Developing sustainable land administration

Developing sustainable
land administration
BUILDING SUSTAINABLE
LAND ADMINISTRATION
ORGUT’s land sector practise operates worldwide with a focus on developing
sustainable land administration, supporting sustainable land management,
establishing and managing land management information systems and
developing policy guiding land governance frameworks.
ORGUT builds sustainable land administration systems that secure land tenure and property
rights. During the last years, ORGUT has carried out several project focused on systematic
registration and regularisation including supporting the establishment of registration and
recording systems. The demarcation of boundaries and mapping are core elements in these
services including facilitation of conflict management and dispute resolution as for example
in Ethiopia, Lesotho and Namibia.
Supporting sustainable, efficient and pro-poor use of land resources is emphasised in
ORGUT’s work in the land sector. ORGUT supports governments in the development of land
sector polices and the implementation of land reforms. At local levels, ORGUT provides
services in regulating the use of land to prevent land-use conflict. In for example Tanzania,
land resources are systematically assessed and comprehensive planning undertaken with
stakeholders.
ORGUT supports donors in risk and impact analyses of large scale land acquisitions and
investments in developing countries. Recognition and protection of land rights of the poor is a
key determinant for positive outcomes of commercial land investments and ORGUT provides
a range of measures to secure land rights and ensure pro-poor compensation systems.
Modern land administration systems require functioning and integrated information systems.
In Ethiopia, ORGUT has developed a national strategy for ICT and software development for
the land sector. Set up of document management and the formulation of digital archive
strategies is an important tool for efficient land administration. ORGUT has been supporting
for example the Ministry of Justice in Croatia with the setup of these systems. Also in other
countries ORGUT has worked with development and implementation of modern electronicbased land information systems including both a land registration component and a cadastral
component. ORGUT offers services in the development of national standards for rural land
administration which includes the specification of national standards for rural land
certification and embedding the LADM ISO 19152 standard.
ORGUT provides advice to governments in the development of land policies and procedural
frameworks. In for example Namibia, ORGUT support policy development and
implementation related to the verification, registration and investigation to improve the
investment climate for communal lands and the administration and management of the
commonage. Already in 1999 ORGUT supported the development of the Land Act in
Tanzania.
ORGUT has a strong profile in capacity building and human resource development in the land
sector. ORGUT provides training in land administration and also supports the establishment
of higher education institutions in for example Ethiopia with the setup of the Institute of Land
Administration at Bahir Dar University. The support is designed to meet the steadily
increasing demand for competent national land surveyors and to strategically address the
increased institutional capacity needs required for the development of a robust sector in the
country. ORGUT provides ministries and agencies with comprehensive training programmes
to strengthen the institutions in undertaking reform.
Owned entirely by employees, ORGUT is an independent service provider in
international development cooperation. As an international actor for the past
40 years, ORGUT has a global reach of over 90 countries in Europe, Africa,
Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Building better livelihoods is the vision of our work. We support institutions, organisations
and citizens in developing their capacities to lead pro-poor and inclusive reform and
implementation efforts.
ORGUT is an ISO-9001 certified international development company. We ensure that our
own internal management processes meet international quality standards in all our projects.
Our organisation is backed by a strong financial management system which supports efficient
administration and fund management. The way we operate allows us to be efficient and
effective in supporting inclusive economic development. In all ORGUT managed projects, a
quality assurance plan is developed built on corporate quality standards and adapted to the
specific client and stakeholders’ requirements and goals.
ORGUT delivers a wide range of services within multiple practices to support our vision:
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Formulation and Design
Implementation and Project Management
Fund Management
Performance Monitoring and Evaluation
Our services are delivered within a range of practices covering:
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Inclusive and pro-poor market development
Value chain development in agriculture and forestry
Capacity building in international standards to promote private sector development
Skills development and employment
Water resources management and climate change adaptation
Sustainable land administration and support for land rights
Development finance to implement and mainstream financial instruments
Public sector administration and support for good governance
Our organisation is based with its Head Office in Stockholm, Sweden and including
subsidiary companies in Finland, Kenya and the UK. We are 60 employees in management,
expert and advisory positions.
ORGUT IN-HOUSE STAFF IN LAND
ADMINISTRATION
David Harris is a permanent staff member of based at ORGUT UK. He is
currently serving as the Team Leader and Chef Technical Advisor for the
Responsible and Innovative Land Administration (REILA) Project in Ethiopia.
Mr Harris has extensive experience in rural and urban project management and
on land reform, land registration and cadastral projects, in Africa and the
transition economies of Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia. In past 10
years he has managed several land administration projects including in Ethiopia,
Albania, Ukraine, Kosovo, Romania and Mongolia. All of these roles involved
managing multi-disciplinary teams of local and foreign experts. He has worked
with funding from Sida, MFA Finland, World Bank, ADB and EU. He holds an
M.Sc. on Cadastre & Land Information Management from Polytechnic of East
London and he is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Pertti Onkalo is the Managing Director of ORGUT Finland and a Senior
Consultant in Land Administration. He has over 15 years of experience in land
administration in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe and from management
positions at local government level in Finland. He is specialised in institutional
development, systematic land registration, GIS, developing cost-effective
methodologies and capacity building. He has developed transparent, pro-poor and
gender sensitive approaches on planning, project implementation, capacity
building initiatives, human resource development and public awareness activities.
