Presented by Alida O’Connor at 2023 FLARE Annual Meeting, 12-16 Oct 2023, Nairobi

1. Understanding cross-scale dynamics to inform integrated
landscape approaches: Evidence from Ghana and Zambia
Alida O’Connor
FLARE 2023, Nairobi
University of British Columbia
CIFOR/COLANDS

2. • ILAs are predicated on the
assumption collaboration
across scales, sectors, and
diverse social groups can and
will occur to achieve more
equitable and sustainable
landscape governance.
• Yet, there is little evidence
showing if, how, and when
collaborative governance
occurs.
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Background
By: Cora van Oosten. Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation

3. What are the constraints and opportunities of
collaborative landscape governance in practice?
1. What are the land use priorities of each stakeholder group and how do they
align?
2. How do perceptions of collaborative landscape governance vary across
stakeholder groups?
2. How can the constraints and opportunities of collaborative governance across
the Zambia and Ghana landscapes inform landscape approaches locally and
elsewhere?
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4. Methods
• Fieldwork: Kalomo District, Zambia (April-July
2022)
• Fieldwork: Western Wildlife Corridor, Ghana
(February-April 2023)
• 78 semi-structured interviews
• GPGI tool embedded in semi-structured interviews
• 15 Focus Group Discussions
• Two phases of data collection: (1) Community
members and traditional leaders (2) Government,
NGOs, Private Sector, Research Institutions
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5. 5
Land-use Priorities

6. 6
Most Common Priorities (78 Interview Participants)

7. • Decision making authority to set rules, laws, & policies
• Chiefs, Headmen, Land Owners, Head of Household,
Members of Government
Power by Design
• Setting the agenda and framing topics of importance
• NGOs, International Donors, Community Members (in
some cases)
Framing Power
• Exerting power in day to day actions
• Community Members
Pragmatic Power
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Morrison et al. 2019
Power Dynamics in Kalomo and the Western Wildlife Corridor

8. Forestry Department
• Power by design
• Policies, permits,
regulations
• Boundaries (Forest
Reserve)
• Pragmatic Power
(Extension Officers)
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Limitations
✗ Lack of capacity
(adequate number
of extension
officers,
equipment,
transportation)
✗ Aligning state &
customary law
(dependent on
Traditional leader
support)
NGO
• Framing Power
• Resource
Capacity (funds
for workshops,
extension
officers,
equipment)
Limitations
✗ Short-term
funding and
project timelines
✗ Objectives tied
to donor
interests
✗ Sustained
community
engagement

9. What does this tell us?
• How the gaps/limitations in power are filled requires close attention...
Are stakeholders complimenting or exploiting the limitations of
others?
• Collaborative processes, like ILAs, have potential to make power
dynamics more complimentary
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10. Effective Collaboration Is…
• A shared objective
• When objectives are identified from the
bottom up (participation more likely)
• Short and long-term benefits
• Good inter-personal relationships and trust
• Regular communication
• Clearly assigned roles and responsibilities
• Requires long term support to strengthen
across groups and scales
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11. Doctoral Supervisory Committee: Dr. Terry Sunderland, Dr. Hosny El-
Lakany, Dr. Terre Satterfield, Dr. Houria Djoudi
Field Assistants: Emeldah Mwenda and Kenneth Afagachie
COLANDS
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Thank You!
Contact: alidao@student.ubc.ca
@alida_oconnor