Document Type: Progress Reports

The purpose of the Ethiopia Land Administration to Nurture Development (LAND) program is to expand and extend two previously successful projects—Ethiopia Strengthening Land Tenure and Land Administration Program (ELTAP) implemented in 2005-2008 and Ethiopia Strengthening Land Administration Program (ELAP) implemented in 2008-2013 – financed by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Ethiopia Mission and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and six regional states with technical assistance provided by Tetra Tech ARD. These projects helped strengthen rural land tenure security and women’s land use rights; encourage efficient land transactions; build capacity of federal and regional land administration agencies to improve service delivery and pilot cadastral surveying and certification methodologies to recognize and document rural land use rights.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

During the reporting period, LAND continued to make significant progress on most of the project components.

Under Component 1 (Improved legal and policy frameworks at national and local levels)

Hawassa University submitted the draft of the SNNP land law implementation assessment which is currently being reviewed by the LAND Team. Mekelle University commenced the assessment for Tigray NRS during the reporting quarter. LAND subcontractor “The Amhara Design and Supervision Works Enterprise” submitted draft guidelines for pastoral communal land expropriation, valuation and compensation in Afar NRS. The draft is being reviewed by the LAND technical team. The draft amendments to Federal Proclamation No. 456/2005 were further reviewed in close consultation with relevant stakeholders in the Amhara, Oromia and SNNP NRS.

LAND successfully conducted a national workshop to inform stakeholders on the importance of an overarching and comprehensive national land utilization policy to guide government land use planning. The workshop was conducted from 20-21 October 2015 at Adama town. The workshop served to provide participants with a better understanding of the need for a national land utilization policy and obtain their support to coordinate their efforts with assistance from LAND to prepare the draft policy.

Under Component 2 (Strengthened capacity in national, regional, and local land administration and use planning)

The expert local consultant contracted by LAND provided technical assistance to the Ethiopian Mapping Agency (EMA) to resolve telecommunication and power supply issues that were hampering the proper functioning of the four EMA Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) and to make the CORS fully functional. The consultant also completed the design of CORS network to provide Real Time Kinematic (RTK) and On-line Positioning User (OPU) services. Preparation of the final proposal on densification and collaborative arrangement of stakeholders that will manage the CORS stations is also in its final stage.LAND continued its efforts to build

LAND continued its efforts to build capacity of federal and regional land administration and land use (LALU) professionals in land use planning and GIS and remote sensing. The training delivered by LAND is designed to support the efforts of Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MOANR) to produce national and regional master land use plans and local level land use plans as envisioned in the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) for Ethiopia. During the reporting period, a total of 82 federal and regional staff were trained to then cascade training down to land administration officials at staff at the woreda level to help ensure the sustainability of USAID/Ethiopia’s capacity building investments.The universities of Bahir Dar, Haramaya, Hawassa and Mekelle delivered the final versions of the training manuals commissioned by LAND that will be used to build

The universities of Bahir Dar, Haramaya, Hawassa and Mekelle delivered the final versions of the training manuals commissioned by LAND that will be used to build capacity of local land administration officials to implement applicable Land Administration and Land Use (LALU) legislation to improve service delivery and strengthen land rights of rural Ethiopians. LAND then began to support cascaded trainings to local land administration officials using the manuals.

Under Component 3 (Strengthened capacity of Ethiopian universities to engage in policy analysis and research related to land tenure and train land administration and land use professionals)

The first batch of (41) students enrolled in the Institute of Land Administration of Bahir Dar University’s (ILA/BDU) M.Sc. program embarked on thesis research work in their respective regions and agencies. The second group of 41 students has also completed their first session at the ILA/BDU. The students were tasked to complete take home assignments that they will complete in parallel with performing their duties in their respective land administration bureaus. The take home assignments are to be completed and submitted to ILA/BDU before the start of the next summer session in June 2016.

The grantees selected under the LAND’s competitive grant scheme made satisfactory progress to towards completing field research. LAND has closely monitored performance in the field and confirmed grantees are performing research in accordance with the terms of their respective grant agreements. It is expected the grantees will submit the first draft of the findings of their research to LAND in the coming quarter for review and comment. The reports will then be finalized, presented and disseminated through the Ethiopian Land Research and Development Network (ETHIOLANDNET) research forum to be held in the third or fourth quarter of FY 2016.

LAND has been instrumental in the establishment of the ETHIOLANDNET) hosted by Bahir Dar University. LAND is currently supporting the Network to establish a national repository and searchable website at ILA/BDU that will enable the systematic collection, storage, and management of spatial data, statistical data as well as research papers and books on a range of topics related to land administration and international best practices. , Upon the request of ILA/BDU, LAND is facilitating a competitive procurement process to procure a server to make the repository and website fully functional. It is expected the server will be installed, configured and made fully functional in the next quarter. Additionally, the ETHIOLANDNET strategic plan for 2016-2021 is being developed and will be finalized in the next quarter.

Under Component 4 (Strengthened community land rights in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas to facilitate market linkages and economic growth)

LAND organized consultation meetings in the pastoral and agro-pastoral woredas in Borana and Guji zones of the Oromia NRS to discuss the unit of pastoral landholding registration and certification. Representatives of the pastoral communities requested these units to be the dheedas while participants from the local government offices favored boundaries that align with administrative boundaries of kebeles.

The LAND technical team conducted a rapid assessment of the customary land administration and natural resource management rules, norms and practices in Chifra woreda of the Afar NRS to better understand how customary institutions manage the community’s rangelands and natural resources.

LAND promoted the rights of women to access and use land by engaging the Women’s National Land Rights Taskforce (established with support from LAND) to hold stakeholder consultations and produce recommendations to help strengthen protections provided to women by draft amendments to Federal Proclamation |No. 456/2005. Recommendations identified the need to sensitize kebele level land administration committees to enable women to exercise their rights to use land and to ensure fair representation of women in each committee. The Taskforce also agreed to work on raising the awareness of members of the Women and Children’s Affairs Standing Committees of the Parliament before the draft amendments to the Proclamation are presented to the Council of Ministers.

