The mere words ‘theory of change workshop’ can strike dread in the hearts of the most fearless development practitioners, inspiring visions of convoluted flowcharts and endless discussions. Yet a solid theory of change (ToC) now exists for the European Union action plan on forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT), and it’s proving to be a powerful tool for FLEGT stakeholders.
An ongoing collaboration between the European Commission and CIFOR led to adoption of the ToC, aimed at improving FLEGT impact monitoring and strengthening management capacity for its delivery. Ongoing work with the EU, Member States and key stakeholders will also allow mapping of the potential impacts of specific policy decisions and, it is hoped, steer decisions when needed.
Small-scale Indonesian furniture goes global
Indonesia’s timber legality assurance system (SVLK) was the first in the world to be approved for licensing and related legality verification under FLEGT, which allows legal timber to smoothly enter Europe’s markets. Although many small-scale furniture makers lack the capacity to obtain legality verification on their own, they are eligible for group verification and subsidies. Building on over a decade of work with the Small-scale Furniture Producer Association of Jepara, CIFOR is helping producer groups in Central and East Java obtain what they need to get legality verification.
Essentially, a theory of change forces you to be explicit about how you think you’ll get where you want to go in the long term. This can be challenging for today’s policy makers, but when it’s co-developed and understood, it can speed up pathways to expected impacts.
Paolo Cerutti
CIFOR Senior Scientist
Related links
News
Video
Publications
- Multi-stakeholder processes to strengthen policies for small and medium-scale forestry enterprises in Indonesia
- Value Chain Approaches in a Stagnant Industry: The Case of Furniture Production in Jepara, Indonesia
Photos
Websites
Project info
Project
FLEGT license to leverage the capacity of small and medium scale furniture enterprises in Indonesia to access global markets
Country
Indonesia
Funding partners
Jepara Small-scale Furniture Association (APKJ) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
CIFOR focal point
Herry Purnomo , CIFOR Scientist