Institution Building by setting up CCA Management Committees
Institution building is key to ensuring the success and sustainability of the CCA initiative. The CCA Management Committee (CCAMC) is based on the principle of universal membership i.e. every adult of the village (or villages, if the conserved area falls under two or more villages) is a member. The CCAMC formation process takes its own course of time; the general assembly selects an executive body. The management committee in most instances comprises 20 executive members representing different segments from within the community with a core committee (comprising seven members). The core committee in consultation with the management committee and the general assembly is responsible for drafting the rules and regulations for the management of the conserved area, planning appropriate livelihood interventions, preparation of the management plan and its implementation. The executive members are selected for a period of three years.
- Adherence to the principle of universal membership
- Process of collective dialogue and decision making
In the absence of universal membership and widespread consultative processes and collective decision making the institution formed in this instance the CCAMC will be rendered weak and lack the required legitimacy within the community. With no institutional arrangement along with the required capacity in place the forest protection and management initiative by the community is unlikely to sustain. The institutional processes need to be dynamic and evolve with time; it cannot be a onetime exercise.