The LAND Gender Specialist gathered information from different community members of Chifra woreda to assess the customary organizational structure, the representation of women within the structure, accessibility of the customary system for women and vulnerable groups and the gender-sensitivity of the customary laws. The assessment includes the perception of women, men and the community at large about women’s land rights.

The purpose of the Ethiopia Land Administration to Nurture Development (LAND) program is to expand and extend two previously successful projects—Ethiopia Strengthening Land Tenure and Land Administration Program (ELTAP) implemented in 2005-2008 and Ethiopia Strengthening Land Administration Program (ELAP) implemented in 2008-2013 – financed by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Ethiopia Mission and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and six regional states with technical assistance provided by Tetra Tech ARD. These projects helped strengthen rural land tenure security and women’s land use rights; encourage efficient land transactions; build capacity of federal and regional land administration agencies to improve service delivery and pilot cadastral surveying and certification methodologies to recognize and document rural land use rights.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

During the reporting period, LAND continued to make significant progress across the project components.

Under Component 1 (Improved legal and policy frameworks at national and local levels)

Bahir Dar University and Hawassa Universities submitted the final version of their assessments for Amhara and SNNP National Regional States (NRSs), respectively. They are making preparations to conduct validation workshops on their findings in the following quarter. Mekelle University is in the process of conducting the assessment for Tigray NRS.

LAND subcontractor “The Amhara Design and Supervision Works Enterprise” delivered the first draft and assessment report of the guidelines for pastoral communal land expropriation, valuation and compensation in Afar NRS. It is now revising the draft incorporating the comments made by LAND experts.

The Committee tasked with drafting the Oromia Pastoral Land Use Rights Regulation prepared a zero draft and submitted it to the Oromia Rural Lands and Environmental Protection Bureau (OBRLEP) for review. Consultations with members of the community in pastoral areas will be held after comments from OBERLEP are incorporated into a revised draft of the Regulation. The Somali NRS draft pastoral land administration and use regulation was translated into the Somali language and pending review by the land authority.

After a series of regional consultations, amendments to the Federal Land Administration and Use Proclamation No. 456/2005 were finalized and submitted to senior management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MoANR).

A high-level ministerial committee under the Prime Minister’s Office is steering and coordinating development of an overarching and comprehensive national land utilization policy. A national task force with membership of the relevant ministries and government agencies was established to provide technical guidance and review during the preparation. LAND will provide financial and technical assistance to this effort.

Under Component 2 (Strengthened capacity in national, regional, and local land administration and use planning)

LAND has engaged an Ethiopian consultant to provide the EMA with technical assistance to rehabilitate and make fully operational its Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS). The consultant assisted the EMA to resolve telecommunication and power supply issues that hampered the proper functioning of the CORS stations and trained 16 EMA and four Information Network Security Agency (INSA) staff in installing and operating CORS. The consultant is now preparing a project proposal for the development of the geodetic network of the country based on CORS Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in the short, medium and long-term.

LAND continued its efforts to build capacity of federal and regional land administration and land use (LALU) professionals in land use planning and GIS and remote sensing. The training delivered by LAND is designed to support the efforts of the federal and regional governments to produce national, regional and local master land use plans as envisioned in the nation’s Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II). During the reporting period, federal and regional trainers who successfully completed LAND’s Training of Trainers (TOT) program delivered training to a total of 1,441 zonal and woreda staff and 636 development agents from four regions (Amhara, Oromia and SNNPR). The training sessions lasted between 5-10 days to build capacity in participatory land use planning, GIS and remote sensing.

Under Component 3 (Strengthened capacity of Ethiopian universities to engage in policy analysis and research related to land tenure and train land administration and land use professionals)

The first batch of (41) students enrolled in the Institute of Land Administration of Bahir Dar University’s (ILA/BDU) in the summer M.Sc. program have commenced their thesis research work in their respective regions. They are expected to graduate in October 2016. The second group of 41 students have completed their first session at the ILA/BDU in August 2015 and have taken home assignments that they will complete before their second and final summer session in June-August 2016. The grantees selected under the LAND’s competitive grant scheme made satisfactory progress towards completing field research. On the spot monitoring, visits were conducted by LAND experts. The visits along with desk reviews have confirmed that data collection activities were progressing very well but not yet completed. Grant closeout procedures were discussed with grantees at meetings held with the leadership and Principal Investigators of each grant.

At its meeting of February 4, 2016, at LAND’s Office in Addis Ababa, the Executive Committee of ETHIOLANDNET adopted the network’s five-year strategic plan (2016-2020) submitted by the Secretariat. The Committee also discussed the national conference being organized on land research which is planned to take place in September/October 2016. A working group was formed to follow up on the preparations leading to the conference which include identifying thematic areas, selecting and inviting paper presenters and participants, and identifying funding sources.

Under Component 4 (Strengthened community land rights in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas to facilitate market linkages and economic growth)

Following the decision made by the Oromia Rural Land Administration and Environmental Protection (OBRLEP) Bureau of the Oromia NRS to use reera as a unit of pastoral landholding registration and certification, LAND team comprising the DCOP, the pastoral land tenure and land administration specialists travelled to Borana to clarify conflicting definition of the term reera in the government documents and administrative structures, on the one hand, and in project reports, maps, and community descriptions, on the other.

The team spoke with all relevant actors including PRIME staff, customary institutions leaders, and local administration officials in the area. The team learned that the reera as understood by communities for decades covers a larger area than the one that is currently used by local administration. While discussing the unit of pastoral landholding registration and certification, the zone administration also showed interest and accepted LAND’s previous proposal to pilot the registration and certification of communal land at the dheeda level and proposed piloting of three dheedas (Golbo, Malbe and Dirre). LAND team will present the findings of its investigations and the position of the zone administrator during further discussions with the OBRLEP and request it to consider the pastoral communities’ demand to secure the landholding certificate at dheeda level.

The LAND technical team conducted a rapid assessment of the customary land administration and natural resource management rules, norms and practices in Amibara woreda of the Afar NRS during the reporting period to better understand how customary institutions manage the community’s rangelands and natural resources.

