Policy analysis and evaluation

The main ongoing and potential research areas with policy relevance and expected societal impacts at Policy and Governance Programme encompass the following topics in the field of policy analysis and evaluation:

- Analysis of the effectiveness of multi-level governance in terms of applying and implementing international policy commitments in national policy-making. There is ongoing research into the role and effectiveness of international organizations and implications on environmental/ forest policy processes at national level.
- Analysis and evaluation of international forest and environmental policies, processes, mechanisms and instruments, such as EU FAP, Forestry Strategy and Forest Europe process.
- Analysis and monitoring of governance principles and parameters in the forest sector, including an assessment of governance principles in forest policies and national forest programmes, and an assessment of governance principles in protected areas.
- Analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness, efficiency and relevance of national forest and environmental policy instruments including regulatory, financial, informational means as well as institutional arrangements.
- Behavioural studies of key forestry actors, such as private forest owners, forest users and forestry officials and their values, attitudes and behavioural response to public policy interventions.

Ongoing research

Hunters’ attitudes and motivation towards hunting. The aim of this study is to collect hunters’ socio-economic characteristics and to find correlation between them and hunters’ attitudes, motivations and behaviour toward hunting, hunting policy and wildlife management issues.

Behavioural patterns of urban residents. Aim is to analyse the relationships between urban residents in SEE region and urban forests in these countries, a better understanding of the management regimes of different types of urban forests, determine the needs of different social groups, and providing guidelines for future management of urban forests in the context of multiple uses.

Forest values and forest law compliance among forest community members in Ghana. The aim of this study is to analyse forest related values, their compliance with forest laws and regulations and related behaviour of the forest community members and forest users in Ghana.

Policy, economic and social aspects of biomass and wood energy production and supply. Aim is to analyse the factors affecting the production and supply of biomass and wood energy from non-industrial private forests in SEE region.