Lauren Williams

Chief of Party, SCAEMPS

Bio

Lauren Williams is the Chief of Party for WRI’s USAID-funded Strengthening Central Africa Environmental Management and Policy Support (SCAEMPS) project in Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo. As COP, Lauren leads the work of WRI’s teams in DRC and ROC to strengthen natural resource management and governance. She oversees strategy development and activity implementation in the following thematic areas: forest cover monitoring, land-use planning, community forestry, and biodiversity conservation. She also manages partner relationships with government, local civil society, and other international NGOs and technical partners. Finally, she oversees project planning, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting to USAID. She is based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Prior to serving as COP, Lauren worked in WRI’s Governance Center and the Forest Program to lead policy and governance work in the Congo Basin. In this role, her work focused on developing strategy on policy issues related to forests, providing technical support to local partners and staff, and developing analytical tools and research methodologies to strengthen natural resource governance through research and advocacy, particularly in the context of REDD+ programs.

Prior to joining WRI, Lauren worked in molecular biology research at Duke University Medical Center. She has also interned with the North Carolina Sierra Club and World Wildlife Fund-US in Washington, DC.

Lauren holds a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she was a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow. She holds undergraduate degrees in Biology and French from Wake Forest University.

Blog Posts

INSIDER: Why Is Good Forest Governance Crucial for Successful REDD+ Programs?
by Lauren Williams and Free De Koning - September 12, 2016
The 2015 Paris Agreement has given a new impulse for the implementation of REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) programs. This was confirmed at the Oslo REDD Exchange conference, hosted by the Norwegian government last June, which...
Crossing the Digital Divide to Protect the Environment
by Stephanie Ratté, Carole Excell and Lauren Williams - December 22, 2014
Roughly 1.3 billion people around the world lack electricity, and more than 3 billion live in rural areas that may experience poor internet connectivity.

How can we ensure that digital tools benefit the communities that oftentimes need them the most?
New Study Reveals Weaknesses in Brazil’s Forest and Environmental Funds
by Florence Daviet, Lauren Williams and Stephanie Ratté - August 29, 2014
Brazil is a big investor in environmental stewardship, including several government-managed funds meant to protect the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. However, new analysis shows that in many cases, these funds aren’t being properly managed.
4 Reasons Assessing Governance Matters for Forests and People
by Lauren Williams - December 06, 2013
The world’s forests and the people who depend on them face a host of challenges—including deforestation, rural poverty, and degradation of critical ecosystem services. These negative outcomes are often exacerbated by weak forest governance, including low levels of transparency and participation in forest decision-making and as well as poor oversight of forest activities. To tackle these issues, decision-makers need better information about the institutional, political, and social factors that drive governance failures.

An updated tool from WRI’s Governance of Forests Initiative aims to help policy-makers, civil society organizations, and other forest stakeholders evaluate governance of their countries’ forests. Assessing Forest Governance: The Governance of Forests Initiative Indicator Framework updates the original GFI indicators, which were published in 2009 and piloted by WRI’s civil society partners in Brazil, Cameroon, and Indonesia. Using the indicators, stakeholders can identify strengths and weaknesses in forest governance and develop reforms that benefit both people and planet.
Strengthening Cameroon’s Forest Governance: 3 Key Challenges for Cameroon’s REDD+ Process
by Lauren Williams - July 16, 2013
In January 2013, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility approved USD $3.6M to fund Cameroon’s Readiness Preparation Proposal—a roadmap detailing how Cameroon will develop a national REDD+ strategy to help protect its forests. Cameroon, like many other REDD+ countries, now faces the challenge of delivering on commitments made in its Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP). Doing so will require significant efforts to address historical forest sector challenges, including weak governance. I recently participated in the National Dialogue on REDD+ Governance in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where these challenges were at the top of the agenda. The Dialogue, co-sponsored by Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme-Cameroon (BDCPC), Cameroon Ecology, the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection, and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED), and WRI’s Governance of Forests Initiative (GFI), provided a forum for government and civil society members to talk frankly about strengthening governance as part of Cameroon’s REDD+ program.
Emerging REDD+ Programs Need Additional Emphasis on Land Tenure
by Lauren Williams - May 13, 2013
Since 2009, more than 30 countries have submitted proposals for REDD+ readiness grants to start addressing the social, economic, and institutional factors that contribute to forest loss. Many countries have made encouraging strides in defining their plans to become “ready” for REDD+.

