Collective Impact Methodology
Catalyzing Systemic Change Through Shared Purpose
To address persistent barriers faced by small-scale and community forest operations, FSC has taken strategic steps such as simplifying certification requirements and supporting access to markets. While these are important milestones, they are not enough on their own. In many regions, the absence of strong enabling conditions continues to limit the potential of FSC certification.
Addressing these challenges requires a long-term, systemic, and participatory strategy. In response, FSC has adopted and adapted the Collective Impact Methodology in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile to support more inclusive and sustainable solutions.
Community and Family Work Area
Co-Creating Collective Benefits
Through our work with small-scale and community forests, we have learned that we need to embrace complexity and find ways to produce enabling market conditions.
Recognizing this, FSC has adopted a more holistic approach: the Collective Impact Methodology. This methodology enables a structured, collaborative approach to long-term change, bringing together diverse stakeholders around a shared vision for inclusive and sustainable forest management.
FSC uses the Collective Impact Methodology to foster long-term cooperation among key actors across sectors. Originally defined by the Stanford Social Innovation Review in 2011, this model promotes joint commitment to solving complex social challenges through shared goals, coordinated action, and continuous learning.
Rather than acting in isolation or pursuing fragmented interventions, Collective Impact enables the co-creation of systemic solutions by aligning efforts across public, private, and civil society partners.
This approach is grounded in five core conditions:
How does FSC propose to use the Collective Impact Methodology?
FSC has adapted this model to forest governance contexts where traditional value chain strategies alone have not produced scalable impact. It creates a framework for collaborative leadership, enabling market conditions and locally driven innovation in forest certification efforts.
FSC proposes to use the collective impact methodology to seek a process grounded in a systemic approach, rather than focusing efforts on local value chain strategies.
Additional Resources
This methodology has been applied in three Latin American countries. To see how it works in practice, watch the explanatory video featuring the Chile case study below.
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Applying Collective Impact for Responsible Forest Management
Adapting the Collective Impact Methodology to establish favourable conditions for small-scale and community forestry and FSC Certification – example from Chile
Collective Impact Methodology for Responsible Forest Management
Overview of how to use the Collective Impact Methodology to establish favourable conditions for small-scale and community forestry and FSC certification.
We have been implementing this model in three separate countries in Latin America. Read the updates in the briefing note to learn more and understand our goals for pursuing the collective impact approach.