Briefs
/ Policy brief
Strengthening Public Forestry Institutions
Most countries have made significant efforts to develop, revise and adapt their forest policies, programmes and laws to make them relevant to the changing needs of society. However, inadequate institutional structures, management approaches and capacities often make it difficult for those policies and laws to be put into practice.
In many cases, public forestry institutions are adjusting to change only slowly, creating a gap between society’s expectations and what institutions are able to deliver. Many public forestry administrations are expected to carry out traditional functions more efficiently and also to perform additional new roles.
This brief describes the changing context within which public forestry administrations operate and outlines concrete steps they can take to adapt to this changing context and to strengthen their capacity to fulfil their mandates.