He has extensive experience working with MFA Finland funded projects. He has
worked with cadastral organisations and land registration systems in countries
such as Kosovo, Cambodia, Mongolia and Tanzania. He holds an M.Sc. in Land
Administration from the University of Technology in Helsinki and a B.Sc. in
Forestry from Oulu Technical Forestry School.
Robert Bäckström is a land tenure expert with extensive experience in
management of land administration projects. He has provided backstopping to
project management and adopted technical assistance inputs to national
development policies and regulations. He has been strongly involved in ensuring
that development initiatives are targeted to the poorer sections of the
communities. He has strong experience in capacity building and has served as
coordinator for the Sida funded International Training Programme on Rural and
Peri-Urban Land Administration in the SADC Region. He holds an M.Sc. in
Land Administration and Natural Resources Management including surveying
and mapping from Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
Benita Nordin is a land surveyor with extensive experience from the land sector
in Africa and Asia. Ms Nordin is the Team Leader for the MCA-Namibia
Communal Land Support Sub-activity implemented by ORGUT. She has indepth knowledge of land administration through both practical and managerial
experiences of all aspects of land administration both in rural and urban areas.
Ms Nordin has worked with institutional development and capacity building
within the area of land administration, multi-purpose cadastre, land registration
and land information systems; the development, implementation, installation and
maintenance of such systems. She holds an M.Sc. in Land Surveying from the
Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
Dr Valentin Kotzev is a Senior Consultant in land surveying, mapping, cadastre
and systematic registration. He is a highly experienced geodesist with 30 year
experience in establishment and development of geodetic infrastructure having
sound knowledge in application of modern terrestrial and satellite techniques to
GIS, mapping, photogrammetry and cadastre. He has a wide experience in
implementation of land administration projects with cadastral surveying and
systematic land registration, including design, quality control and documentation
of procedures for field work, digital mapping, GIS, setting up geodetic reference
systems, applications of GNSs/GPS, and development of CORS systems. Dr
Kotzev has an extensive record of delivering training, training materials and
preparation of technical specifications and standards in support of cadastral and
geodetic applications and preparing and supervising registration and survey
contracts. He holds a PhD in Technical Sciences from Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences and an M.Sc. in Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography from the
University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia.
Neil Smith is a Senior Consultant in Land Administration. He is a specialist in
land information systems working in the geographic sector more than 30 years
and advising senior officials in over Africa, Europe and Asia. He is specialised in
rural and urban land information consultancy, land administration policy
formulation, system design and in GIS and database development. He has
particularly wide experience and knowledge in land registration and cadastral
projects including project management, capacity building, business and technical
strategies, customer service, development of cost-effective methods, development
of geographic information standards, with an excellent knowledge of practical
implementation and strategic issues relating to Information and Communication
Systems. He has wide experience of advising governmental bodies in land
administration, national mapping and geographic information. He holds an M.Sc.
in Spatial Data Analysis from University of Durham and a BA in Geology and
Geography from the University of Keele. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors in the UK.
Karin Fogelberg is a land surveyor with wide competence in the fields of land
tenure, land administration and land management. She has served in senior
positions in Tanzania as Chief Technical Advisor in Community Based Natural
Resource Management for the Sida funded institutional support project at the
Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania and as Team Leader for the postprogramme phase of the Land Management Programme. Ms Fogelberg has
served on several projects for 15 years in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. She is
specialised in capacity building and institutional development and works closely
together with community representatives, local government and ministries with
training needs assessment, planning for capacity building initiatives, training,
workshops and meetings for communities. She holds an M.Sc. in Surveying from
the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
Thomas Dubois is a land surveyor with solid professional experience as
Technical advisor and International Cadastral Mapping / Surveying Expert. He
has extensive and proven experience from Southern Africa in capacity building
and knowledge sharing both at University and user levels since 1993. Mr Dubois
is highly competent with Computer Assisted Surveying and Geographical
Information Systems, including land administration methods, mapping and
satellite imaging as well as registration and cadastral surveying and brings
profound theoretical knowledge of surveying (Geodesy, Photogrammetry etc.)
from e.g. programming geodetic network adjustment software. He has practical
experience from designing, planning, training and performance of a full scale
cadastral mapping production chain in Amhara region in Ethiopia, including the
establishment of a geodetic reference network. He holds an M.Sc. in Surveying
the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm.
Ian Corker has over 35 years of experience worldwide in project management,
design and evaluation and all aspects of land administration including titling,
registration, tenure, land information systems, surveying and as a Chartered
Arbitrator, has direct experience of adjudication, dispute and conflict resolution.
He has extensive knowledge and understanding of customary land law at both the
community and policy level. In addition as a Land Use Planner he has managed
Land Use Planning Units and working on government resettlement projects,
agricultural development issues and participatory village land use planning. He
holds a Masters in Geographic Information from City University in London and a
B.Sc. (Hons) in Geology from University of Durham, postgraduate diplomas in
Land Resource Planning from National College of Agricultural Engineering in
Silsoe and Arbitration from College of Estate Management in Reading. He is a
Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered
Institute of Arbitrators in the UK.
