International Forestry Resources and Institutions Research Program (IFRI:)Research Strategy

Abstract

"The International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) Research Program is a long-term effort to establish an international network of Collaborating Research Centers (CRCs) who will: * continuously monitor and report on forest conditions, plant biodiversity, and rates of deforestation in a sample of forests in their country or region; * continuously monitor and report on the activities and outcomes achieved by community organizations; local, regional, and national governments; businesses; NGOs; and donor-managed projects in their country or region; * analyze how socioeconomic, demographic, political, and legal factors affect the sustainability of ecological systems; * prepare policy reports of immediate relevance for forest users, government officials, NGOs, donors, and policy analysts; * build substantial in-country capacity to conduct rigorous and policy-relevant research relying on interdisciplinary teams already trained in advanced social and biological scientific methods; and * prepare training materials that synthesize findings for use by officials, NGOs, forest users, and students.

"This Research Strategy provides a broad overview of the goals of the IFRI research program and its methods of operation. More detailed information about the structure and content of the IFRI database, theoretical foundations, and findings from initial studies is available from the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University."