A Trilogy Framework of Forest Training Governance in Indonesia: Integrating Training, Tenurial Conflict, and Protection in Multi-Mandate Systems

Abstract

Forest training areas increasingly operate under multiple management mandates that simultaneously require capacity building, conflict governance, and forest protection, yet their interactions remain underexplored in the forest governance literature. This study examines the compatibility of multi-mandate forest governance in a forest training area in Indonesia. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through interviews, document analysis, and observations. The study develops a trilogy framework of forest training governance that conceptualizes management as the interaction of training functions, tenurial conflict governance, and forest protection. The findings show that these mandates are neither inherently synergistic nor entirely conflicting. Their compatibility depends on governance arrangements, including institutional coordination, leadership capacity, and community engagement. Training activities can support forest protection through increased field presence, yet may intensify social tensions when access overlaps with contested land uses. Conflict governance plays a mediating role in shaping the legitimacy of protection measures and the effectiveness of training. This study contributes to the forest governance literature by offering an analytical framework for understanding multi-mandate compatibility in forest training areas and by providing policy-relevant insights for managing special-purpose forest areas.

Keywords: forest governance, forest protection, multi-mandate management, tenurial conflict