A Communication Approach on the Ukrainian Forest

This study analyses the communications aspects of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)-financed Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan (UFSMP) project in the Ukrainian forest sector prior to a possible subsequent phase of the project and proposes communication measures for the next phase. The study uses an analysis tool called the "Arena Approach" and develops a paradigm, the "land owning perspective", through which to move forward with recommendations on next steps.


Its methodological approach was to use in-depth interviewing with Swedish consultants on the Ukrainian forestry sector, Ukrainian forestry researchers, Ukrainian and Russian journalists with knowledge of the regional political agenda, representatives of Ukrainian civil society, and Sida officials. The authors also reviewed Sida reports, consultant papers, donor reports, research papers, and news articles on the forestry sector and political structure in Ukraine. The research used the "Arena Approach" of visualising the players in various arenas and the relationships among those "playing" in each arena, to analyse communication problems and suggest possible reforms for the next phase of the project.


The document introduces the political context and its effect on privately-owned media outlets, which includes government influence (both censorship and closure of opposition newspapers), as well as journalist disappearance and murder. It also describes rapid economic growth, high unemployment, levels of corruption, and the tensions within various factions of civil society, among administrators and oligarchs, and between Russia and the West over Ukrainian political alliances. In this economic, social, and political context, the forestry sector is described as being dominated by Soviet structures; and, thus, it is not economically driven or overexploited and exists in a complicated legislative structure of regulation on land use, conservation, and natural resource use. Within the communication arena, the research finds and describes difficulties among decision makers in applying mechanisms to modernise the sector in order to generate economic growth and reduce economic poverty using research-driven sustainable development practices.

The research describes relationships and spheres of influence of the stakeholders. It suggests the "land owning" perspective as the most potentially useful paradigm in which to frame future communication. It summarises the communication dilemma as: "the UFSMP project mainly acts in the realm of Ukrainian forest research, Leskizes [local forestry management bodies], and international forest research and does not reach decision-makers to provoke change toward sustainable, long-term development.” However, due to shifting political power, the authors have a number of communication-related recommendations including the following:

1. Seek creative alliances with international forestry researchers and work to widen the scope of UFSMP to play a role legislative processes.
2. Solicit support from Sida for development of communication, particularly using a "land owning perspective" of communicating with the private sector.
3. Present forest issues to the media using the land owning perspective. (Land owning is predicted by the authors to be an issue of public interest.)
4. Involve civil society groups working in human rights and political issues in the possibilities of forest sector development from the land owning perspective.

In short, the document concludes that the communication arena approach can be a useful tool to visualise the different stakeholder relationships and to analyse the various perspectives for future projects, sector programmes, or long-term development policies. It states that regarding the USFMP project as only a forest sector project is a mistake that leaves little opportunity for sustainable development. However, widening the role of Sida to engage in developing a supportive communication strategy with a broader land owning perspective and integrating it with related process and projects will take the project out of an impasse and move it forward.

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