Greg Jacobs has 20 years of development experience focused on land reform
work and environmental justice, especially in the rural context in Africa. Mr
Jacobs brings 15 years of experience from working with M&E and is specialized
in rights-based approaches and sustainable livelihoods in land and agrarian
reform, rural development, natural resource management and land tenure. He has
several years of experience working with MFA Finland funded projects that
include Project Manager/Home Office Coordinator positions in six projects. He
also has carried out project formulation and mid-term reviews for MFA Finland.
He holds an M.Sc. in Rural Development from Imperial College in UK and a BA
(Hons) in Geography and Environmental Science from University of the
Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
Håkan Sjöholm has lived and worked in East Africa for over 25 years and
specialises in natural resource management, such as land use planning, forest
management, integrated land and watershed management, participatory forest
management in community/village level, climate change, carbon sequestration
and the FLEGT process in relationship to forest governance. He has extensive
experience of operating and managing projects including identification, planning
and M&E. Håkan served as the Team Leader for the Sida-Amhara Rural
Development Programme in Ethiopia that developed a transparent and
sustainable land administration system and a system of handling valuation,
property planning and computerized property and land registration. He holds an
M.Sc. in Forestry the Royal College of Forestry in Sweden.
SELECTED ORGUT REFERENCES
AFRICA
Ethiopia: Responsible and Innovative Land Administration Programme
The REILA programme provides technical assistance and financial support to improving
economic well-being of the rural population through sustainable land management. This is
facilitated by a land administration system that improves land tenure and allocation for
individual, joint, communal or private sector holders of land use rights. REILA operates at
federal to community levels and the team of advisors facilitates awareness of land rights,
obligations and administration procedures. Stakeholder participation is enhances the whole
registration and certification processes. Institutional capacity is strengthened and land
administration procedures harmonized at the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ethiopian Mapping
Agency and the Regional Environmental Protection, Land Administration and Use Authorities.
Appropriate legal and technical frameworks are developed and competence built at zone and
woreda level administrations. Accessible, functioning, efficient and transparent land
administration services are established with the priority being on rapidly building up zonal Land
Administration Offices. The team supports improvements of processes and increases the capacity
for responsible land allocation for better land use and investments in the Tana-Beles Growth
Corridor and for second level registration and certification on the Amhara side. (MFA Finland)
Ethiopia: Institute of Land Administration at Bahir Dar University
Together with the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, ORGUT supports this
Institute of Land Administration which was established in 2008. Building capacity in land
administration is part of Amhara Region’s overall strategy for sustaining poverty reduction and
food security gains. The programme meets immediate needs for competent national land
administration professionals, but also strategically increases the institutional capacity required
for a robust and self-sustaining land administration sector in the country. Components include a
four-year BSc level programme in Land Administration, capacity building of institute lecturers,
distance education and evening BSc programmes, and upgrading of academic staff from BSc to
MSc and from MSc to PhD level. An internship programme for different land administration
organisations has also been introduced. During 2012, special focus has been on cross-cutting
issues such as gender, HIV/AIDS and environmental considerations and how they can be
integrated in to the pedagogical work. A new campus was constructed and a Research and
Publication Unit was established. The institute has become a member of the International
Federation of Surveyors. (Sida)
Ethiopia: Computerizing existing first-level land registration records in pilot
Kebeles
ORGUT was overseeing the data entry of the first stage records of the pilot kebeles in the three
main regions (Oromiya, SNNP and Tigray) of Ethiopia. Although the four main regions
(Amhara, Oromiya, SNNP and Tigray) have made considerable progress in conducting firststage registration and certification programs (with a low-cost, traditional approach), challenges
still remained, particularly in terms of maintenance of records and the apparent lack of any
spatial references. The World Bank has been providing technical assistance to the government of
Ethiopia to support its effort in the design and implementation of second level registration and
certification programs leading up to a more sustainable land administration system. To this end,
the government has implemented field trials for image-based, second level registration and
certification programs, financed under the Bank funded Sustainable Land Management Project,
in one selected woreda (one rural kebele and parts of a neighbouring town) in each of the four
main regions of the country. The first stage records are used as a basis for the second stage
certification. Computerizing the existing first-level records of the pilot rural kebeles will help
assess the quality of the first stage records, e.g., in terms of gaps in coverage, gender imbalances,
and the extent of updating and maintenance of records. The output from this exercise will be
crucial for designing the scale up of the trial at the national level. (World Bank)
Ethiopia: Establishment of a Harmonised Land Administration System
This study proposed arrangements for the technical creation and maintenance of spatial and
textual land records and a programme for completion of the rural registration process. A national
ICT strategy was also developed and recommendations were given for a national land records
software development programme. These detailed technical proposals were presented in a series
of workshops across Amhara, Tigray, Oromiya and Southern Nations and endorsed by Ethiopian
specialists and senior administration officials. The results of this project will be used by the
