A framework for selecting a fit-for-purpose data collection method in land administration

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.10.034

Land Use Policy

Volume 70, January 2018, Pages 162-171

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.10.034 Get rights and content

Abstract

The majority of the world’s population do not have access to proper land administration systems to register their land and property information. The land community has come to believe that this problem is strongly related to the data collection process, where the use of highly accurate, expensive and time-consuming spatial data collection methods such as field surveying, is overemphasised. To overcome this, innovative spatial data collection methods are employed in many jurisdictions (e.g. using GPS for low-cost boundary surveys, using the power of citizen in the process of data collection). However, little is known about the parameters that affect the choice of a spatial data collection method to be appropriate for its intended purposes. Arguably, establishing a fit-for-purpose data capture method for collecting or updating RRRs related to land and property is essential for enabling the range of land administration functions around the world. This paper reports on a systematic study to determine a set of parameters that could influence the choice of a spatial data collection method in land administration. Data was collected using a Delphi study, which establishes consensus among land administration experts. This method allowed us to unlock knowledge through an iterative process with controlled feedback. For the first time in this study, an international group of land administration experts reached consensus regarding a set of parameters that should be considered in the process of selecting a fit-for-purpose spatial data collection method. These findings are incorporated to formulate a generic and innovative framework, which could potentially serve as a basis for ensuring that the choice of a spatial data collection method in land administration is fit for purpose.

Introduction

Land administration is a broad domain. Its main concern is collecting, managing, organising and disseminating rights, responsibilities and restrictions (RRRs) related to land or water (ISO19152, 2012). Land administration is implemented through a range of functions to organise land tenure, land value, land use, and land development (Williamson et al., 2010). However, only a minority of land administration systems can fully support these functions, while the majority of the world’s population do not have access to a proper land administration system to register their land and property RRRs (Enemark et al., 2014, McLaren, 2011). The global land administration community has come to believe that the key bottleneck for providing an effective land administration system lies with the spatial data collection process (Bennett and Alemie, 2015, Enemark et al., 2014, Hackman-Antwi et al., 2013, Rijke et al., 2012, Steudler, 2014, Zevenbergen et al., 2013). Spatial data collection is one of the most time consuming and expensive, yet important, tasks in land administration. It is a key step because the entire set of land administration functionalities hinges on knowing the spatial extent of RRRs; therefore, the scope of this paper is limited to the spatial extent of land and property information. Generally, conventional strategies for spatial data collection (e.g. field surveying) are neither economically scalable nor practical. Each jurisdiction may require a different spatial data collection method to achieve their land policy aims and objectives, that is, simply to be fit for their purposes.

The phrase “fit-for-purpose” has now entered the common lexicon of land administration practitioners with the recent joint publication from the International Federation of Surveyors and the World Bank valorising the concept of “fit-for-purpose land administration” (Enemark et al., 2014). In this conceptualisation, a flexible approach focused on citizens’ needs is recommended entailing seven different elements: flexible, inclusive, participatory, affordable, reliable, attainable, upgradeable (Enemark et al., 2014: p.6). Fit-for-purpose land administration consists of three key components: the spatial, legal and institutional frameworks (Enemark et al., 2016). These components are working together to deliver a fit-for-purpose land administration system. Each component should be focus to accommodate and serve the actual needs of today with a relevant flexibility that can be improved over time (Enemark et al., 2016).

In this paper, our use of ‘fit-for-purpose spatial data collection method’ broadly aligns with this conceptualisation in order to build the spatial framework of fit-for-purpose land administration. A fit-for-purpose spatial data collection method implies that a data collection method might be suitable for a particular purpose, while it might not be fit for other purposes. For example, capturing general boundaries⁵ to delineate land areas by handheld GPS might be sufficient in rural and semi-urban areas, while it may not be appropriate for dense urban areas with high-value properties. While Enemark et al. (2016) prescribe four key principles to building the spatial framework in the fit-for-purpose approach, there is still little direction on how to choose a fit-for-purpose spatial data collection method and little is known about the potential parameters that could affect the choice of data collection method. Therefore, this paper aims to respond to this gap by identifying parameters that should be considered in the process of selecting a fit-for-purpose spatial data collection method for land administration and presents a framework that structures these parameters. The presented research here employs a Delphi study for identifying the parameters and, more importantly, establishing consensus among a group of international experts with respect to the identified parameters.