The action plan and processes and procedures that LAND will follow in adjudication, surveying, demarcation, registration and certification of pastoral landholdings in the Afar NRS were presented to experts and officials of the region, MoANR and other stakeholders at the consultative meeting held in Awash from February 22-23, 2016. A summary of LAND team’s findings on Chifra and Amibara woredas was also presented at the same event.LAND’s Gender Specialist assisted the National Women’s Land Rights Taskforce (WLRT) in establishing regional Women Land Rights Taskforces in Oromia, Amhara, Tigray and South Nations, Nationalities and Peoples National Regional States.

LAND’s Gender Specialist assisted the National Women’s Land Rights Taskforce (WLRT) in establishing regional Women Land Rights Taskforces in Oromia, Amhara, Tigray and South Nations, Nationalities and Peoples National Regional States.

The purpose of the Ethiopia Land Administration to Nurture Development (LAND) program is to expand and extend two previously successful projects—Ethiopia Strengthening Land Tenure and Land Administration Program (ELTAP) implemented in 2005-2008 and Ethiopia Strengthening Land Administration Program (ELAP) implemented in 2008-2013 – financed by The United State Agency for International Development (USAID)/Ethiopia Mission and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and six regional states with technical assistance provided by Tetra Tech ARD. These projects helped strengthen rural land tenure security and women’s land use rights; encourage efficient land transactions; build the capacity of federal and regional land administration agencies to improve service delivery and pilot cadastral surveying and certification methodologies to recognize and document rural land use rights.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Institute of Land Administration of Bahir Dar University and Hawassa University finalized the inception reports and study tools for assessing implementation of the existing rural land laws of Amhara and SNNP regions.

To advance implementation of the recommendations contained in LAND’s Gender Assessment and Action Plan (GAAP), preparatory work was initiated to: (i) support raising awareness and training on gender issues in land laws and their implementation in SNNPR and Tigray regional states that will be conducted early in the next quarter; and (ii) establish a national Women’s Land Rights Taskforce for the purpose of advocating legislative improvements and implementation of existing legislative provisions to enhance and protect women’s land use rights.

LAND and the Ministry of Agriculture’s Land Administration and Use Directorate (MoA/LAUD) developed terms of reference to organize a workshop on the regional practices and the problems relating to valuation and compensation.

Drafts of five papers to be presented at the national workshop on land use policy were received and are being reviewed.

A training and orientation workshop was organized for 39 newly posted woreda and zonal officials from Afar regional state to inform them of the land use rights of pastoralists under the regional pastoral land laws and to prepare them for the impending LAND’s work in the region.

A two-day workshop on the pastoral land administration and use proclamation of Somali regional state was conducted for 19 woreda officials and land administration experts to create awareness on the pastoral land rights recognized under the region’s pastoral land administration proclamation.

The participatory local level land use planning manual previously produced by the MoA was revised by a consultant commissioned by LAND and the revision was discussed by federal and regional before finalization.

LAND technical staff provided two rounds of comments on the report produced by Michigan State University (MSU) on the market demand survey for LALU professionals and review of the curricula for training LALU professionals and technicians.

A local consultant was commissioned to provide capacity building training for EMA’s staff and prepare proposals for the short, medium and long-term development of the CORS system for the country. The consultant will conduct a needs assessment before the training and inspect the existing CORS stations.

LAND arranged for the admission of 42 federal and land administration staff from 9 regions and two city administrations to a summer M.Sc. training program by the Institute of Land Administration of Bahir Dar University.

The memorandum of association to establish the Ethiopian Land Research and Development Network (ETHIOLANDNET) was drafted and its concept note revised. The invitation to submit concept notes on 8 thematic areas of research on land issues to be financed under the LAND Grants Scheme was advertised in the papers. Thirty-two concept papers were received and 14 of them submitted by 12 institutions were short-listed to advance to the next cycle of submitting a detailed full technical and financial proposal.

LAND opened a field office in Yabello town, Borana Zone of Oromia Region. The Borana Zonal Oromia Pastoral Advisory Committee was established. It was not possible to establish the one for the Guji Zone due to security problems that arose from the conflict between the Guji and Borana ethnic groups.

LAND has teamed with the Institute of Pastoral and Agropastoral Studies of Haramaya University to assess the customary organization and management of pastoral communities in managing rangeland resources in Oromia regional state. The assessment team has finished its literature review and is preparing its inception report, including the field survey tools for focus group discussion and key informant interviews for the field work that will be started in August 2014.

Profiling of basic data important for land certification and registration was collected in Gomole, Malbe and Dire Dhedas in Borana zone. The profiling includes information on investment, mining, roads infrastructures, parks, ranches, NGOs operating in the area, government owned Productive Safety Net Project (PSNP) and Pastoral Community Development Project (PCDP), irrigation initiatives and livestock and human population data was conducted. In addition, zonal level livestock and population data and government’s water development plans for 2014/2015 and irrigation plans/designs were collected.

LAND conducted a three-day training on a result-based monitoring and evaluation for 19 staffs of the Ministry of Agriculture and regional LALU agencies to equip them with skills that enable them use M&E systems to provide continuous feedback on the extent, to which development programs and projects implemented by their organizations/agencies, are achieving their goals, identify potential problems at an early stage and propose possible solutions and improvements as needed.

PREPARING FOR PEACE

The government of Colombia (GOC) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) reached a major milestone in the peace negotiation process by signing the bilateral ceasefire on June 23, 2016. Timochenko, leader of the FARC, declared the armed conflict over and vowed that the FARC would never again take up arms against the state. Included in the ceasefire agreement is the FARC’s demobilization plan—with specific geographic areas identified in which former guerrillas will temporarily live and surrender their weapons.

While this gives reason to rejoice, and Colombians can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, the signature of the final peace accords remains pending. President Santos stepped out on a limb once again, declaring July 20 the new date for the signing of the peace accords—marking the second time he has provided a specific date for the signature. Once the peace deal is signed, the GOC must move quickly and efficiently to ensure its sustainability, particularly in the regions hit the hardest by the conflict. To help the government in the momentous task of creating a constructive post-conflict Colombia, USAID’s Land and Rural Development Program (LRDP) will continue providing technical assistance to promote peace, secure property rights, and ensure rural development in the regions.