World Bank to formulate follow up projects aimed at technical and organisational
standardization and harmonisation across regions. (World Bank)
Ethiopia: Institutional Structure and Human Resource Development Needs in the
Land Administration Sector
The study assisted the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in considering alternative
scenarios for the creation of a national federal organisation able to support the human resource
needs within land administration of the federal regions, each of which has its own authority
tasked with land effecting administration. (Sida)
Ethiopia: Technical Assistance to the Regional Bureau of Environmental
Protection, Land Administration and Use
The technical assistance aimed at technical modernisation of the land administration system in
the Amhara region and thereby provided improved tenure security for rural land holders by the
fulfilment of registration of all holdings. An innovative low cost solution for computerised
records management using a newly developed royalty free runtime software application,
Information System for Land Administration (ISLA), was developed and is now installed in 42
woredas and loaded with more than two million first level certificates. Documented procedures
for carrying out the detailed survey and registration of parcels were also developed, and an
innovative largely open source application for managing the spatial boundary information,
integrated with ISLA is under prototype testing. Extensive training, capacity building and
detailed technical instruction in computer maintenance, security, as well as field procedures were
provided. This is the first operational computerised land registry system to be developed,
installed and made operational in Ethiopia. (Sida)
Ethiopia: System Development for strengthening the Ethiopian: Land Tenure and
Administration Program (ELTAP)
As part of ORGUT’s support to the Sida – Amhara Rural Development Programme, a
computerized land registration system, the Information System for Land Administration (ISLA),
was developed. ISLA offers a possible platform for development into a land information system
to be used by all regions and the federal government. The USAID-funded ELTAP was interested
in this development and desired to test it in the ELTAP regions and woredas. ORGUT therefore
carried out a review of whether ISLA could be used in the implementation of ELTAP. As a
result, the program started to use ISLA in supported woredas in Amhara region. (USAID)
Ghana: Formulation of the National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF)
The Land Administration Programme (LAP) was introduced to implement the National Land
Policy of 1999 over a period of 15 to 25 years. The first phase of the LAP started in 2003 and
focused on undertaking legislative and institutional reforms and key pilots to lay the foundation
for a sustainable, fair, efficient, and cost-effective land administration system that guarantees
security of tenure. This project had four components broken down into several interventions for
legal reforms, support lo the judiciary, inventory of State acquired lands to formulate policies on
outstanding issues arising out of compulsory acquisition, improve participation in policy
formulation, institutional reform of public sector institutions, support for customary land
administration, support to academic and research institutions, developing computerised land
information system, decongestion of land registries, piloting customary boundary demarcation,
systematic land titling, revaluation of properties, human resource development, and reform of the
land use planning system. To further promote and support effective land administration, land use
planning and management a second phase of LAP (LAP II) was developed. The LAP II focus is
on the following components: Strengthening the Policy, Legal and Regulatory Framework for
Land Administration; Decentralising and Improving Business and Service Delivery Processes;
Improve Maps and Spatial Data for Land Administration; and Human Resource Development
and Project Management. The Formulation of the National Spatial Development Framework
(NSDF) assignment is carried out as part of the Decentralising and Improving Business and
Service Delivery Processes and focuses on the preparation of Land Use Plans, the Spatial
Development Frameworks, Structure Plans and Local Plans. The NSDF is managed by the Town
and Country Planning Department (TCPD) in collaboration with the National Development
Planning Commission (NDPC) and with technical support provided by the Consultant. (World
Bank)
Kenya: Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Lands
Services were provided to support the Land Reform Transformation Unit in managing the reform
in a coordinated and systematic manner through the facilitation of activities in strategic capacity
building, demonstration interventions, institutional reform, public education and awareness, a
land information management system (LI MS), legal issues, land management and
administration as well as actual Land Reform Support programme management. The assistance
was part of the Land Reform Support Programme where the World Bank and USAID also are
major contributors. (Sida)
Lesotho: Systematic Land Regularization
This project, completed during 2013, was implemented as part of the Millennium Challenge
Account assistance which facilitates poverty reduction through economic growth in Lesotho. The
project took place within the MCC supported Land Administration Reform Project which aims to
establish a modern and efficient land administration service through supporting a new unified
Land Administration Authority (LAA), legal and policy reform, and also public outreach and
training as well as the registration component. Massive systematic regularisation was carried out
of informal settlements in and around Maseru, and local authorities and political and traditional
leaders were included in this process. Land was mapped to show the boundaries and ownership
of land parcels, and to create and distribute leases for these parcels which could be registered and
then distributed to the rightful occupants. Rights of the existing legitimate occupiers of the land
were strengthened through this process of formalising their occupancy rights, and thereby
affording the occupiers the benefits of secure tenure. This provided better protection of the rights
and enabled the rights to be transferred more easily, or potentially used as security for credit etc.
