Assessing the Option of Devolution without Decentralization in Social Forestry Management: The Case Study of Java, Indonesia

Forest resource management involves the community and requires devolution to maximize management. Meanwhile, forest management in Java shows centralization by withdrawing the authority to manage 1.1 million hectares of the forest from Perhutani, a state-owned forestry company, to the Ministry of Forestry. This study examines devolution in the centralization of forest management in Java, primarily through the social forestry scheme. The methods used include Systematic Literature Review (SLR), stakeholder analysis, and Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD). The research respondents were 150 forest farmers, and the key informants were 16 stakeholders related to the implementation of SF in Java. The study results show that although SF management in Java has become more centralized, there is devolution on a larger scale than when Perhutani managed SF. This condition is supported by greater community authority, more open access, broader rights, more local actors, and supportive policies. This policy is considered to be able to eliminate the patron-client phenomenon that has been inherent in SF under Perhutani. However, there is potential for weak control with the unpreparedness of institutions at the site level.