POSITIONING THE REGIONS FOR PEACE

As reported last quarter, we supported the inclusion of strategic issues related to peace, rural development, and land—with a gender and ethnic focus—in 57 municipal and 6 departmental development plans. Ensuring the inclusion of these areas in development plans is required for regional governments to access GOC funds and to promote the implementation of key activities needed to prepare the regions for post-conflict. Next quarter, we will transition our support from aiding in the creation of development plans to providing technical assistance in their implementation. Our effective engagement of regional governments has established LRDP as an “honest broker” and an important stakeholder in promoting rural development.

ENGAGING NEW AGENCIES

The end of the quarter marked important advances in our engagement with new GOC agencies. Mirroring our approach to establishing trust and confidence with regional-level authorities, we did the same at the national level, meeting separately with the heads of the National Land Agency (known by its Spanish acronym, ANT), the Rural Development Agency, and the Agency for Renewal of the Territories.

Based on our knowledge and experience of rural development and land reform challenges facing Colombia at the national and regional levels, we have much to offer these agencies. All will be looking for quick wins as they begin to operate. We have initial buy-in from the ANT regarding our massive formalization pilot in Ovejas (Sucre), which is essential for the pilot’s success and for the ANT’s adoption of new mechanisms and methodologies to continue promoting massive formalization in the future. Our first working meeting with the agency allowed us to establish relationships at the technical level—everyone is clear on their points of contact within the new agency, and our staff is already engaging their respective collegial counterparts.

Like the other new agencies, the Agency for Renewal of the Territories is in its nascent stages. Its director is hard at work, although she is awaiting the announcement of her official appointment. The agency will work in the municipalities hardest hit by conflict, helping build confidence and trust between rural Colombia and the state. Discussions with the Rural Development Agency are incipient, and our first technical meeting with the agency will take place early next quarter.

We expect to take on an important coordination role among these three agencies. They are so closely linked in objectives and results that they must achieve a level of coordination unprecedented among GOC institutions. Historically, the tendency among GOC institutions is to go their separate ways, implementing their mandates in a vacuum, which significantly reduces efficiencies and fosters duplication of efforts and, ultimately, confusion among the final beneficiary—the campesino. We will spearhead efforts to promote synergies among these agencies and to maximize the impact that each one can have in a post-conflict scenario.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: ACHIEVEMENTS

Key achievements from this quarter include the following:
“This was a very careful and well-done exercise—the variables, the scenarios were very well selected. I congratulate [LRDP and the Mission]; this is a contribution where international aid can be seen.”

• Improving access to information. We digitalized over 10,000 restitution case files, which are now available via a searchable online platform, improving the quality and speed of the restitution process.
• Recalculating the demand for restitution services. For a long time, the GOC and the international donor community worked under the assumption that 360,000 families require restitution services—a figure strongly debated by national and regional media. To clarify the validity of this estimate, and at the request of the Land Restitution Unit (LRU), we conducted a statistical analysis to determine the real demand for restitution services amongColombian citizens. Our analysis revealed that only 160,000 individuals require restitution—lessthan half of the country’s original estimate. This analysis also involved the creation of a statistical model and methodology that the GOC can use in the future. It serves as an important input to facilitate strategic planning by the LRU during its final five years of operation. Ricardo Sabogal, the LRU’s director, estimates that by 2021 (the last year for the LRU as established by theVictim’s Law) the LRU will have only a few municipalities in need of restitution support.Perhaps they will represent the most complex cases, but they will be limited.
• Preparing for the Land Fund. The availability of land parcels for the Land Fund is an important part of the post-conflict phase, as it will ensure that rural citizens get their hands on the land they need.We completed legal studies of 438 parcels (representing 39,164 hectares) of public lands that can potentially feed this new fund. Of those, 236 parcels are available for immediate transfer (the others require additional field work before they are viable for transfer). This is important because these parcels will likely be the first inputs for the Land Fund when it is formally established after the signing of the peace accords. The ANT has requested additional support from LRDP with regard to preparing the administrative resolutions—a necessary procedural step—for these 236 parcels, which we will do next quarter.
• Activity Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (AMEP). USAID approved a new revision of LRDP’s AMEP.The new version combines both quantitative and qualitative indicators, enabling us to better tell our story and to improve our ability to measure progress toward targets. We will begin reporting on these revised indicators next quarter.

TRANSITION: PROJECT LEADERSHIP

This quarter, we welcomed a new Chief of Party, Anna Knox, and a new Deputy Chief of Party–Administration/Finance, Vanessa Martinez, and we bid farewell to our Deputy Chief of Party–Technical, Alejandro Tellez. Although the level of transition in leadership positions is significant, we have mechanisms and plans in place to ensure that the transition occurs smoothly and efficiently. For example, our new COP, Anna Knox, and outgoing COP, Christian Kolar, have a four-week overlap period following Ms. Knox’s two-month consulting assignment with LRDP. Vanessa Martinez, as our former Operations Manager, brings institutional memory and sound experience to the DCOPAdministration/Finance position, allowing for a smooth transition and for continued efficient operations of our administrative and financial areas. While we finalize selection of a new DCOP–Technical, LauraViñoly will serve in an acting capacity, bringing more than 20 years of international development implementation experience to ensure that technical activities are strategic and remain on schedule.

Colombia finds itself at a critical crossroads. On September 26, 2016, before an audience including the United Nations Secretary-General, U.S. Secretary of State, and several Latin American presidents, all wearing white to commemorate this historic day, President Juan Manuel Santos and his former enemy and leader of the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC), Rodrigo Londoño (better known as “Timochenko”) signed the peace accords. In a symbolic action to demonstrate unity and the beginning of the reconciliation process, President Santos pinned the peace dove (which he has worn every day during his current administration as a symbol of his commitment to ending the 52-year war) on Timochenko’s lapel. Words of peace and apology marked the occasion, along with an impressive flyover by Colombian air force jets trailing the colors of the Colombia flag up above. Traditionally, the sound of jets overhead used to mean potential bombing for the FARC—but on September 26, the flyover served as a gesture of peace and national unity.

