Impact of Political Economy on Land Administration Reform

Population growth, urbanization and climate change are all factors that have made it increasingly difficult for governments to manage, allocate and permit the development and use of the finite land resource that is available in any society. Land administration plays a crucial role in supporting governments in these efforts. The World Bank and other donors have provided financial backing to help governments implement land administration reforms. While many of these reform projects focus on finance and technology, some succeed, while others fail to create lasting, meaningful change. The reasons for this usually do not relate to problems with finance or technology but are often due to political economy factors. Approaches to consider political economy are reviewed. The usefulness and viability of using political economy analysis in the design of land administration reform is confirmed in a policy Delphi survey. An innovative framework to systematically consider the use of political economy analysis in the design of land administration reform is developed and validated. This research addresses a significant gap, as there has been limited exploration of the political economy of land administration. The findings will be valuable for governments, development partners, and specialists involved in designing and implementing large-scale land administration reform initiatives.