Public gatherings and outreach have been held at each regularisation area supported by radio
announcements. The project has provided advice to the LAA on granting leases to presumed
right holders, as well as assisted the LAA in issuing these leases. In total, the project brought
about the effective regularisation of more than 49,000 urban/peri-urban plots, of which
occupants of almost 43,000 have been proposed to be granted a lease. (Millennium Challenge
Corporation)
Namibia: Implementation of the Communal Land Support Sub-Activity
ORGUT implements the Communal Land Support (CLS) Sub-Activity which together with the
Community Based Rangeland and Livestock Management (CBRLM) Sub-Activity, comprise the
Land Access and Management Activity, which is part of MCA-N’s Agriculture Project. The
Sub-Activity is designed to support the mandate of the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement to
implement the provisions of the Communal Land Reform Act 2002 which governs communal
lands throughout Namibia. The Sub-Activity attempts to address a number of constraints with
respect to land tenure and land administration that are preventing land resources and land rights
from being put to their most productive and sustainable uses. Addressing these constraints will
contribute to the achievement of the overall objective of the MCA-N Compact – the reduction of
poverty through economic growth – and will ensure that the related Compact investments will
have maximum impact. The overall objective of the CLS Sub-Activity is to improve the
administration and management of communal lands, with an emphasis on the Northern
Communal Areas. The specific objectives of the CLS Sub-Activity are to improve the climate for
investment in, and use of, communal lands for economic growth; support Traditional Authorities,
Communal Land Boards, Ministry of Lands and Resettlement and local residents in their ability
to protect and manage commonage; and to increase landholders’ tenure security over their
individually allocated properties and communities’ tenure security over the commonage in the
Northern Communal Areas. (Millennium Challenge Corporation)
Rwanda: Programme design for the Land Tenure Regularisation Programme
Through a comprehensive consultation process with all key stakeholders, ORGUT conducted a
detailed appraisal and design of a programme of direct financial aid support to the Lands and
Mapping department of the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) to ensure
sustainability of the Land Tenure Regularisation Programme. DFID has been supporting the land
sector since 2002 and is now the leading donor support for the national roll-out of land tenure
regularisation in Rwanda. ORGUT provided a detailed project document in line with the overall,
strategic objective of RNRA with specific, time bound, realistic and measurable outputs,
outcomes as well as indicators. (DFID)
Rwanda: Performance evaluation of the Land Tenure Regularisation Programme
After meeting with key stakeholders from central and local government, land holders and civil
society organizations, an independent performance evaluation of the Land Tenure Regularisation
Programme was carried out. It reviewed progress against the updated log frame and assessed
progress against recommendations from previous reviews. Recommendations were made about
best way forward for future support. (DFID)
South Africa: End of project assessment of Urban LandMark
ORGUT provided an end of project assessment of the DFID funded Urban LandMark
Programme to assess the achievements, strengths and weaknesses, and to develop lessons that
can be applied to subsequent work in this thematic area. ORGUT provided the information and
analysis required for the DFID Project Completion Review, assessing the overall progress and
performance of the programme and its impact to date. As part of this, the review also looked at
gauging evidence of impact in each of its thematic areas and in relation to the programme logical
framework. Building on this, the review then used this analysis to provide comprehensive
synthesis of lessons-learned and strategic recommendations on how work in this sphere should
evolve to have greatest positive impact on the lives of poor people both within South Africa and
regionally. (DFID)
Tanzania: Design and Implementation Support of an Integrated Land Management
Information System and Enhancing Accessibility of Land Records
The Ministry of Lands Housing and Human Settlements Development (MLHHSD) is
transforming land management processes and operations with the aim of improving the ability of
the Ministry and land offices in the Local Government Authorities to deliver services efficiently
and effectively. ORGUT provides services for the design and supervision phase of an Integrated
Land Management Information System and the enhancement of accessibility of land records. A
detailed project design and implementation plan is provided after studying the existing
computerised systems. The project will ensure that the system integrates all land related
transactions and functions. (World Bank)
Tanzania: Sustainable Management of Land and Environment (SMOLE) in
Zanzibar
This second phase of SMOLE contributes to reduction of poverty through supporting
environmentally sound land management and socio-economic development. SMOLE II is
implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Construction, Water, Energy and Lands and the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Environment. Their operational level capacity is
strengthened in sustainable land and environmental management. The ministries receive support
for institutionalising good environmental management practices as part of the two programme
components: Support to Land Management and Administration; and Strengthen Environmental
Management and Natural Resources Management. The team builds institutional capacity,
provides implementation support and assists in method, policy, law and process development.
Land use planning, land management, forestry and environment, information systems
management, environmental impact assessment, natural resources management and
environmental standards development complement the technical assistance package. (MFA
Finland)
Tanzania: Land Management Programme
Technical assistance was provided to assist in securing the land rights of villagers in four
districts including training of village legal workers and legal assistance to villagers and district
staff. Support was provided to increase awareness on land rights, District Staff, Councillors and
Members of Parliament and to facilitate the provision of Certificates of Village Lands. In
addition, recommendations of how land registration could be organized including type, standard,
and price of hard- and software were given. Aerial photography and detailed mapping of all 280
villages in the four rural districts of Singida, Simanjiro, Kiteto and Babati, and land use planning
models for sustainable utilisation of natural resources was introduced and supported. (Sida)
ASIA
Kyrgyz Republic: Information Technology Services to the Second Land and Real
Estate Registration Programme (LRERP)
The project included technical supervision related to the development and implementation of a
modern electronic based land administration system including both a land registration
component and a cadastral component. The LRERP is a multi-year world bank project which
aims to modernise the sector and strengthen the Department of Cadastre and Registration as well
as introducing a modern information system able to provide land administration services across a
network of 49 land registration offices across the territory as well as a new centralised integrated
service offering e-services and able to operate in a sustainable manner with financial selfsufficiency. (World Bank)
Mongolia: Sustainable Implementation of the New Property Registration System
The assignment was part of the urban component of the Mongolian Property Rights Project,
aiming at increasing the security and capitalization of land assets held by lower-income citizens.