Six days later, on October 2, much to the shock of many Colombians and the world, Colombian citizens voted against the peace accords by the slightest of margins. According to the Washington Office on Latin America, 49.78% voted in favor of the accords and 50.21% voted against; in actual numbers, this translates into a margin of a mere 53,894 votes. A total of 13,066,047 people voted, representing approximately 37.43% of eligible voters.

President Santos has declared on more than one occasion that there is no plan B. He has called the negotiators back to the table to determine next steps. This is the context in which the Land and Rural Development Program’s (LRDP) year 3 comes to a close and year 4 begins.

KEY ADVANCES

Since the beginning of the project implementation, USAID/Colombia and the program itself have made a commitment to continue pressing land reform and rural development initiatives forward regardless of the status of the peace accords. Today, more than ever, LRDP must continue to build on its strong foundation and support the government of Colombia (GOC) and the people of Colombia to press ahead.

During the year, we established ourselves as an “honest broker” by engaging new mayors and governors before and after they took office in January 2016. Building relationships based on trust, confidence, and transparency, we actively engaged mayors in 57 municipalities and governors in six departments to help them construct their municipal and departmental development plans—mandatory four-year plans that establish goals for growth and improvement, with corresponding budget allocations. Our efforts served to ensure that regional-level planning incorporated essential elements required for land reform and rural development, as well as the protection of vulnerable groups, such as women and ethnic minorities. In addition, through our knowledge of national-level entities and their initiatives, we helped ensure that these plans were consistent with national objectives (e.g., the Development Programs with a Regional Focus instrument to mobilize resources for rural development programs and garnering support for massive formalization pilot activities).

Complementing this work at the regional level, we successfully engaged three newly established national entities from the moment of their inception. Established via presidential decree in December 2015, the National Land Agency, the Rural Development Agency, and the Agency for Territorial Renovation began operating on a minimal basis during the fiscal year. Two of these entities (the National Land Agency and the Rural Development Agency) replace much of the work previously under the purview of the Colombian Institute for Rural Development (INCODER), which is now under liquidation and no longer operating. We quickly developed technical working relationships with each entity, demonstrating that the project is able to help these new institutions achieve quick wins. For example, directors and subdirectors from all three institutions as well as the Land Restitution Unit (LRU) traveled with us to the Ovejas municipality in Sucre, where we are working alongside government counterparts to implement a massive formalization pilot. The visit helped the agencies’ leadership understand current progress and challenges in the municipalities hardest hit by the armed conflict and was instrumental in demonstrating the relevance of the program’s integrated, territory-focused development approach to the agencies’ future success in overcoming entrenched rural neglect. As we enter year 4, we will continue to promote coordination between these agencies and will facilitate their link to important regional actors.

Another important effort throughout the year was the facilitation of public-private partnerships (PPPs), which are understood as collaborative working relationships in the agricultural sector that involve entities from both the public and private sectors and where all parties play an equal role in determining the partnership’s goals, structure, and administration, as well as individual roles and responsibilities. During the year, we facilitated the launch of five new PPPs with a cumulative value of US$20.8 million in the coffee, cacao, honey, and dairy sectors in the departments of Tolima, Bolívar, Sucre, Cesar, and Meta. The program’s approach is unique in that it does not directly inject resources into the partnership. Rather, we position the local government as the convener and a critical investor in the partnership while also strengthening essential knowledge and skills of producer associations and public partners, thereby paving the way for sustainable rural enterprise. These new partnerships, which include restituted families and families who will benefit from land formalization initiatives in prioritized regions, serve as an engine for rural development and economic growth.

Throughout the year, we also continued to engage GOC entities in developing information systems aimed at better managing land data, facilitating the restitution process, and better planning and tracking their progress. We completed seven systems for the LRU, Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC), Superintendence of Notary and Registry (SNR), and Cesar’s Secretariat of Agriculture, which are now being used by their respective entities and are contributing to more efficient workflows. In particular, the system that we developed for IGAC, which houses newly digitalized cadastral files, has resulted in a 73% reduction in time needed to deliver this information when requested during the restitution process; and the system that we developed for the SNR, which provides authorized public entities with easy and free access to Certificates of Delivery and Unencumbered Property (a certificate often required in the restitution process), has resulted in a 99% reduction in processing time.

We also produced 12 episodes for a radio drama series. Written and performed by 59 female victims of the armed conflict, these programs sought to increase awareness about women’s rights to land and provide information on how GOC institutions can support them in claiming these rights. The episodes aired on 36 radio stations and reached listeners in 96 municipalities.

This year, we also spearheaded coordination initiatives among USAID implementing partners. In Montes de María, for example, a representative from USAID’s Program Office participated in the coordination session, which allowed the agency to see firsthand how the projects are sharing information and coordinating their efforts to yield greater impact. Throughout the year, LRDP collaborated with such programs as Colombia Responde (both CELI Central and CELI North-South), Rural Finance, and Access to Justice.

In addition, revising the Activity Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (AMEP) proved to be an intensive and collaborative initiative throughout the year. Measuring the outcomes of institutional capacity strengthening is fraught with challenges, including the time lag between learning and results, the ability to assign direct attribution, and ever-changing institutions and leaders. For that reason, we continued to coordinate with USAID to identify indicators that better tell our story and to improve the balance between quantitative and qualitative results. USAID approved a revised AMEP, which includes indicators that assess both direct and indirect outcomes together with impacts on women and ethnic minorities. While the AMEP is an important tool for the program and USAID to communicate progress and impact, this must be combined with high-quality communications materials that make the link between the program’s work, institutional strengthening, and tangible impacts on rural communities.