The remainder of the paper starts with background on fit-for-purpose land administration and various spatial data collection methods and then explains the steps that have been taken for the Delphi study. After that, it presents and discusses the results of the Delphi study, and then it introduces a framework that serves as a basis for the choice of fit-for-purpose data collection method. Finally, it presents the overall conclusions and suggests a number of future research directions.

Section snippets

Fit-for-purpose land administration

Fit-for-purpose land administration indicates that a land administration system should be focused on the actual needs of society to manage current land issues rather than being guided by high-tech solutions. Prior studies have raised awareness about the overall concept of fit-for-purpose approach in land administration and the benefit of adopting this approach (Bennett and Alemie, 2015, Enemark, 2015, Enemark et al., 2016, McLaren et al., 2016). Fit-for-purpose land administration consists of

Delphi study

A Delphi study was used to identify those parameters useful in facilitating decisions regarding which data collection method to use to be fit for purpose. Given the limited amount of literature available, this method draws on the knowledge of land administration experts. A Delphi study is a proven way to harness collective group intelligence and establishing consensus in a wide range of applications such as ICT-based problem-solving, technology, healthcare, education, government, sociology,

Parameters that could affect the choice of a spatial data collection method

When it comes to selecting a method for data collection in land administration, there are many different thoughts on what is the appropriate method to collect a specific type of land and property RRRs. Consequently, a variety of perspectives were expressed in response to the first round of questionnaire which aims to generate parameters that are important for selecting fit-for-purpose spatial data collection methodologies in land administration. The analysis of panellists’ responses in round

A framework for selecting a fit-for-purpose data collection method

Selecting a fit-for-purposes data collection method is similar to many real-life decision-making problems and there is no single correct solution to it for everyone. It is a complex process and involves confronting trade-offs between multiple, often conflicting, parameters. For example, the trade-off required striking a balance between the accuracy of collected data and the cost of a data collection process. Similar conflicts arise by considering the longer-term post-collection parameter such

Conclusions and Future Work

Fit-for-purpose data collection methods for collecting the spatial extent of land and property RRRs provide essential support in building sustainable and affordable land administration systems. Many land and property RRRs can be collected by more than one data collection method. Therefore, how to select a fit-for-purpose data collection method is a fundamental question. Finding the right answer for this question could, arguably, support the development of land administration systems around the

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the members of Delphi panel who have given their time and expertise on a continuous basis over the Delphi study. The authors also acknowledge the support of the members of the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration (CSDILA) at the University of Melbourne, Australia. However, the views expressed in this paper do not necessarily represent the view of members of the Centre.

References (40)

N. Dalkey
An experimental study of group opinion: the Delphi method
Futures
(1969)
U.G. Gupta et al.
Theory and applications of the Delphi technique: a bibliography (1975–1994)
Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change
(1996)
C. Okoli et al.
The Delphi method as a research tool: an example, design considerations and applications
Inf. Manag.
(2004)
S. Rahmatizadeh et al.
A conceptual framework for utilising VGI in land administration
Land Use Policy
(2016)
J. Rijke et al.
Fit-for-purpose governance: a framework to make adaptive governance operational
Environ. Sci. Policy
(2012)
G. Rowe et al.
The Delphi technique as a forecasting tool: issues and analysis
Int. J. Forecast.
(1999)
J. Zevenbergen et al.
Pro-poor land administration: principles for recording the land rights of the underrepresented
Land Use Policy
(2013)
H. a. von der Gracht
Consensus measurement in Delphi studies. Review and implications for future quality assurance
Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change
(2012)
Abidin, H.Z., Andreas, H., Gumilar, I., Adiyanto, F.H., 2011. On the Use of GPS CORS for Cadastral Survey in Indonesia....
R. Bennett et al.
Fit-for-purpose land administration: lessons from urban and rural Ethiopia
Surv. Rev.
(2015)

V. Cavalli-Sforza et al.

Delphi forecasts of land use: transportation interactions

J. Transp. Eng.

(1984)

M.R. Czinkota et al.