It aimed to improve the formal system for recognizing and transferring land rights, and issue
fully marketable private land titles to suburban area residents in Ulan Bator and eight Regional
Centres. The objective of ORGUT’s assignment was to improve the property registration
services at the General Authority for State Registration (GASR). The work involved making a
comprehensive improvement to the business processes of the system for property rights
registration. As the GASR had been established relatively recently and had unified previously
dispersed offices and processes, efforts were needed to enable effective integration of isolated
staff and operations. ORGUT created a strategic vision and plan along with a supporting
business plan, strengthening of HR skills and creation of a customer service culture. The
assignment also enabled the GASR to be sustainable both in terms of finances and operations.
ORGUT provided expertise in the areas of strategic planning, business analysis and planning of
registration systems, land policy and registration, project management, land law, organisational
management, change management, senior management development, finance, financial control,
accountancy, management accounts and training. During 2013, the sustainable implementation
phase aimed at providing support for the introduction of the new registration procedures,
potential legal changes, further training in support of the strategic plan, business plan and service
improvements and also monitoring and evaluation of the changes introduced. This phase also
included the first operational testing of the annual business plan and the establishment of
organisational policies directed at ensuring that the organisation was operating with sound
policies covering the range of its activities. (Millennium Challenge Account)
Tajikistan: Installation of Permanent Reference Stations
In 2013, ORGUT was awarded the assignment to develop a network of continuously operating
GPS stations, that is, Permanent Reference Stations (CORS) as part of the Land Registration and
Cadastre System for Sustainable Agriculture Project for Tajikistan (LRCSP). The LRCSP aims
to expand farm privatization through a repeater project to enable more rural people to become
independent farmers and take management decisions in response to market forces, by providing
them secure land use rights certificates distributed in a transparent and fair manner, and
providing essential complementary support services. The services ORGUT provides include
drafting installation plans, technical specifications for satellite surveying equipment, software
and network properties as well as support the installation of equipment in the field and the
control centre for the CORS and the configuration of specialized software. Also included in the
assignment is to prepare materials and deliver training of professionals as well as organize a
study tour abroad to enhance the understanding of using CORS. (World Bank)
EUROPE
Albania: Study on Property Registration and Gender Equality
The study provided background information to Sida for deciding on possible support to the area
of land rights in general and with a focus on property related to natural resources. ORGUT
reviewed previous land reforms with special attention to the inclusion of gender aspects and the
protection of the rights of women. The study supports Albania's challenges in order to qualify as
candidate for EU membership and a functioning land market. (Sida)
Albania: Study on Land Tenure Issues
The purpose of this study was to provide background information to Sida for further
development and possible support to the area of land rights in Albania. The study reviewed the
land tenure arrangements in Albania for (a) rural areas (agricultural land), (b) forests and
pastures, and (c) urban areas. The main focus was on rural land and forests/pastures. However, a
general review of the legal/regulatory and institutional framework for land rights covered all
areas of property rights, including rights in urban areas. (Sida)
Albania: Study on Land Administration, IPRO and Decentralisation
Sweden has supported the Land Administration Program (LAMP) with the World Bank since
2005 to assist Albania’s Immovable Property Registration Office (IPRO) to develop a system for
land registration 2005-2010. The system is installed at IPRO in Tirana Headquarters and test
phase two is under way. The study carried out by ORGUT examines the prerequisites for support
to property registration and examines the setup of the authorities and the role of IPRO locally
and nationally. Immoveable property information forms the basis of market economy in the
community. IPRO intends to provide real estate information, automated over the Internet for
different target groups in the country through so-called “One Stop Shops”. Towards selffinancing IPRO have target groups in real estate and credit markets. The study aimed to support
urban planning, natural resources, public health and livelihoods, and education. (Sida)
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Study on public attitudes and market demand for land
administration services, Land Registration Project
ORGUT conducted a study on public attitudes and market demand for land administration
services. A strategy for dealing with illegal encroachment was developed, including recommend
regulatory changes. A strategy for dealing with issues of privatisation, restitution, land planning
and development controls and land-related disputes was also developed. (World Bank)
Croatia: Joint Information System further development for the Integrated Land
Administration System Project
The objective of the Integrated Land Administration System Project (ILAS Project) is to
modernize the land administration system in order to improve on the government services from
the point of view of efficiency, transparency and costs. As part of this project, ORGUT carried
out a study on the further Real Property Registration and Cadastre Joint Information System
(JIS) development and to help the decision makers at the Ministry of Justice and State Geodetic
Administration to define the key activities for the mid-term projects in preparation for the new
ILAS Project co-financed by the World Bank. ORGUT provided a range of ICT consulting
services covering: the strategic information system development, IT management, land
administration business processes improvement with ICT technologies or, more specifically,
centralized printing, data warehouse, disaster recovery, e-government, interoperability and
related generic technical specifications. ORGUT has continued supporting this project during
2012, specifically with regards to the Real Property Registration and Cadastre JIS. The JIS has
experienced problems with functionality, the IT/IS Architecture and software architecture.
