used in the UN-REDD Programme. PGA provides a clear picture of a country's REDD governance situation by identifying gaps and needs through inclusive, participatory multistakeholder processes. The PGA methodology, which has been developed and tested by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), relies on a partnership between government and civil society to define governance challenges and develop processes to improve performance. The assessments obtain and analyse credible information, and solicit public feedback. This  helps create a demand for accountability and ensure that governments take on a leadership role in improving governance. The framework, which develops disaggregated governance indicators that feed into a tailored information management system, reinforces domestic accountability over time. Indonesia was the first UN-REDD country to pilot the PGA methodology. Different stakeholders’ views were taken into account to collaboratively develop a set of governance indicators. The assessment looked at three areas of governance: legal and policy frameworks; national and subnational institutional capacities of REDD+ stakeholders, including civil society groups and businesses; and the impact of existing laws and practices. In 2011 and 2012, a series of meetings were held, which included national workshops and provincial consultations with representatives from governments, non-governmental organizations, academia and forest business associations. A meeting of an expert panel, comprised of government representatives, members of civil society and of academia, and governance practitioners and members of the UN-REDD Programme, was organized to refine the indicators and the methodology. 

Outcomes

In Indonesia, preliminary recommended actions from the PGA included ensuring that discussions on framework, structure and measurement are carried out early on in the process; applying iterative methods that allow for constant improvement; and engaging external reviewers in addition to consultations at the national and provincial level for quality assurance. This revised set of indicators serves as a basis for collecting the data needed to assess REDD+ governance in the country. The PGA in Indonesia focused on the following governance issues related to REDD+: spatial and forest planning, rights regulations, forest organization, forest management, forest control, and REDD+ infrastructure.

Source: FAO/UN-REDD Programme