Rising to the challenge: A framework for optimising value in collaborative natural resource governance

• Collaborative natural resource governance promises benefits [value] to both state agencies and communities concerned.
• Enhancing the benefits requires a socio-technical process involving an ABC approach
• Advancing human skills
• Building integrity and legitimacy
• Creating a sense of attachment to the resource

Complexities of the post-NPM era have resulted into a new governance approach based on ‘collaboration’, a network-based model that links various stakeholders [state and non-state actors], ostensibly to maximise public value. The ‘consensus model’ has its underpinning ‘rules of the game’; without which collaborative outcomes may end up being conflictual and counter-productive. Adopting a critical stage review, this paper draws mainly from theoretical and recent empirical literature to unpack the factors that catalyse successful collaborative natural resource governance. We reflect on these to design an ‘ABC framework’ aimed at providing signpost to agencies, governments and conveners of collaboration on how to execute this socio-technical process to maximise value. The framework hinges on three broad pillars: Adopting and advancing human skills, Building integrity and legitimacy and Creating a sense of attachment to the resource in question. We discuss these with specific indicators synchronized from recent natural resources collaboration experiences in the literature.