Title: How does local governance affect project outcomes? Experience from a Participatory Forestry (PF) project in Bangladesh

Authors: Tapan Kumar Nath, Makoto Inoue

Addresses: Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, The University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. ' Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8657 Tokyo, Japan

Abstract: By sampling two contrasting villages of the Upland Settlement Project (USP), a PF project of Bangladesh, this research examines: the present conditions of the USP in terms of progress towards achieving targeted objectives; issues of local-level governance that affect attaining those objectives. Findings indicate that the project authority could not adequately attain project objectives because of low level of participation, lack of accountability and transparency in handling project money, gaps in communication and information flow and the poor response of project staff. For better project outcomes, governance situation need to be improved through the formation of social capital.

Keywords: participatory forestry; agroforestry; livelihood; local governance; social capital; Bangladesh; participation; accountability; transparency; project money; communication; information flow; staff response.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2008.022749

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2008 Vol.7 No.6, pp.491 - 506

Published online: 25 Jan 2009 *

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