ORGUT therefore developed TOR for an independent auditor to perform a technical quality
audit of the JIS; participated in selection of the auditor; and reviewed the auditor’s deliverables.
(World Bank)
Croatia: Document Management and Digital Archive strategy for the Land
Registry Offices
The project involved the development of a Document Management and Digital Archive strategy
for the Ministry of Justice, Croatia which could be applied to all of the Land Registry Offices of
Croatia. The project included an initial situation verification followed by the development of a
Records Management Policy for the Land Registry to establish which records could be subject to
digital archive, which records are core and options for the disposal/return of no core records. A
Records Management Strategy was developed, debated and then finalised which included an
implementation plan for a centralised off-site storage facility supporting scan on demand.
Bidding documents were also prepared for the creation of the digital archive in a “pilot” of 30
LRO including some 12 million pages of Deeds and Land Book entries, the creation of a new
Document Management System, and the data loading and verification of the digital archive data.
(World Bank)
Georgia: E-Governance Facility
This project aims at implementing e-Government applications to enhance the functionality of
Government institutions at central and local level to better serve the citizens and private sector.
ORGUT supports the project component related to the National Agency of Public Registry and
Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) through working with the production of
high quality coordinates from measurements with Global Navigation Satellite System technology
and CORS infrastructure and establishing a national geodetic reference system based and
connected to the European Terrestrial Reference System 1989. (EU)
Kosovo: Programme for the Development of Land Administration
Technical support was provided to the operations of the Kosovo Cadastral Agency at the central
level and local cadastral offices at municipal level. The focus was on strengthening the
Immovable Property Rights Register and the improvement and implementation of an efficient,
cost-effective and customer-service oriented system. The support included the development of a
building and apartment register, address register, and property value register, and the integration
of textual and graphical data. Support also included the streamlining of registration procedures
and involving the private sector in cadastre measurement and surveying on a pilot basis.
Management issues were the focus of capacity building inputs as well as support to
reorganisation. (Sida)
Moldova: Consulting Services to the Agency for Land Relations and Cadastre
ORGUT develops an Information and Communication Technology Strategy for the State
Enterprise CADASTRU. The aim is that the strategy shall assist CADASTRU to develop a
modern IT solution for registration of ownership and other rights in land, as well as for other
data; ensure that all information is well integrated, interoperable and functioning as a part of the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure; and ensure better services to users and improved public
access to property information. (Norwegian Mapping Authority)
Moldova: First Cadastral Project at the Agency of Land Relations and Cadastre
The project aimed at institutional strengthening of the cadastral system and assuring its financial
and institutional sustainability. Technical assistance was provided to strengthen the cadastral
system and staff capacity in managing and using it. Assistance was also given to implement a
new system for property mass valuation and appraisal to improve the quality and reliability of
the cadastral system, public access to cadastral data and information, and facilitation of property
transactions as a confidence building measure. (Sida)
Romania: Study for the National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration
This project was concerned with an institutional review of the land administration authority in
Romania and a comparative study with other similar European institutions. The study focused on
the institutional structures and the financing of the organisations, especially considering how
organisations can be financially self-sufficient while providing a range of land administration
services and ensuring that the basic registers are complete. In Romania, special attention was
paid to the state of completion of the registration, the strategic planning process and financial
self-sufficiency. The study is to be used to help establish a larger institutional support and
systematic registration project. (World Bank)
Romania: Strategic Plan for Systematic Registration of Agricultural Land
This project proposed ways in which the registration of agricultural land, made up of many small
farms fragmented into small parcels, could be accelerated to form the basis of more efficient
agriculture and increased eligibility for EU subsidies. It took into account the existing obstacles
to increasing the number of registered agricultural land parcels as well as the positive aspects of
the current situation. The project assisted the Romanian Government with its goal of increasing
the amount of registered agricultural land, so that land can be bought and sold more easily
leading to larger farms and more efficient agriculture. (World Bank)
Serbia: Capacity Building for the Serbia Real Property Registration and Cadastre
Project
A comprehensive training programme to prepare the Republican Geodetic Authority for the
arrival of an USD 30 million World Bank funded cadastral modernisation project was delivered.
