The report conducts a comparative study of potential national governance structures for REDD+. The role of such structures will be to channel resources from the international level to measures on the ground that have the capacity to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. As REDD+ is still mainly on the drawing table, the analysis is based on data from various existing systems for payments to local activities in the environmental/forest sector. Conclusions and recommendations are made on the basis of this information and knowledge of the specificities of REDD+.