The third component of CoForTips aims to promote the resilience of forests in the Congo Basin to decision makers, and it contains only the WP 5: Integration of results. CIRAD is responsible for this WP, with Alain Karsenty in the leadership role.

Models and scenarios developed in the second research component will provide predictions for each policy option, at spatio-temporal scales allowing to capture all relevant effects. However, simply inviting stakeholders and policy makers at meetings where our results would be presented is not sufficient to establish a dialogue that allows new ideas to emerge.

This WP thus ensures that the results emerging from our models correspond to key indices actually used in decision making, and that biodiversity scenarios are relevant to policy and practice of governance of biodiversity at different scales. It integrates the knowledge generated by the project in the decision making system, bridging the gaps between policy makers, managers and scientists.

Five tasks are defined in framework of WP 5: 

Task 5.1. Outlining impact pathway.

This task outlines the impact pathway for our research, based on the "Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis" approach (PIPA). An impact pathway is a story that describes how the knowledge obtained should expand and create institutional environments conducive to innovation. An impact pathway is deliberately designed to influence the actions of stakeholders. Our impact pathways therefore help the research team to be proactive in producing results beyond the production of knowledge.

Task 5.2. Strengthening policy relevance.

When the impact pathways began to become clear, we have identified the key individuals who will enhance the policy relevance of our research. We invited these resource people to form the CoForTips Advisory Group. Their role has evolved with the project. They contribute to the definition of the problems addressed in the first research component, ensure the relevance of biodiversity scenarios developed in the second component, and act as champions of the project in the activities of the third research component, identifying and prioritizing key scientific information needed for policymakers at an appropriate scale. The Expert Group meets once a year, and operates as a network of allies to the project between meetings.

Task 5.3. Engaging stakeholders.

A subset of stakeholders has been engaged in research through participatory development scenarios (Task 2.3; WP 4). To broaden the scope of our results and improve the reach of biodiversity scenarios built in the second phase, these scenarios will be presented to a range of stakeholders during a perception survey. We will ask respondents to rank the scenarios by preference, and ask the reasons behind their preferences. The perception surveys will be conducted in the SES study sites, and among categories of national and global stakeholders, such as transnational industries, international donors, the administration of the State, NGOs and policy makers. Surveys will be conducted on the ground in the study sites as well as by email and on the phone for categories of global stakeholders. Results will be separated by gender, location, socio-economic categories. This will help us to quantify the acceptability of our proposals and to strengthen our position in the last task of the project, sharing knowledge.

Tâche 5.4 Reframing perspectives.

We will organize a workshop with the Advisory Group and decision-makers invited to generate a take-home message from the scenario analysis (Tasks 3.3 and 4.2), coping strategies outlined during simulations (Task 4.3), and the social acceptability of the described options (Task 5.3). To discuss scenarios, strategies and their impacts, and to support the formulation of public policies, we propose to use a policy framework to analyze the tradeoffs in managing ecosystem services by a multidimensional approach to vulnerability to describe the "winners" and "losers" of each scenario.

Task 5.5. Sharing knowledge.

The task 0.3 organises the program for scientific communication and outreach of the project. Through the web page, social media, newsletters and mailing list, we sensitize the public concerned from the beginning of the project. In addition to this set of activities we will organize informative presentations to formally submit our findings to local officials and representatives of the parliament of target countries. Oral presentations are held for local actors in the studied sites and through local radio programs, describing scenarios developed. In addition, a large round table will be organized with ministers of forests and environment of the region (or their representatives) to present and discuss the results of the project, our policy recommendations, possibly as part of an event like a relevant international scientific conference. The roundtable will be followed by the final workshop of the project partners, where we draw final conclusions of our work.