Importance of Monitoring and Evaluation as a Tool for Effective Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) in Ghana for Sustainable Development

In Ghana, many forest‐fringe communities are deprived of the basic necessities of life such as nutritious meals, adequate job opportunities (which some of these forestry projects are supposed to provide), and potable drinking water. Interestingly, as forest products like food/fruits/medicinal herbs/wood, are costly in the urban centers, these same commodities are costly in the very forest communities in which they are produced. More intriguing is that most of these forest communities are under one collaborative forest management scheme or another. The question to ask is whether these collaborative forest management schemes are achieving their objectives. A descriptive study design was adopted by combining a mixed‐method approach. Data were retrieved mainly from Scopus and Web of Science. This study is a systematic literature review. This study focuses on providing situations that require forest initiatives, the importance of monitoring and evaluation in helping achieve government goals (e.g., potable water), and the role of forests in sustainable development. In order to achieve forestry goals, there should be monitoring and evaluation of projects; otherwise, the situation will remain as it is. Key findings from this study include placing premium on effective local community participation in achieving sustainable development. Regular monitoring and evaluation are also important for achieving measurable outcomes. The study also found out that Ghana should strengthen forestry efforts by empowering forestry institutions with modern forestry infrastructure, skills, and capacity building.