Key messages

• In highly complex watershed-scale initiatives, nested or targeted multi-stakeholder forums (MSFs) help to improve the implementation of outcomes on the ground and permit a greater participation of local actors.
• In this case, the coordination of actors at the national level was challenged by the need to meet various diverging interests: “Sectoral egos” among MSF participants hindered the platform from reaching a consensus, as each sector tended to prioritize its own needs and interests rather than finding solutions to manage the watershed collaboratively.
• For small MSFs implemented at the subdistrict level, informal relationships built between its organizer, the community and the community facilitator proved to be effective in gaining the trust and support of participants.