PEACE BUILDING AND POLITICAL CONTEXT

November 24 marked the signing of the new peace agreement between the government of Colombia (GOC) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Signed 53 days after the referendum in which a slim majority of Colombian citizens voted against ratifying the peace accords, this new agreement was the result of intense negotiations that included several initiatives promoted by the political opposition. On December 1, Colombia’s Congress countersigned the agreement, and implementation commenced, surrounded by political controversies and operational complications. In the coming months, the guerrilla group is expected to fully disarm and initiate its transformation into a legal political party. Amidst an agitated political scenario, President Santos received the Nobel Peace Prize for his perseverance and will to end the 50-year conflict that has affected Colombians across the country, particularly those in rural areas.

Recent institutional reforms creating new entities to address the post-conflict implementation challenges are now starting their execution phase, giving way to the design of new policies and processes to respond to point one of the peace agreement (regarding comprehensive rural reform), which was only slightly modified in the new signed version. USAID’s Land and Rural Development Program (LRDP) remains committed to preparing Colombia for peace, which hinges on regional governments and entities being able to implement an integrated approach to rural development that embraces strengthened land rights and the restitution of land for families located in post-conflict regions, thereby facilitating sustainable livelihoods. To this end, we have achieved key milestones this quarter that contribute to the program’s overall objectives and that support the GOC in its post-conflict goals, enhancing Colombia’s capacity to mobilize resources to remote regions that have been neglected for decades.

Together with a territorial approach to peace building and rural development that includes strong community participation—a method being supported by the program through the design of the PDET model—the GOC must also engage in an innovative and effective illicit crop reduction policy if it hopes to successfully implement the peace accords. Although not part of LRDP objectives, and recognizing the general lack of illicit crops in LRDP’s municipalities, this issue is central to the rollout of integrated rural development and land policies in Colombia. As stated in a recent article by experts from Fundación Ideas para La Paz, “In a few weeks, the press will report on a new historic peak in [illicit] cultivations. The overlap between this increase and the start of the Trump era in the US is expected to result in great pressure for Colombia.” The GOC can respond to this either through a rapid and unsustainable strategy for illicit crop substitution or by making structural changes to improve state presence and to support communities engaging in voluntary eradication. The development of a comprehensive land tenure policy, especially regarding land formalization, is critical to the success of an innovative approach to illicit crop substitution. LRDP will provide the National Land Agency with recommendations for adjusting the massive formalization methodology designed by the program in year 3 so that it contemplates the presence of illicit crops.

KEY ADVANCES

LRDP achieved an important milestone this quarter by helping the Land Restitution Unit (LRU) prepare its Inter-Institutional Strategic Plan, which provides a roadmap for the GOC in terms of solving the large number of pending land restitution claims between now and 2021. This plan, which was submitted to the Constitutional Court, recommends how the GOC can adapt its restitution policy with regard to areas that are home to illicit crops. In addition, as part of our effort to help the LRU streamline restitution processes, we completed evidentiary material for ethnic restitution cases in Cesar and Meta on behalf of indigenous Yupka and Sikuani communities.

Property registration files are arguably the backbone of Colombia’s land-related processes, as they not only indicate a property’s location, type, and transaction history but also can reveal fraudulent owners. This information is essential for reducing tenure insecurity, land inequality, and conflict.

In our effort to enhance local governments’ capacity to address land formalization, we finalized the design of the municipal formalization plan for Santander de Quilichao (Cauca), which provides a formalization roadmap for 33,000 land parcels, consistent with the area’s ethnic and geographical diversity. Our solid relationship with the mayor, coupled with his conviction of the importance of inter-institutional linkages for the successful implementation of land policies, has resulted in a coordinated strategy for formalization and restitution processes at the local level. Furthermore, we advanced toward the implementation of our massive formalization pilot in Ovejas (Sucre) by organizing active interactions between key entities involved and convening technical discussions for the integration of this activity with the government’s multipurpose cadaster initiative. Alongside these efforts, we continued strengthening our relationship with and assistance to the National Land Agency so that it can manage the very complex challenges ahead in terms of meeting the government’s land formalization goals.

This quarter, we initiated one of the program’s largest activities aimed at facilitating the implementation of Colombia’s rural reform and multipurpose cadaster: the digitalization of property registration files housed by the Superintendence of Notary and Registry (SNR). Over one million files from 17 public registry offices will be digitalized, providing electronic access to property registry information for 20% of the country’s territory. Although this activity has faced major setbacks due to the sensitivity of the information and strict custody protocols, it is poised to have an enormous impact on the efficiency of Colombia’s land registry and to considerably decrease the illegal manipulation of property files, a major factor fueling land tenure insecurity, land inequality, and conflict.

As part of LRDP’s public-private partnership (PPP) strategy, which integrates land and rural interventions at the regional level, a new beekeeping school was established in Cesar. In November, 83 beekeepers graduated from the school, equipped with improved capacity and technical tools to generate sustainable livelihoods for their families. This is just the beginning of a promising project that will mobilize national and regional resources to benefit ethnic and campesino communities in the area. Likewise, in Montes de María, 123 cacao producers and representatives from public and mixed institutions participated in trainings conducted by Fedecacao and the National Company of Chocolates as part of the commitments made through the regional cacao PPP that seeks to improve productivity and product quality of the crop. LRDP is working closely with the Rural Development Agency to facilitate its involvement in prioritized PPPs, maximizing the impact of our support and engaging this new entity at the regional and local levels through tangible investments.

INTEGRATED APPROACH TO LAND AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

This quarter, we consolidated our efforts to integrate the program’s four thematic components and proposed concrete examples for strengthening such an integrated approach in years 4 and 5, as discussed during the Strategic Review Session held in Villavicencio (Meta).3 With PPPs as a cross-cutting activity to enhance the livelihoods of restituted families and promote land formalization to improve the delivery of rural public goods, we are working to guide the GOC at the national and regional levels toward this approach in order to ensure the sustainability of rural development interventions.

The USAID Tajikistan Land Reform and Farm Restructuring Project (LRFRP) consolidates the gains achieved under the previous project and focuses on building the capacity of Government of Tajikistan (GoT) stakeholders to take ownership of the land tenure reform process. Specifically, the project strengthens the capacity of the Tajik Government to introduce progressive land legislation and policies based on “freedom to farm” principles; enhance farmers’ awareness of land-related rights through training, legal assistance, and public outreach efforts; and provide technical training on land rights issues to local government officials, judges, public prosecutors, and defense advocates to promote fair administration of land tenure laws.

