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solution. In the last section of a stakeholder analysis, we thus address actors‟ abilitiesto affect the policy process.6.1.1.5 Ability to affect the policy process – power aspectsThe process of policy making leads us in the direction of power, where “Policymaking is inherently conflictual, involving an uneven distribution of power andinfluence between different institutions and societal actors” (Berger 2003, p.222).After twelve years of support to the Tanzanian Management of Natural ResourcesProgramme (MNRP) by the Norwegian government, totalling about $60 million,independent consultants revealed in 2006 that up to half of these funds might havebeen lost through corruption and mismanagement (Jansen 2009). One of the mainexplanations why this could happen has been the lack of knowledge of the powerstructures at various levels of the state administration and in the villages (Ibid).Clearly there is too little knowledge about stakeholder abilities to affect a policyprocess in what Hydén (2006) calls the “power aspect of politics” in Tanzania.A central issue in REDD is the question about how the financial flows will bemanaged and shared. The not yet established National REDD Trust Fund will hereserve as a key mechanism to ensure oversight over this flow, in a way that contributesto the common good. In general however, collusion between private sector businessinterests, public institutions and political interests seem to be an on-going issue inTanzania‟s forestry sector. Political accountability at both national and local levels istherefore essential (Bofin, du Preez et al. 2011). The most comprehensive study of thepatterns of accountability, governance and corruption in the forestry sector inTanzania was done by Traffic in 2007. It focused on illegal logging in SouthernTanzania and recognises the broad institutional and legislative framework for forestswhile revealing how this was undermined by corruption and supporting networksstraddling the private sector and relevant ministries (Milledge, Gelvas et al. 2007).Similar involvements between political elites and business interests in the charcoaltrade is described by The World Bank (2009) which allowed unregulated trade to takeplace. It is estimated that this account for 80% of the charcoal business with a value of126