The decentralization program that Indonesia embarked on in 1998 as part of widespread national reforms was unprecedented in scope and ambition. Although initially described in terms of a single, transformative event, over the last two decades it has unfolded in manifold, sometimes contradictory processes. The dynamics of decentralization continue today, even-or especially-in the remotest corners of the archipelago. Recent CIFOR research on the interface between human migration and forest management in Malinau, North Kalimantan showed the ongoing salience of legal reforms, the restructuring of local governments and innovations in forest governance. These decentralization processes give rise to hopes, aspirations and uncertainties that form the backdrop for decisions about both migration and land use. This paper synthesizes previous analyses, overviews and evaluations of decentralization, supplemented with insights from more recent publications. A final section considers in more detail the decentralization of the forestry sector and the related introduction of Forest Management Units. The primary aim was to present a concise and up-to-date overview of the aims, dimensions and dynamics of decentralization, to support the analysis of CIFOR's fieldwork data from Malinau. This paper may furthermore be useful to anyone interested in processes of decentralization in Indonesia or elsewhere.