Theme: Rethinking Public Administration for Deepening Deliberative Governance: Insights from forest governance practices in Nepal

Speaker: Dr. Hemant Ojha

Date: 30 May 2016 (17 Jestha 2073)

Venue: Khaptad Hall, Dikshya Sadan

Time: 15:00-17:00 Hrs

In this Discussion Series, the speaker will demonstrate how forest governance has become more deliberative after the 1990 political change, and how such change has shaped outcomes on development and environmental sustainability. He will show that despite a high degree of political uncertainty at a wider level, Nepal’s forest sector governance has embraced some of the finest practices advocated by deliberative democratic scholars. He will also highlight how such deliberative turn of the governance has influenced attitudes, behaviours, and institutional practices of the forestry sector public administration in Nepal. Finally, continuing challenges are highlighted, demonstrating the need to rethink public administration in the context of the need to strengthen deliberative governance across all sectors, including the disaster recovery efforts. 

Dr Ojha has worked as action researcher, activist and policy analyst in Nepal’s forest sector between 1996-2010. During this period, he founded ForestAction – well known internationally in the forest sector for its critical and policy-engaged research. In 2011, he also founded Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) – a policy think tank based in Kathmandu. He was a Senior Fellow at University of Melbourne (2011-2015). He has published widely on natural resources governance and policy, and the Journal Critical Policy Studies has rated his paper entitled ‘Counteracting hegemonic powers in the policy process’ as the best in the year 2013. His book ‘Adaptive Collaborative Approaches in Natural Resource Governance’ (2013, coedited with Andy Hall and Rasheed Sulaimann) has showcased case studies of catalysing collaborative learning among stakeholders in natural resources policy and practices.