Table II.

Action situations and rules analysis

SNRuleExplanation of ruleForest managementAgricultural development
1Position rulesThe roles and types of positions that participants can assume in an action situationDecision-making positions in CFUG open to all community members
Mandatory representation quota for women and disadvantaged
Forest department officials prepare the plans which guide how much forest resources, esp. timber can be harvested
Politicians have informal access
Farmers typically assume passive recipient role vis-à-vis agricultural extension workers
Agricultural department workers position of authority with respect to rationing their services
2Boundary rulesRules for entry to and exit from a position in an action situationAccess to CFUG management positions by community consensus
Forest department personnel posted for average tenure of 3 years
For marginal farmers, outmigration or local service sector jobs (scarce)
Government personnel routine transfers
3Scope rulesDesignation of areas to which rules apply (Jurisdiction)Community forestry rules apply to 34% of national forests
Direct MoFSC administration over 49% of national forests
Special protected forest rules apply to 17% of national forests
n/a
4Choice rulesActions participants may performCFUGs may decide on allowable cut, royalties, but in reality operational plans heavily influenced by MoFSC staffAgricultural extension agents have broad latitude in deciding to whom to offer services
Agricultural agents have no choice with regards to which services to provide
5Information rulesQuantity and type of information available to participantsLittle concrete information about forest inventory and conditionNo information available to community members about available funds for agricultural extension activities
6Payoff rulesRewards and punishments, or costs and benefits obtained from sets of actionsMonitoring done by community
Official sanctions against offenders light and unreliably (rarely) administered
Social sanctions light for both elite offenders (because of status) and poor offenders (because of need)
For Agricultural department staff, less work pressure if they provide services to those expressing demand (better-off community members) than focusing on those who require more attention (the disadvantaged groups)
7Aggregate rules and outcomes Focus on subsistence-level extraction and conservation and rather than livelihoods generation
Tendency for community members to illegally extract from government managed forests where enforcement is non-existent rather than CFUG managed forests
No transformation of livelihood opportunities
Assistance provided to better off members using logic of convenience.
High levels of dissatisfaction with agency

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