Yet, in a new WRI analysis of 32 country proposals, we identify the need for stronger commitments and strategies to address land and forest tenure challenges. While most countries identify secure land tenure as critical to successful REDD+ programs, relatively few outline specific objectives or next steps to address weaknesses in land laws or their implementation. Lack of clear strategies to address land tenure challenges could significantly hinder efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

The new working paper from WRI’s Governance of Forests Initiative reviews 32 readiness proposals submitted to two grant programs supporting REDD+ readiness: the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and the UN-REDD Programme. We reviewed these documents to assess how REDD+ countries plan to address eight core issues (see Box 1 below). The analysis sheds light on how REDD+ issues are understood and prioritized, as well as where more technical and financial support is needed.
World Resources Institute Comments on the Forest Investment Program Results Framework
by Florence Daviet and Lauren Williams - January 26, 2011
The Forest Investment Program (FIP) is a targeted program within the framework of the Climate Investment Funds that supports developing countries' efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The FIP Results Framework is a tool to monitor and evaluate the implementation of FIP funds. Following are WRI's comments suggesting ways to improve the FIP Results Framework.

Publications

Putting Accountability Into Practice In REDD+ Programs
This paper presents practical ideas for REDD+ countries to consider as they implement activities that establish or strengthen accountability mechanisms. It presents a general framework for evaluating the institutions, standards, and oversight mechanisms that most countries are developing as part...
by Lauren Williams and Free De Koning - September 2016

publication
Topics: Governance, Forests
Assessing Forest Governance
The Governance of Forests Initiative Indicator Framework
This publication presents a revised version of the Governance of Forests Initiative (GFI) Indicator Framework, a comprehensive menu of indicators that can be used to diagnose strengths and weaknesses in forest governance. It updates the...
by Crystal Davis, Lauren Williams, Sarah Lupberger and Florence Daviet - November 2013

publication
Topics: Forests, Governance
Geography: Brazil, Cameroon, Indonesia
Putting the Pieces Together for Good Governance of REDD+
An Analysis of 32 REDD+ Country Readiness Proposals
This working paper presents positive trends and overarching gaps in how countries designing programs to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) are proposing to address governance challenges. It can serve as a starting point to help governments, donors, and civil...
by Lauren Williams - April 2013

publication
Topics: Forests
Getting Ready
A Review of the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Readiness Preparation Proposals
This working paper provides regular updates of the Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PPs) and National Programme Documents (NPDs) submitted by REDD+ Country Participants to the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and to the United Nations’ Collaborative Programme on Reducing...
by Lauren Williams, Crystal Davis, Sarah Lupberger and Florence Daviet - March 2012

publication
Topics: Forests
Tracking Transformative Forest Actions to Reduce Emissions
An Illegal Logging Case Study
This working paper explores the types of information and supporting data necessary to ensure that national strategies to reduce emissions are developed and implemented effectively. It does so by focusing on measures to address illegal logging, drawing on specific strategies and recommendations...
by Florence Daviet, Lauren Williams, Kirsten Stasio, Larry MacFaul and Andrea Johnson - July 2010

publication
Topics: Forests
Geography: Indonesia, Peru
Forests in the Balance Sheet
Lessons from Developed Country Land Use Change and Forestry Greenhouse Gas Accounting & Reporting
This working paper analyzes developed country experience to date in relation to implementation of the LULUCF (land use, land use change and forestry) provisions of the Kyoto Protocol.

by Florence Daviet, Lauren Williams and Kemen Austin - December 2009

publication
Topics: Forests

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Lauren Williams

INSIDER: Why Is Good Forest Governance Crucial for Successful REDD+ Programs?

Crossing the Digital Divide to Protect the Environment

New Study Reveals Weaknesses in Brazil’s Forest and Environmental Funds

4 Reasons Assessing Governance Matters for Forests and People

Strengthening Cameroon’s Forest Governance: 3 Key Challenges for Cameroon’s REDD+ Process

Emerging REDD+ Programs Need Additional Emphasis on Land Tenure

World Resources Institute Comments on the Forest Investment Program Results Framework

Putting Accountability Into Practice In REDD+ Programs

Assessing Forest Governance

The Governance of Forests Initiative Indicator Framework

Putting the Pieces Together for Good Governance of REDD+

An Analysis of 32 REDD+ Country Readiness Proposals

Getting Ready

A Review of the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Readiness Preparation Proposals

Tracking Transformative Forest Actions to Reduce Emissions

An Illegal Logging Case Study

Forests in the Balance Sheet

Lessons from Developed Country Land Use Change and Forestry Greenhouse Gas Accounting & Reporting

Stay Connected

Donate to WRI

Get Involved

Making Big Ideas Happen™

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The Governance of Forests Initiative Indicator Framework

An Analysis of 32 REDD+ Country Readiness Proposals

A Review of the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Readiness Preparation Proposals

An Illegal Logging Case Study

Lessons from Developed Country Land Use Change and Forestry Greenhouse Gas Accounting & Reporting

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