Report on supporting local and national networks for FMM alternatives

We expect that specific FMM alternatives will be supported by different actor networks. Thus the analysis must examine these networks, e.g. those preferring strongly environmentally driven FMMs, versus production-oriented FMMs, etc. The strength of the RIU Model is that it draws attention to all actors and their networks including civil society. Such a broad participatory approach goes beyond the conventional practice at national and local level, enlarging the traditional forestry networks and crossing coalitions of interest. Selected alternative FMMs will be analysed based on public policy analysis. The actors and their different capacity to elicit political support to enable the implementation of alternative FMMs will be examined. As a result, an estimation of which national and local actors networks support specific FMMs in regards to practical implementation, will be provided. The primary empirical research methods that will be used are expert interviews and an analysis of written documents conducted by case researchers under the guidance of WP4 coordinators. Based on this analysis, actors of the case study areas can be selected and integrated into the design of policy strategies for the implementation of selected FMMs. This approach follows the RIU model for which the right integration of powerful actors and their interests is a necessary prerequisite for achieving scientific knowledge transfer.