The programme included Strategic planning and management of land administration and
geographical information organisations, Customer service including marketing and pricing of
services, modern IT and system solutions for land administration, real property registration, land
administration and geographical information, Human resource management, Project and office
management, Accounting and financial management, Procurement and contracting, Monitoring
and Evaluation. A comprehensive Mentoring programme for top management was also
delivered. (Sida)
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Nicaragua: Farm Land Registration in FondeAgro
Through this rural development programme, support was provided to initialize a farm land
registration program by assisting in the establishment of a “fast track” for land title registration
in blocks of 400 titles with the purpose of addressing the lack of legal titles to farmland as a
major obstacle to accessing agricultural credit for producers in seven rural municipalities in
Matagalpa and Jinotega provinces in northern Nicaragua. Gender awareness campaigns that were
launched have led to 90 % of the registered land being registered in the name of both husband
and wife. (Sida)
St Vincent and the Grenadines: Land Titling and Land Registration Programme
The support involved two distinct components: a component aimed at developing National Land
Policy, and a component aimed at supporting the technical modernization of the land
administration sector. A national Land Policy was developed over a period of 18 months with
intensive involvement of stakeholders; a land policy forum created, and the Land Policy was
presented to cabinet and officially endorsed by Government in March 2010. The project also
created the technical specifications and procurement of hardware, software and surveying
equipment. (EC)
INTERNATIONAL
Sida and DFID Framework Agreements and Helpdesk functions
ORGUT is the lead service provider to Sida in the Framework for Agriculture, Forestry and
Environment which includes issues related to land tenure. In addition, ORGUT provides services
as part of the Sida Framework Agreement in Market Development which includes business
enabling issues including land market assignments. ORGUT is part of the association of firms
responsible for Sida’s Helpdesk for Environment and Climate Change, which is commissioned
by Sida to assist Sida staff in integrating environmental (including climate change and disaster
risk reduction) perspectives into Swedish development cooperation. The Helpdesk gives support,
on demand, by providing advice and strategic guidance on environmental integration at policy,
program and project level. It also supports capacity building, development of tools and methods
for environmental integration and dialogue concerning environmental issues. The DFID
Framework Agreement provides services to UK’s bilateral international forestry projects on the
basis of need. It helps deliver international, regional and country services to the Forest
Governance Markets and Climate (FGMC) programme. ORGUT’s role is to provide specialists
in different fields, for example initiatives for more clear and secure forest and land tenure and
rights; and greater capacity of and benefits to local and indigenous communities. (Sida and
DFID)
Supporting Land Investments
Understanding the impacts of planned land investment requires specialised skills in social and
economic aspects, legal matters, surveying, GIS, photometry - all within the framework of
national laws and regulations, procedures, corruption tendencies and history. Donors interested
in supporting e.g. agro-based investments in fragile and changing systems must understand how
risks can be mitigated. ORGUT therefore provides support in analysing the negative impacts and
risks related to the investments while identifying their potential in creating pro-poor growth. To
this end, we identify and analyse strategic partnerships with funding institutions and investors by
taking into account the protection of land rights of the poor as a key determinant for a successful
and sustainable outcome of a commercial agro based investment.
ORGUT carried out one study on how land investments can be designed to better benefit poor
people. We provided concrete examples to Sida of what various actors have done in order to
increase the benefits and avoid the risks of commercial agriculture investments for poor people.
Impacts on livelihoods are analysed and examples were provided of specific investment projects
with potential positive impacts on one or more of the following key aspects: income generation,
food security and inclusion of smallholders. Recognition and protection of land rights of the poor
is considered a key determinant for positive outcomes of agro-based investments and hence the
study included examples of measures to secure land rights.
ORGUT was also tasked to further analyse possible strategic partnerships with funding
institutions and so called Impact Investors dealing with land related investments for Sida’s
programme. ORGUT identified a number of strategic partners through analysing their objectives
and values and how they match with Sida’s values in general and with the project on land related
investments in particular. ORGUT has also implemented an assignment for the B4D land related
investments activity under Sida’s Helpdesk for Environment and Climate change. ORGUT
looked into how commercial investments in natural resources could be designed to better benefit
people living in poverty. Investors with a long-term perspective realise that pro-poor impacts can
contribute to economic viability of their investments and reduce business risks such as
reputational loss and expensive and time consuming conflicts with local communities. ORGUT
provided concrete examples to Sida of what various actors have done in order to increase the
benefits and avoid the risks of agro-based investments for poor people. (Sida)
Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance on Land Tenure
Sida has over the years provided support to a large number of land-related interventions, either
as stand-alone projects or as components embedded in other larger programmes. Besides Sida’s
support to land related interventions, Sida is also working with land tenure on a global policy
level. On a policy level, Sida is a member of the EU Working Group on Land Tenure. The group
was initiated in 2008 as a response to the increasing focus on land related investments and with
the aim of sharing experiences among the EU countries as well as to support a joint EU position
on land related investments. ORGUT is providing a senior Technical Advisor to provide support
to Sida regarding the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land,
Fisheries and Forests as well as to the EU Working Group on Land Tenure. (Sida)
Advanced International Training Programme: Rural and Peri-Urban Land
Administration in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region
This training programme targeted decision makers and influential stakeholders in middle and top
management positions. The training components included land administration policies and
practices in participants’ home countries, current international developments in land tenure, land
rights, land administration and ongoing research in these fields within the SADC region and
methods for initiating policy formulation processes. The aim was to better inform and support
some 30 key decision makers in facilitating land reform, supporting modernisation, institutional
change and capacity building of staff. (Sida)
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