A fundamental building block in community forestry programs is the creation of a community organization to which government can devolve important aspects of forest management responsibility. In some areas local organizations are self-initiated, while in others such organizations are strengthened by community organizers deployed by NGOs or by the forest agency.

Developing a Community-based Organization

Many programs give considerable attention to the steps by which local organizations are established. For example, in the Philippine participatory forestry program, organizers are trained to work with villagers on a variety of tasks, such as delineating lands and recruiting organizational members, a practice that encourages the emergence of natural leaders prior to any formal election of organizational officers. Attention is also given to including marginal members of the community and to strengthening the voice of women. The goal is to build an organization that includes all those who have a stake in the management of the forest resource.

Once established, the community organization becomes the unit that enables villagers to contribute to forest resource management, undertake problem solving, and generate effective demand for government responsiveness and accountability. In most programs, the organization negotiates with governmental agencies and is the mechanism through which those agencies provide technical, material, and financial assistance. Generally, the organization has specific rights and responsibilities for a designated area of forest lands and is charged with helping its members manage that area, often under restrictions intended to promote equity and conservation. Such organizations commonly divide responsibility for sub-areas to particular members, house-holds, or sub-village units. Successful community organizations evolve mechanisms to ensure accountability of members and leaders, and to resolve conflicts.

Differing Levels of Autonomy

The degree of autonomy from the government that is achieved by community organizations varies substantially. In India, Madhu Sarin has delineated organizations that have