International business and trade in the next decade: report from a Delphi study

J. Int. Bus. Stud.

(1997)

A.L. Delbecq et al.

Group Techniques for Program Planning: A Guide to Nominal Group and Delphi Processes

(1975)

G.J. Donnelly

Fundamentals of Land Ownership, Land Boundaries and Surveying

(2012)

Elfick, M., Hodson, T., Wilkinson, C., 2005. Managing a Cadastral SDI Framework Built from Boundary Dimensions. in: FIG...

S. Enemark et al.

Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration

(2014)

S. Enemark et al.

Fit-for-purpose land administration guiding principles for country implementation. GLTN reference

(2016)

S. Enemark

Fit for purpose: building spatial frameworks for sustainable and transparent land governance

Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty

(2013)

S. Enemark

Fit-For-Purpose land administration in support of the post 2015 global agenda in support of the post 2015 global agenda

Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty

(2015)

R. Hackman-Antwi et al.

The point cadastre requirement revisited

Surv. Rev.

(2013)

Cited by (12)

Is “pro-poor land administration” a realistic proposition? How a land survey in Bangladesh reproduced and reconfigured gendered and racialised poverty
2024, Land Use Policy
Ensuring land administration interventions achieve equitable, “pro-poor” outcomes continues to be a prominent focus for scholars and practitioners. While welcome, it is uncertain how this turn towards questions of justice and equity within the field can be implemented, not least because there are strong indications that land administration scholars are only just beginning to grapple with a number of major problems long recognised in development studies, including how to engage with complex, internally variegated “communities”. Analysis of how a recent land administration project in Bangladesh reinforced both gendered and ethnic exclusion provides additional empirical material that demonstrates the limits of current land administration theory and practice. In order to be realistic, land administration frameworks would benefit from a more precise understanding of what social justice outcomes are desirable for land administration interventions to achieve, how social mobilisation is necessary in order to do this, and what the implications of broader governance issues are for these proposed ends and means.
The peri-urban cadastre of Addis Ababa: Status, challenges, and fit-for-purpose prospects
2023, Land Use Policy
Citation Excerpt :
The UN-Habitat, the Global Land Tools Network, and the Netherlands Kadaster issued the Guiding Principles in 2016, for executing the FFPLA approach into practice (Barry, 2018; Enemark et al., 2016). FFPLA is promoted to address worldwide land administration concerns for having good land governance to achieve the sustainable development agenda (Christensen, 2017; Enemark, 2017; Rahmatizadeh et al., 2018). The FFPLA approach focuses on building affordable, reliable, and attainable systems that address underlying cadastral issues, having room for demand-driven upgradability (Enemark et al., 2016).
Ethiopia is developing its land administration systems to support the adjudication and registration of approximately 50 million land holdings. Being a federalized country, and with differing land policies and laws for urban and rural lands, multiple cadastral and land registration systems are under development, each intended to be eventually integrated. Taken holistically, the system is not yet fully functional. Peri-urban areas present a special challenge, where previous studies demonstrate administrative overlaps and voids contribute to community uncertainty and conflicts. Fit-for-purpose Land Administration (FFPLA) approaches offer the opportunity to rethink land administration in these areas. In this vein, this study explores the status and contemporary cadastral information demands of peri-urban areas for land administration development opportunities, focusing on the specific case of the capital, Addis Ababa. The interpretivist/constructivist research paradigm guides the development of a mixed methodology. It enables the creation of an aggregate understanding of the status of the land administration function in the case area – based on local office-level data. It is found that whilst the current approach to cadastral development in Addis Ababa can be seen to exhibit FFPLA characteristics, there still remains a diverse mix of political, legal, spatial, institutional, and technical constraints for further implementing the methodology. The work also finds the integrated application of geospatial technologies is most appropriate for data capture in the Addis Ababa context. Moreover, comprehensive upskilling and retraining of the existing workforce, and the future workforce, is needed.
Validation and collaborative mapping to accelerate quality assurance of land registration
2021, Land Use Policy
Citation Excerpt :
The adoption of the principles of Fit-for-Purpose (FFP) in Land Administration is a recommended option for accelerating completeness in land parcel registration (Enemark et al., 2014). As observed in the literature review (Bennett and Alemie, 2016; Khezri et al., 2018; Ramadhani et al., 2018), existing FFP literature, despite its promising applicability for establishing a reliable land administration, has mainly focused on data capture and ensuring the accuracy of spatial data (Moreri et al., 2018; Rahmatizadeh et al., 2018; Ramadhani et al., 2018), and rarely examined the importance of incremental improvement strategies in implementation quality and outcomes. Over the past few years, many studies have evaluated the existing LAS framework, in different periods and contexts, by examining policy, legal, institutional and social environment and have developed country-specific indicators for monitoring progress and determining good practices in strengthening Indonesia’s land sector (Deininger et al., 2012; Bandeira et al., 2010; Mitchell et al., 2008; Rajabifard et al., 2007).
