Participatory Management and Democratic Decentralization

The research examines forest management in Baye Commune, Mali, focusing on the Samori Forest. It analyzes three management systems: a neo-traditional approach led by the NGO SOS Sahel, state-led management via the National Department of Nature Conservation, and the emerging but currently powerless Commune Council. The author concludes that none of these systems are 'democratic' because they lack downward accountability and real decision-making power for local populations. While SOS Sahel has improved technical capacities, its 'provoked participation' model remains dependent on the NGO and lacks social legitimacy. The state continues to maintain an autocratic monopoly over environmental resources despite legal frameworks suggesting a shift toward decentralization.

• The participatory management system established by the NGO SOS Sahel is characterized by 'upward accountability' rather than democratic decentralization, as the NGO controls financing and decision-making while local groups report back to the NGO.
• The 'neo-traditional' associations created by SOS Sahel lack genuine social legitimacy and autonomy because they are imposed from the outside and do not reflect the transformed socio-cultural reality of post-colonial Mali.
• Despite a legal framework for decentralization, the Malian state maintains an autocratic monopoly over forest management, with the National Department of Nature Conservation exercising authority through a top-down hierarchy.
• The Baye Commune Council currently has no actual role in managing the Samori Forest because the state has not yet transferred management responsibility or classified the forest as 'oriented' or 'controlled'.
• While the NGO SOS Sahel has successfully enhanced the technical and organizational skills of local populations in areas like reforestation and environmental education, these activities do not constitute a real transfer of power.

APA

Kassibo, B. (2002). Participatory Management and Democratic Decentralization. World Resources Institute. http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/eaa_decent_kassibo_english.pdf

Chicago

Kassibo, Bréhima. Participatory Management and Democratic Decentralization. World Resources Institute, 2002. http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/eaa_decent_kassibo_english.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kassibo |first1=Bréhima |title=Participatory Management and Democratic Decentralization |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=February 2002 |url=http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/eaa_decent_kassibo_english.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kassibo2002participatory, author = {Kassibo, Bréhima}, title = {{Participatory Management and Democratic Decentralization}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2002}, month = feb, url = {http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/eaa_decent_kassibo_english.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }