Enhancing Collaborative Governance in Managing Grand Forest Park in Riau, Indonesia

This article discusses the management of the Riau Provincial Grand Forest Park from the perspective of collaborative governance. With its rich flora and fauna, Forest Park must be sustainably maintained and preserved as the ‘lungs’ of Pekanbaru City. However, limited human resources, regional financial capacity and the large area of land that must be managed are obstacles for local governments. It is therefore necessary to collaborate with various parties to set the initial conditions, institutional design, facilitation of leadership and processes for collaboration. This study employs a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach and describes collaboration events. The data collection techniques include observations, interviews and documentation. The study results show that the initial conditions are an obstacle for the government, requiring cooperation with other parties. Each party blindly covers the standards and provisions outlined in a joint agreement on the efforts and resources for the management of Forest Park facilitated by the Riau Provincial Forestry Service. The goals set for cooperation include the commitment of all parties to be transparent, mutually trusting and sustainable. This cooperation process was carried out in several stages, starting from the initial communication assessment, discussing existing problems and unifying the common perceptions outlined in the memorandum of understanding. Goals were established, action plans were formulated, and monitoring and evaluation were conducted on the results of the cooperation by each party. Collaboration was carried out in the form of the participation of all parties in preserving nature, including community involvement.


Introduction
Collaborative governance is one of the studies discussed in the field of government as a force that supports governance (Ansell & Gash, 2008;De Vries et al., 2019).To achieve government goals, the government must collaborate with various parties (Carlsson, Mukhtar-Landgren, & Fred, 2022;Eppel, 2013;Rusmawan, Hamid, & Santoso, 2023).The involvement of organisations outside the government, whether from the private sector, community organisations or non-governmental organisations, is expected to accelerate the achievement of government goals and programme targets that have been prepared by the government (Carlsson et al., 2022;Rivelino & Ginting, 2020;Wanna, 2008).This collaboration is seen in the management of the Sultan Syarif Hasyim Forest Park, Riau Province, Indonesia.
As has been done in various parts of the world for forest management, the Riau Provincial Government issued Regional Regulation Number 5 of 2015, which establishes a Technical Implementation Unit, namely a Protected Forest Management Unit.This unit of the Riau Provincial Forestry Service is dedicated to the management of Forest Park (Abedi Sarvestani & Ingram, 2020;Angelstam et al., 2019;Manzoor Rashid, Craig, Mukul, & Khan, 2013;Ming'ate, Letema, & Obiero, 2019;Rashid, Craig, Jeffery, & Khan, 2013;Shaheed & Chowdhury, 2014;White, Young, Marzano, & Leahy, 2018).The regional regulation states that: (a) the management of Sultan Syarif Hasyim Forest Park includes planning, implementing, maintaining, utilising, developing, securing and protecting activities.(b) The management of Sultan Syarif Hasyim Forest Park is carried out by the office by establishing the Technical Implementation Unit of Sultan Syarif Hasyim Forest Park.The regulation added the hope that the establishment of the Technical Implementation Unit would allow the management of Forest Park to be carried out more optimally and provide benefits for the community and Riau Province.
Based on the objectives of the management, it is understood that Forest Park is a critical area to be preserved for natural beauty, forest preservation as a tourist attraction and a source of income for Riau Province.With an area of 5,920 hectares, Forest Park was designated as a conservation area based on the Decree of the Minister of Forestry Number 349, decision-II, dated July 5, 1996.After a definitive boundary arrangement was carried out by the Forest Inventory and Mapping Agency Pekanbaru.The area of the forest became 6,172 hectares as determined by the Decree of the Minister of Forestry and Plantations Number 348, decision-II, dated May 26, 1999.The area marks a change in function from the Minas Tourism Forest covering an area of 1,821 hectares and a limited production forest covering an area of 4,099 hectares.Administratively, the government is located in three areas of the city district, namely in Minas District, Siak Regency; Tapung Hilir District, Kampar Regency; and the Rumbai District, Pekanbaru City.
Forest Park has potential that can be developed if managed properly.Community interest in utilising forest resources is mostly for monetary gain, though there are restrictions on extraction as regulated by customary and state law (Muttaqin, Alviya, Lugina, Hamdani, & Indartik, 2019).The park offers the following potential benefits that can be managed.(1) Forest Park provides oxygen that functions as the 'lungs' of Pekanbaru City.The city of Pekanbaru is a carbon emitter due to industrial activities; therefore, having Forest Park located nearby as a natural secondary forest area is beneficial to the community as an oxygen producer.(2) The park has flora and fauna that can become an attraction, including various types of natural plants and several species of animals that occupy Forest Park, such as Sumatran elephants and tigers.(3) Forest Park has potential as a sector for the development of natural tourist recreation spots such as safari parks, fantasy worlds, outbound rides and education.(4) The park can serve as a forestry and environmental research centre for the development of science.
The management of Forest Park requires collaboration from various parties to optimise management's pursuit of established objectives.To improve Forest Park management, social principles must be combined that are adaptive to environmental conditions reflecting ecological, economic, and social desires, ensuring the principles are long-term in nature (Suhada, Kartodihardjo & Darusman, 2019).Several initial conditions present research problems underscoring the concern that the management of Forest Park cannot be carried out alone by the local government of Riau Province.Collaboration with other parties is required, including individuals, organisations and private parties.The following issues present managerial obstacles.(1) The extent of the conservation area is challenging, with the area spanning parts of Pekanbaru City, the Siak Regency and the Kampar Regency.Meanwhile, human resources assigned to perform management functions in the field only range from 25 to 30 people, and only 15 to 20 personnel are assigned to administrative and office functions, including administrative officials.(2) Most of the existing areas before being designated as nature conservation areas have been occupied for non-procedural (extrajudicial) use by palm oil planters.This condition results in conflicts of interest between parties who have planted palm oil in the area and area managers who must maintain area forest cover.(3) Regulations governing the existence of parties who want to use conservation areas must be through a partnership scheme in predetermined zones and blocks, namely "utilisation" and "traditional" blocks.Meanwhile, parties who have planted palm oil in the Forest Park area are in zones or blocks that are irrelevant to those governed by regulations.This condition results in differing regional importance, making it difficult to achieve managerial goals.
The various problems above highlight the need for collaboration in the management of Forest Park.Collaborative governance is a process in which various stakeholders (parties) are bound to carry out the interests of each agency to achieve common goals.Moreover, collaborative governance is part of a governance paradigm encouraging joint efforts from stakeholders and non-states to address complex issues through joint decision-making and implementation (Wardana & Lubis, 2023;Wardana, Nurman, & Riauan, 2022;Yogia, Al Hafis, & Devitasari, 2020) In general, collaborative governance encourages the practical resolution of complex problems by involving critical and alternative top-down management, policy integration, and implementation (Al Hafis, Warsono, Larasati, & Purnaweni, 2021;Islamy, 2018).
For managers making public policy decisions, several experts have indicated that collaborative governance as a structural process to achieve a goal involves several constructive actors from various sectors, including government, the private sector and the community (Emerson, Nabatchi, & Balogh, 2012;Erickson, Hamilton, Jones, & Ditomassi, 2003;Gordon, McKay, Marchildon, Sacha Bhatia, & Shaw, 2020;Morse & Stephens, 2012;Shiferaw-Mitiku-Tebeka & Addis, 2019;Wu, Ramesh, & Howlett, 2015).If actions are taken by only one party, then the goal cannot be achieved.Linden (2002), Purwanti (2016), Reim, Andersson, and Eckerwall (2022) and Wanna (2008), collaborative governance involves the delivery of vision, goals and strategies in activities carried out between parties who cooperate to make decisions independently and have managerial authority subject to mutual agreement.Certain characteristics describe relationships among various actors; therefore, it is essential to conduct collaboration studies (Chris, 2011).Furthermore, Ansell and Gash (2008) observe that networks are used to describe forms of government cooperation with communities whose scope is more plural, informal and implicit.
The concept of collaboration usually involves parties who are partnerships.This partnership occurs between private and public organisations working together to carry out active functions (Bevir, 2008).In the management of Forest Park by the Riau provincial government, partnerships with the private sector are needed.Collaboration in the government sector strongly supports the success of governance.According to Ansell and Gash (2008), collaborative governance has four dimensions, as referenced in Figure 1.
The model outlines five basic stages that must be considered for collaboration to run well, namely the basis of collaboration, relationships, commitment, support and collaborative leadership, as follows.The basis of collaboration is the foundation for studying collaborative formation efforts in running a programme (Arianti & Satlita, 2018;De Vries et al., 2019;Eppel, 2013;Linden, 2002;Reim et al., 2022).Meanwhile, Lemos (2007), Linden (2002) and Shergold (2008) maintain that collaboration involves handing over the internal trust of institutions to other stakeholders to be accomplished together.The commitment made by each stakeholder to facilitate the achievement of collaborative goals is vital.Meanwhile, critical support is obtained by members so that they remain involved in the implementation of collaboration.
Collaborative leaders are needed to motivate members in the collaborative process to enable it to work well.Collaborative governance is a model useful when the government cannot independently manage its area when developing a region.Thus, the role and function of the government no longer become dominant, and other stakeholders' roles and functions are needed to solve problems and accommodate public needs (Brinkerhoff & Brinkerhoff, 2015;Fitri, Adnan, & Syamsir, 2021).Based on previous research, scholars and practitioners have identified a need for further studies on collaborative governance in the management of Forest Park.These studies can identify the various constraints and problems faced in the management of the park and determine what must be improved for implementing collaborative governance.

Research Methods
This research is classified as qualitative descriptive research that investigates collaborative governance in the management of Forest Park in Riau Province.Qualitative data is based on words, phenomena, photos, attitudes and daily behaviour obtained by researchers from the results of investigations using several techniques (Creswell, 2007(Creswell, , 2016;;Sugiyono, 2020).Qualitative methods consist of three ways of collecting data: interviews, observations and documents.
In this study, researchers used three collection techniques, as follows.
(1) Interviews.In-depth interviews were conducted to obtain information directly from the source, allowing researchers to acquire data about government capacity-building in village asset management.Note that data such as perceptions, experiences, habits, opinions or values cannot readily be obtained from documents.The interviews conducted by researchers are in the form of free guided interviews.Unstructured interviews allow researchers to develop research questions.(2) Observations.The author conducted direct observations in the field to obtain distinctive data closely related to models and strategies for developing the capacity of village governments to manage assets.(3) Documentation.Secondary data was obtained through documents, including writings from mass media, the internet, archives of government activities, laws and regulations, decrees, activity reports and other sources directly related to the research.

Starting Conditions
Early conditions show that most of the community forest parkland has not been designated as a nature conservation area.This situation causes conflicts for people who have made a palm oil plantation in the area.This condition reflects the vast area of the Forest Park community, which is only managed by 30 managers plus administrative officials.As a result of resource constraints, field management is not optimal.This initial condition causes field management to become an obstacle to facilitating the interests of the community who make the area into a palm oil plantation with the approval of the local government in the form of the Forest Park Technical Service Unit.Indeed, the conditions existing at the beginning of a collaboration can facilitate or hinder cooperation between stakeholders as well as between institutions and stakeholders (Al Hafis, Larasati, Warsono, & Purnaweni, 2020;Ansell & Gash, 2008).Limited resources are also an obstacle in the management activities of Forest Park.Resources are a problem in every activity (Ervianti, 2018), and the availability of financial, technical, human and other resources is needed to achieve goals in the collaboration process (Molla, Supriatna, & Kurniawati, 2021).
The initial condition was realised by the Technical Implementation Unit, Protected Forest Management Unit, Riau Provincial Forestry Service.The initial conditions serve as a benchmark demonstrating that with limited human resources and an expansive land area to be managed, the involvement of other parties who have concern and commitment to maintaining forest areas is essential to preserve nature as a source of beneficial oxygen.The constraints faced by the government in the management of Forest Park serve as an initial trigger sparking collaboration with other parties, which is expected to cover the limitations.The initial conditions reveal that a lack of facilities and resources remains; therefore, a maximum amount of work must be done to maintain the area.Forest Park is a forest area located in the city of Pekanbaru that needs innovation to become a means of education and a tourist attraction for the community.The initial conditions before the collaboration was conducted were that the planned innovations would be exceedingly difficult to implement without the involvement of other parties.
The research findings are based on information equated by Riau Provincial Forestry Service that there is a non-procedural use of the Forest Park area in the form of palm oil plantations that cause a reduction in the forest area, resulting in conflicts with the community.Moreover, the community faces conflict with wildlife (e.g., bears and Sumatran elephants and tigers), which can threaten the reduction of protected wildlife species due to humans.Forest Park is also a source of oxygen and a place for wildlife and educational forests.The park also serves as a tourist attraction for the community, which must be managed by involving other parties.

Institutional Design
Collaborative governance is an effort to solve complex problems by the government and institutions outside the government (Akbar, Supriyono, & Domai, 2022;Bingham, 2011;Dwiyanto, 2011).Ansell and Gash (2008) highlight the need for attention to the clarity of rules and procedures, which must be transparent and fair to all interested parties in the collaboration.Regarding the management of Forest Park, research findings show that the collaborating parties must trust each other and show mutual awareness in the pursuit of goals.Activities carried out jointly, such as reforestation in Forest Park, provide facilities needed for the park's management.The institutions that collaborate in the management of Forest Park include the Riau provincial government as well as private parties, namely the Riau Forest Foundation, Pertamina Hulu Rokan, Riau University, Bogor Agricultural Institute and the community.Our research shows that the partnerships include conservation, community empowerment, conservation partnerships, ecosystem recovery, development monitoring and control partnerships.
Partnerships have shown that communities can utilise limited aquatic resources and traditional hunting for unprotected species.Through these activities, the community can feel the benefits of the existence of forests while maintaining the preservation of forest types protected by the government.

Facilitative Leadership
The head of the Technical Implementation Unit of Forest Park is a facilitative leader.With the authority possessed in the role, the unit head can establish communication or liaison between the government, private sector, academics and the community.This collaboration has been done with various parties from the central government, such as the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, as well as the private sector and related governments.The effort is made so that Forest Park becomes a place for the development of tourism and natural forests to be used as recreation spaces for visitors from Riau Province and outside the region.The potential for tourism development can be seen in Figure 2. The enabling role of the head of the Technical Implementation Unit is also implemented for researchers who wish to conduct studies related to forestry science by providing access, facilities and assistance for conducting studies in the Forest Park area.Facilitation is carried out as a form of effort and innovation in the management of Forest Park.This effort is supported by working parties and also the Riau Provincial Government.Facilitation of cooperation is carried out following laws and regulations.
Collaboration Process Ansell and Gash (2008) define three stages of the collaboration process, namely problem setting, direction setting and implementation.In determining the problem, the Riau Provincial Forestry Service has identified a map of issues that will be the focus of attention to be resolved for management to run well.Based on the results of observations and interviews in the field, the problem map can be seen in Table 1.This collaborative process for the management of Forest Park is carried out following the stages and needs of the government to jointly surmount the problems identified in Table 1.The benefits of land as the lungs of the city can be thereby be felt by the community.Each collaborating party implements the programme and contributes to each other according to needs and expectation (Purdy, 2012;Zauhar & Santoso, 2023).The collaborative process can be seen from the initial communication related to the existing problems, creating mutual understanding in solving problems, contributing to and assisting management and building mutual commitment as a form of support.
The development of Forest Park is currently one of the programmes seen in every region of Indonesia.The development of tourism will have a positive impact on the surroundings.Stakeholders are needed to help develop the tourism sector.One of the stakeholders playing a significant role in this sector is the government.However, the government has limitations in the process; thus, other stakeholders are needed who can support the development of Forest Park.These various agencies and stakeholders include the Ministry of Forestry, the Siak District Forestry Service, the Kampar District Forestry Service (Budiarto & Marta, 2017), the service in charge of government affairs in the Riau Province Forestry sector, the Riau Provincial Forestry Service, NGOs, the Center for Natural Resources Conservation Riau, Production Forest Utilization Monitoring Center Region III Pekanbaru, the Riau Province Tourism Office, the Riau Province Regional Revenue Service, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology Riau Province and the community in the villages around the Minas Forest Park Production Forest Management Unit Model.

Commitment and Sustainability
Commitment is a crucial aspect of collaboration.The results of this study showed that related parties in the management of Forest Park agreed on sustainable cooperation to preserve nature and flora and fauna in Forest Park.However, sustainability is an aspect of implementing collaborative governance that needs more attention (Bianchi, Nasi, & Rivenbark, 2021).To maintain sustainability, the participation of the community and the government is needed (Wijaya & Amri, 2022).The commitment to collaborate is outlined in the memorandum of understanding and cooperation contract.All parties who work together comply with applicable regulations and carry out partnership programmes following their respective functions.Thus, commitment must be built into the context of cooperation as a foundation for carrying out cooperation according to the goals that have been set.

Conclusion
Based on the discussion, conclusions can be drawn regarding the management of Forest Park.The Head of the Production Forest Management Unit, Forest Park, attempts to maximise performance by collaborating with other parties.Initial suboptimal conditions with limited resources require collaboration.Institutional design becomes an innovation for collaboration directed to the concept of profitable cooperation and mutual trust by applying the provisions of laws and regulations.Leadership support for collaborative management at the Forest Park level and the Riau Provincial Government forms the basis for cooperation in protecting forest areas for the sustainability of protected flora and fauna and the advancement of the tourist sector.The collaborative process is carried out through the initial communication stages, building understanding, setting goals and making commitments through sustainable collaboration.
Encouraging the management of Forest Park through a collaborative process requires the support of the private sector, the community and all stakeholders.This cooperation is strengthened by regulations that can bind all stakeholders involved in the management of Forest Park.

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. Forest Park Tourism Development Potential Source: Processed by Authors (2023)

Table 1 .
Determination of Problems and Expected Goals Source: Processed by Authors (2022)