Summary of Quarterly Achievements

• Project representatives presented LRFRP goals and an overview of planned activities at a FTF/T partners meeting.
• The project team established a platform for dialogue through official letters between the project and Presidential Apparatus, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Agriculture, State Committee on Land Management, and Geodesy.
• Conducted an analysis of TV, radio, and newspaper outlets for LRFRP public outreach activities in the Khatlon Region.
• Conducted a survey of existing training materials related to land reform to ensure consistency and accuracy with respect to current legislation.
• Developed the Year 1 work plan, performance monitoring and evaluation plan (PMEP), and grants manual.
• Established main project office in Dushanbe.

The “LAND UPDATE” is an electronic newsletter produced by the Ethiopia Land Administration to Nurture Development (LAND) project. The LAND project works at the national and regional levels of government to further improve the legal and regulatory framework related to land tenure and property rights and thereby support the Government of Ethiopia’s and USAID’s goal of increasing economic growth, particularly agricultural sector growth, improving rural resiliency, and improving governance. LAND uses a variety of activities to strengthen capacity of land administration and land use institutions. In addition, LAND supports activities focusing on securing rights to community lands, strengthening capacity of community members to manage their natural resource assets.

LAND Implementation to Commence in Afar Regional State

LAND began consultations with Afar National Regional State and stakeholders on ways of supporting the regional government in securing pastoralists land use rights. At the first consultation meeting held from April 30 – May 1, 2015, H.E. Ato Ismail Ali Sirro, President of the Afar Regional State said, “Despite our region’s immense potential for crop farming and the existence of various natural resources and large number of livestock, the people of our region could not benefit from these resources due to natural and man-made problems as well as lack of appropriate land administration and land use plans.” According to the President, the region hasn’t conducted demarcation, registration, and certification of communal grazing lands due to lack of experienced and trained manpower. He added that the lack of recognition of pastoralists’ land use rights resulted in mismanagement and degradation of communal lands and a decline in livestock productivity.

In 2014, LAND built the capacity of the region’s Environmental Protection and Land Administration and Use Agency by sponsoring three of its staff to a Master’s Degree in Land Administration and Management at the Institute of Land Administration in Bahir Dar University. This coming year, two more staff will join the program and one of them is female. LAND also provided short term trainings on land use planning and rural land laws. Currently, support is being given in revising the region’s land expropriation, valuation and compensation guidelines.

LAND is embarking on piloting demarcation and certification of pastoral lands in selected sites of the Afar National Regional State. The main objective of the new intervention is to assist the regional state government to formalize the land use rights of pastoral communities and give recognition to and strengthen the community land governance entities that would manage their rangeland and its natural resources.

Appreciating LAND’s plan, the Vice President of the region H.E. Ato Awol Arba, said, “We have land administration and use policy and law as well as guidelines for their implementation. What we haven’t done is implementing them. Therefore, I appreciate the idea proposed by the LAND project to pilot selected woredas for communal land certification.”

LAND is recruiting a regional coordinator for the region and making preparations to conduct rapid appraisal in the selected sites for the pilot. It will also continue consultations with stakeholders to pave the way for successful intervention in the region.

Grant Issued for Research in the Land Sector

LAND began releasing grants to the finalists of LAND competitive research and development grant scheme, which has a total value of over $600,000. LAND announced the grant program in July 2014 and in response, 32 concept notes were submitted. LAND’s review and evaluation committee selected 14 concept notes from 12 institutions to move to the next cycle of developing full proposals.

Subsequently, six applicants made it to the final stage and have signed grant agreements with LAND.

The institutions represented by project leaders and principal researchers were given orientation on the terms and conditions of the awards as well as grant administration processes prior to commencement of project implementation. During the orientation, Dr. Solomon Bekure, LAND COP, stated that there was limited research conducted in the land sector in Ethiopia. LAND’s Competitive Grant scheme is the first step towards helping bridge the gap. The result of such research can evidently inform policy makers and land administration and use professionals as well as other concerned stakeholders. USAID Senior Agricultural Policy Advisor, Dr. Zemen Haddis made significant investment in the land sector, providing comprehensive support in all regions. The main objective of investing in land is to ensure land tenure security. He stressed that the research findings should not be shelved as reports, rather they need to be made widely available to stakeholders to bring about practical changes.

A half-day training was also organized for the grantees’ financial, procurement and administrative staff on standard financial management and administrative requirements of USAID grants.

LAND’s research grant scheme is established to promote research excellence and to nurture and develop a research network and peer cooperation in the land sector among universities and research organizations. Operations of ETHIOLANDNET by Bahir Dar University to engage in the promotion of research and exchange of information among universities, government organizations and research institutions is one of the grants approved under the scheme.

The next round of LAND competitive research grant scheme is expected to be announced before the end of the year.

Gender Mainstreaming Training for Draft Lawmakers

LAND organized a two-day gender mainstreaming training for 19 members of the Ethiopian Women’s Land Rights Taskforce on 21 to 22 April 2015 in Bishoftu. Similar trainings were also arranged for 6 members of the drafting committee for amending the rural land administration and land use proclamation no. 456/2005 and five members of the drafting committee for the proposed Oromia pastoral land administration regulation on 23 and 24 April 2015 respectively in Bishoftu. Ms. Hirut Girma, from Landesa and Ms. Rene Giovarelli, from the Center for Gender and Resource Equity (CGRE) in the US, who were assisted by Ms. Medhanit Adamu, LAND’s Gender Specialist, conducted the training. LAND’s Property Right Lawyer, Mr. Abebe Mulatu, gave an overview of the law making process in Ethiopia during the one day trainings designed for the drafting committee members.

LAND is currently assisting the Ethiopian government in drafting and amending rural land laws at the federal level. The gender mainstreaming training was organized to ensure that Ethiopian land laws recognize and protect women’s land rights and a gender sensitive approach is adopted as an integral part of the drafting and amending processes.