Incomplete digitalisation of land-titling documentation and sporadic first-titling in the past pose considerable challenges to delivering complete and good quality land information. In Indonesia, for the past three years, a new land policy has been implemented as part of a project to completely and systematically register land titles. This new policy has increased the production of land titles by seven to nine times. However, the approach remains focused on increasing quantity rather than improving quality. As the number of unmapped land titles is still high, insecurity of land certificates resulting from the current national project is imminent. Social challenges to land-titling activities include poor participation of landowners while technical problems could include incomplete validation. This paper presents the results of a study that employed collaborative mapping to validate land titles and evaluated corresponding quality improvements. The direct evaluation was done for a rural village and three urban wards. The results show that spatial accuracy and completeness could be delivered within the existing legal and institutional framework. However, complete legal security of published land titles cannot be achieved unless the local land office undertakes incremental improvement. This result suggests that land registration completeness before 2025 is unlikely without policy and technical reforms that use collaborative mapping methods for ensuring quality assurance in first-titling campaigns.
Governance assessment of UAV implementation in Kenyan land administration system
2021, Technology in Society
Citation Excerpt :
Unfortunately, conventional land tenure recording approaches have shown to be insufficient in vulnerable communities, to the point that it would take centuries to deliver adequate coverage [9]. Hence, new approaches have been proposed to improve this situation, and ‘fit-for-purpose’ (FFP) approach has become a preeminent one among others [4,10–14]. FFP's goal is to deliver affordable and fast data acquisition with land administration purposes that meet social needs [15].
The ‘fit-for-purpose’ (FFP) approach was developed to respond to the challenges that the creation of a sustainable land administration system (LAS) faces. FFP has proved its value in integrating technological innovations such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in LAS. Technological innovations need to consider the governance context when being implemented. Understanding the relevance of the FFP approach and acknowledging the importance of the governance context, this research applies the ‘Fit-for-purpose governance assessment framework’ (FGAF). FGAF helps to understand the challenges that the implementation of UAVs can face in the LAS in Kenya. This governance assessment is based on 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews, three one-day workshops with local stakeholders and UAVs pilot studies to test the technology. The findings suggest that there are major and minor challenges concerning different attributes of FFP qualities. The governance context across counties is fragmented with a high degree of uncertainty and uneven capacity conditions. There are overlapping responsibilities and trust issues among the different actors. Participation of private and non-governmental actors is limited. Yet, steps have been taken toward the adoption of innovative approaches. Although financial resources are limited, the diversity of local and international stakeholders can work as a leverage point to support the implementation of UAVs in the mid and long-term.
Governance assessment of the UAVs implementation in Rwanda under the fit-for-purpose land administration approach
2020, Land Use Policy
Citation Excerpt :
FFP integrates spatial, legal and institutional frameworks to deliver a sustainable land administration system (Enemark, 2015; Enemark et al., 2016a, 2016b). Due to its relevance researchers worldwide are contributing to its further development (Rahmatizadeh et al., 2018). Yet, no research has been developed on how to operationalise the FFP elements (flexible, inclusive, participatory, affordable, reliable, attainable and upgradable) with governance dimensions.
Conventional land tenure recording approaches to create a sustainable land administration system (LAS) have been found to be of limited value in developing countries. To respond to this challenge, the ‘fit-for-purpose’ (FFP) approach was developed. This approach has gained relevance in the last years and promotes the use of new technologies like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to provide valuable base maps. Yet, contemporary failures demonstrate that technological innovations should consider the governance context when being implemented. Understanding the relevance of the FFP approach and acknowledging the importance of institutional factors in policy implementation, this research presents and applies the ‘Fit-for-purpose governance assessment framework’ (FGAF). The FGAF operationalises the seven elements of the FFP approach with five governance dimensions of the framework named Governance Assessment Tool (GAT). To apply FGAF, our selected case study is focused on the UAVs implementation in Rwanda. We conducted 37 semi-structured in-depth interviews, a pilot project with Rwandese stakeholders, and analysed several official documents and national reports. Additionally, UAV data collection was carried out to test the performance of the technology too. This research found that participation and flexibility are the governance qualities that present the main challenges, while inclusiveness, affordability, upgradability, attainability and reliability provide better opportunities to implement UAVs. Based on our case study, we conclude that the governance context favours a top-down approach for the implementation of the UAV technology in the LAS. For the sustainability of the LAS, the central government should incentivize participatory governance models for local and non-governmental actors. Also, strengthening the capacities of the field agencies at the district level through fiscal decentralisation can support the effective uptake of the UAV technologies in the LAS.
Emerging Challenges and Prospects of Digital Transformation and Stakeholders Integration in Urban Land Administration in Ethiopia
2021, Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies

View all citing articles on Scopus

¹: Web site: http://www.csdila.unimelb.edu.au/people/Shima_Rahmati.html.

²: Website: http://www.csdila.unimelb.edu.au/people/abbas-rajabifard.html.

³: Website: http://www.csdila.unimelb.edu.au/people/saeid-kalantari-soltanieh.html.

⁴: Web site: http://www.csdila.unimelb.edu.au/people/serene-ho.html.

View full text

A framework for selecting a fit-for-purpose data collection method in land administration

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Fit-for-purpose land administration

Delphi study

Parameters that could affect the choice of a spatial data collection method

A framework for selecting a fit-for-purpose data collection method

Conclusions and Future Work

Acknowledgements

Futures

Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change

Inf. Manag.

Land Use Policy

Environ. Sci. Policy

Int. J. Forecast.

Land Use Policy

Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change

Fit-for-purpose land administration: lessons from urban and rural Ethiopia

Surv. Rev.

Delphi forecasts of land use: transportation interactions

J. Transp. Eng.

International business and trade in the next decade: report from a Delphi study

J. Int. Bus. Stud.

Group Techniques for Program Planning: A Guide to Nominal Group and Delphi Processes

Fundamentals of Land Ownership, Land Boundaries and Surveying

Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration

Fit-for-purpose land administration guiding principles for country implementation. GLTN reference

Fit for purpose: building spatial frameworks for sustainable and transparent land governance

Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty

Fit-For-Purpose land administration in support of the post 2015 global agenda in support of the post 2015 global agenda

Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty

The point cadastre requirement revisited

Surv. Rev.