Learning in Networks

(Kigali, June 2009)

Taking a landscape...

Well forested catchment

Rich biodiversity

High value timber

Attractive scenery, tourism

Ancestral homeland

Subsistence farm land

Commercial farm land

Biofuel production

Grazing land

Human settlement

Sub-soil richness

Which are the options?

Which are the drivers behind?

Districtpolicy

Local power relations

Decentralisation

Tourism development

Emancipation of minorities

Local food demand

Local Market prices

Migration

Foreigninvestment

Land grabbing

Land tenure regime

Land pressure

Diet change: animal products

Climate change

Need for minerals

Increased Interest in biodiversity

Globalisation

Increased fuel demand

Demand for biofuels

Growing fooddemand

Commodity prices

Increased mobility

Increased exploitation

Population growth

Diet change: animal products

Climate change

Need for minerals

Increased Interest in biodiversity

Globalisation

Increased fuel demand

Demand for biofuels

Growing fooddemand

Commodity prices

Increased mobility

Increased exploitation

Population growth

Multi-level and multi-scale

Giller et al, 2008

Landscape

Change

Drivers of change

Response

Landscapes and governance: mismatches

Bio-geographical scales governance scales juridical scales

Individual

family

Community

Country

Region

Municipality

Local

provincial

National

International

Province/district

department

municipal

Simple and complex systems

Cooking

Simple

Predictable

Recipe

Landscape

Complex

Not predictable

Research

Social learning

Scenarios

Adaptive managemen

Puzzle

Simple

Predictable

Single solution

Trial & error

Machine

Complicated

Not predictable

Guidelines

Problem tree

Planning

Not easy to understand

Cannot be controlled or planned

Can only be influenced

Social learning

Landscapes as complex systems

Learning about complex issues

Alexandrian model Campfire model

Learning about complex issues

Network approach

Living in a network society

Everybody is member of a network

Most likely more than one

Living in a network society

Everybody is member of a network

Most likely more than one

Networks enhanced through:

Face-to-face communication

Telephone

internet

Networks

It is said that through networks, you are no further

than six networks away from anybody in the world

Networks

Networks are connected through its members

Networks: different scales and different levels

Individual

network

Local or

regional

networks

Global

networks

Networks across spaces and scales

Source: Ashish Shah, Kenya

green – localpink - national blue – international

“Me in my landscape”

Networks

Learning in networks

GPFLR Learning Network

GPFLR

Gradually building the learning network:

January-March 2009: Scoping phase

April-September 2009: Development phase

September 2009 onward: Operational phase

GPFLR Learning Network

Scoping report (March 2009)

Expectations of GPFLR partners

Needs of learning sites

Identification of learning strategy

Identification of learning strategy

Identification of opportunities and risks

Positive:

Linking practitioners, policy makers and academia

Up-scaling of site experience

International exposure of site managers

Fosters creativity and critical thinking

Dialogue - action oriented - institutional change

Scoping phase: overall opinion

Scoping phase: multiple objectives

“Reforest the world”

Feed policy makers with evidence-based advice

Further develop FLR concept through shared learning and practice

Enhance local FLR efforts

Research network

Scoping phase: a “cloud” of objectives

Learning

site Learning

site

Learning

siteactoractor

actoractor

Inter-site learning Innovative

policy advice

Forest Landscape Restoration

Site-based learning

Scoping phase: Good practice network

No practice is best, many practices are good

Good practice = Innovative Good practice = Effective Sustainable Good practice = Replicable (?)

Only if shared and contextualised

Scoping phase: Good practice network

We also learn from:

Bad practice Problems encountered Failures Difficulties

Only if openly presented and shared

Only in atmosphere of mutual trust

Scoping phase: users/producers, supporters and connectors

actor

partnerpartner

partner

Network facilitator

Universities

ITTO

CIFOR

IUFRO

Policy

maker Policy

maker media

media

actor

GPFLR

publiccompany

company

actor actor

actor

actor

Learning site 2

Learning site 3

Learning site 1

GPFLR coordinator

supporter

User/producer

connector

Scoping phase: nested networks

Learning process at site level (intra-site)

Learning process at global level (inter-site)

Strengthening local FLR initiatives

Enhancing local multi-stakeholder dialogue

Enhancing local networks

Connecting networks (“nested” networks)

Scoping phase: nested networks

Scoping phase: facilitation

Facilitation of the learning process:

Both at central, and at decentralised level Responsibility of network members Local ownership Multiple leaders

Experience

ReviewAdapt and implement

Conceptualisation

Kolb’s Learning

Cycle

Learning strategy: Reflective learning

After: Kolb’s learning cycle

Plan

Act

Monitor

Evaluate

Plan

Act

Monitor

Evaluate

After: Kolb’s learning cycle

Learning strategy: Reflective learning

Which issues?

