Strategic Typology of Impact Pathways for Natural Resource Management: A Case Study of the Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn Programme

Forward This study by Sissi Liu, Strategic Typology of Impact Pathways for Natural Resource Management, provides an innovative perspective on the structure and functions of the Alternatives to Slash and Burn System-wide Programme (ASB) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). It was undertaken as one contribution to preparations for the upcoming external review and impact assessment of ASB by the CGIAR. The author was an intern with the ASB global coordination office in Nairobi, Kenya, for eight weeks in June and July 2003. Drawing on interactions with the staff of the global coordination office and review of documents on file concerning four sets of ASB activities in Brazil, Cameroon, Indonesia, and Peru, the study explores the complex causal chain of relationships from the program's activities at various levels (local to global) through to intended impacts, illustrating the role of programmatic integration in enhancing impact potential along these pathways and on associated feedbacks at various stages in the impact chain. The study concludes with specific recommendations to enhance ASB impacts, with particular relevance for the global coordination office. field. those le from the ASB global coordination office [email protected]). This is a desk study. Its conclusions have not been tested in the Perhaps it is most appropriate to view this study as a source of hypotheses that are based on serious analysis of ASB documents, but which require further testing and validation with ASB's partners at the local, national and regional levels. Because of lack of opportunity for necessary " ground truthing " during Ms. Liu's internship, this abridged version of the study omits her detailed case material. However, analyses are availab (a Abbreviations and Acronyms ARI Advanced Research Institution ASB Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn (CGIAR system-wide program)