Even though the Ethiopian Constitution and land laws recognize women’s right to acquire, administer, control, use and transfer property, women remain significantly less likely to access, use and control land. The land they have access to is often of poorer quality and consists of smaller plots. LAND believes that effectively protecting women’s rights include providing capacity development training on women’s rights and gender mainstreaming methods to lawmakers. The trainings are intended to strengthen the capacity of those involved in drafting of laws by providing practical skills in gender analysis and raising their awareness of women’s land rights. The training is also aimed to equip participants with knowledge and skills to assess the strengths, gaps, and inconsistencies in existing land related laws; assess best practices in women’s land rights; and identify potential entry points for redressing the identified challenges.

Land Administration to Nurture Development (LAND) Contact: info@etland.org Tel: 251- (0) 116 631 129 , 251- (0) 116 630 832

The USAID Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development Project (PRADD II) supports governments to implement mining best practices in Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea, and promotes good governance of the mining sector at the international level through the Kimberley process (KP), the international mechanism that prevents rough diamonds from fueling conflict. The program—a $19 million five-year joint USAID/European Union initiative—is a follow-on project to PRADD, USAID’s former flagship mining project that was implemented from 2007–2013 across Central African Republic, Guinea, and Liberia.

The objective of PRADD II is to increase the number of alluvial diamonds entering the formal chain of custody, while improving the benefits accruing to diamond mining communities. Artisanal miners labor under archaic and difficult working conditions and live in extreme poverty, often receiving less than 9% of the retail price of the stones they extract. Poverty prevents miners from acquiring the licenses required to operate within the law, the equipment necessary to increase their gains, and the assets needed to diversify their livelihoods. Not surprisingly, miners often become incentivized to mine quickly, sell fast, and rapidly move on to new sites. These practices have devastating economic and environmental consequences, negatively impact export revenues, and prevent compliance with the Kimberley Process.

USAID’s Property Rights Program (PRP) is a four-year activity that aims to address the property rights challenges and to develop a plan for the stabilization of the property rights regime in Kosovo. The program will work in partnership with the Government of Kosovo (GOK), selected municipalities and other relevant local and international stakeholders. USAID has allocated $8.5 million for the implementation of the Property Rights Program.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Summary of results for the reporting period and key achievements.

Objective 1: Better Coordination and Policy Priorities

A final MOU between the EU-funded Support to the Civil Code and Property Rights (CCPR) project and the PRP setting out arrangements for cooperation and coordination was signed on behalf of participants, Tetra Tech ARD and GIZ IS and witnessed by the USAID Mission Director on December 12, 2014.

Obtained agreement with the Division of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of European Integration that the PRP should guide coordination to develop the National Property Rights Strategy and that this would in no way interfere with Ministry of European Integration activities. This division within the Ministry of European Integration is charged with coordination and development of policy priorities and donor coordination activities in the property sector under Regulation No. 4/2011.

Worked with the Director of the Department of EU and Policy Coordination at the Ministry of Justice to organize a high-level Property Rights Stakeholders meeting, as part of an effort to establish a Property Rights Sectorial Working Group (SWG) that will provide the institutional platform to ensure formal coordination among all property rights stakeholders.

Agreed with the CCPR that the PRP will specifically identify constraints and obstacles faced by the courts and/or the parties to proceedings related to property cases, and will look for ways to revise procedures and practices to improve the court system with regard to property rights.

The PRP subcontracted the Civil Rights Program in Kosovo (CRP/K) to conduct legislative analysis and prepare a report regarding legislation affecting minority communities including issues of religious properties and challenges to accessing justice in the courts. Draft reports were submitted by CRP/K in late December and are under review by the PRP.

Objective 2: Improved Court Procedures Related to Property Claims

The PRP engaged a Court Management Consultant from Tetra Tech DPK to provide short-term expert consultation to develop customized assessment tools to assist the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) to assess and analyze current court processes related to the adjudication and processing of property claims.

PRP, together with Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) and the Basic Courts of Ferizaj, Gjilan, and Gjakova used the tool to assess the extent to which applicable legislation, judicial practices, and case processing procedures constrain efficient adjudication of property rights in courts.

Objective 3: Enhanced Women’s Rights to Use Property in Practice

The PRP took an active part in launching the National Campaign, under the Patronage of the President of the Republic of Kosovo, to Improve Gender Equality in the Property Registration “For our Common Good”.

The PRP engaged a Behavior Change Communications Expert from Tetra Tech ARD to deliver training of trainers for the PRP Communications and Public Outreach Manager and the Gender and Property Rights Specialist to build their capacity in BCC methods. The Behavior Communication Expert also provided the PRP with training materials for the training of the CSOs under the USAID Engagement for Equity (E4E) program.

The PRP engaged a gender expert consultant to conduct a legal review of all relevant legislation, develop a process map of the inheritance process identifying administrative procedures that enable exclusion of women from inheritance proceedings, and to provide analysis of the cultural issues and power dynamics between women and men that prevent women from exercising their property rights.

The PRP took part in the organization of and presentations at three workshops on the financing of women’s businesses and the role of women’s property rights in the process with Crimson Finance Fund; Gjakova on October 10, 2013 with 32 owners of women’s businesses; Gjilan on November 25, 2014 with 62 women’s businesses participating; and in Peja on December 10, 2014 attended by over 100 local women’s businesses.

Objective 4: Improved Communication, Access to Information and Understanding of Property Rights

The PRP engaged an expert consultant to conduct a series of interviews with Kosovo Cadastral Agency (KCA), Municipal Cadastre Offices (MCOs), Civil Registries, notary offices, and relevant officials in the municipalities of Vushtrri, Istog, Gjakova, Shterpce, Ferizaj, and Gjilan and Fushe Kosova to identify needs, capacity of existing systems, and procedures employed to obtain, manage and share data and to make preliminary suggestions for the use of USAID Government to Government (G2G) funding to support activities with municipalities to improve the sharing of property related information to assist courts to more efficiently adjudicate claims and facilitate market transactions.  The consultant’s report was submitted to USAID.