Which ones to be tackled first?

Priority setting per learning site

Learning strategy: issue focused

Learning strategy: issue focused

1. Site level restoration techniques

2. Analysing landscape dynamics

3. Stakeholder involvement (multi-stakeholder dialogue)

4. Competing claims and conflicts

5. Governance, multi-scale and transboundary governance

6. Monitoring & evaluation

7. Financing FLR

Active participation requires special skills:

“Technical” knowledge on FLR

Process facilitation

Web-based communication

Learning strategy: Capacity development

Real life encounters

Web-based tools

“Blended” learning

Learning strategy: blended learning

Learning strategy: blended learning

Web-based learning platform

Topical workshops Training

events

Assessment of global restoration

potential

Economic rationale of FLR

Site meetings

Resources & documents

Research

Learning strategy: horizontal and vertical linkages

Horizontal learning:

Learning at sites Learning between site

Learning strategy: horizontal and vertical linkages

Vertical learning:

Inter-action between practitioners, policy makers, and researchers

North-South exchange:

Participation of

Northern/Southern,

Eastern/Western,

Temperate/tropical sites

Learning strategy: North-South exchange

Monitoring of learning networks:

Multiple objectives and multiple activities

No linear process

Outcome unpredictable

Learning-by-doing

Site-specific and cross-country action research

Learning strategy: Monitoring & evaluation

Selection of learning sites:

Limited number of enthusiastic “pilot” sites

Sites proposed by GPFLR partners

IUCN Livelihoods & Landscapes sites

Auto-selection of sites

Learning sites

Criteria for learning sites:

(willing to get) involved in FLR activities

Willing to comply with FLR principles (dual filter, multi-stakeholder involvement)

Willing to share information and learn

Availability of capable and enthusiastic personnel

Learning sites

GPFLR learning sites

United States: South Platte

Ghana: several options

Netherlands: Veluwe

United Kingdom: Kielder and Trossachs

Brazil:

Acre

China:

Miyun

Thailand

Dong Mae Salong

Great

Lakes ?

Indonesia

12 potential sites

Scoping phase: pre-conditions for success

Long term commitment of GPFLR core group ($$)

Envisaged results and impact have to be clearly and collectively defined beforehand

Active participation and contribution of learning sites (local ownership)

In-built disposition at site level to disclose information, release staff time, allocate resources

Kick-off meetings to get to know each other, define learning sites and contacts, define learning priorities

May: Indonesia June: Rwanda (Great Lakes) June/July: Brazil October: England

Four initial meetings

Indonesia workshop (May 2009)

Positive and enthusiastic reply

Wide range of experiences available

FLR fits in new government’s policy for enhanced decentralisation and participatory planning process

Focus on creation of Indonesian network

Twelve potential learning sites defined (to be reduced)

Each site having specific learning focus

Voluntary network facilitator identified

Site profiles developed, follow up meeting in December

Indonesia workshop (May 2009)Specific learning focus:

Site specific restoration techniques

Institutional setting (private/public/NGO sector)

Conservation concessions

FLR in extremely degraded areas (ex-mining)

FLR under conditions of external threat (globalisation)

Cultural/spiritual values of landscapes

FLR in urban fringes

Web-based support

Web-based support presently being developed:

Generic GPFLR website: http://www.ideastransformlandscapes.org

FLR Learning platform: http://learning.gpflr.webfactional.com

GPFLR website and learning platform

GPFLR website and learning platform

GPFLR learning network

Generic GPFLR website: http://www.ideastransformlandscapes.org

FLR Learning platform: http://learning.gpflr.webfactional.com

Questions principales

Quelles sont les principes que nous maitrisons et que nous pouvons partager avec les autres?

Quelles sont les principes que nous ne maitrisons pas et sure la quelle nous devront apprendre?

Comment est-ce que’on pourra l’apprendre? Comment le reseau d’apprentisage pourra faciliter cela?

Quelles sont les premieres sites pilot d’apprentisage? Que sera responsible du reseau d’apprentissage dans ces

sites?