Institutional sustainability is dependent on financial and human resources, political buy-in, sufficient training, demand for services, efficiencies of those new institutions, and country-level rollout and adoption. Project design should include a detailed assessment addressing these issues and resulting recommendations implemented as part of project design. The Land Administration Reform Activity'a (LARP’s) Land Administration Authority (LAA) succeeded where other similar MCC investments have not always been sustained or realized. This was potentially due to the significant preparatory work and assessments and capacity building done, including not only on streamlining procedures and systems work but also building human resources and financial sustainability. Urban Institute conducted a study to support LARP and the establishment of LARP and related functions and funding sources. LARP established the LAA in 2010, which allowed for training of staff for three years before the compact ended. There was also significant investment on strengthening the institutions procedures and finances, including ensuring that the LAA would continue to be funded in the post compact period until it could become self-financing. LARP also trained a Registration and Quality Unit to be able to conduct systematic regularization and not depend solely on international consultants which allowed the LAA to continue systematic regularization of remaining key areas and commercial properties post compact to promote the LAA’s financial sustainability. Maintenance and management, including budgetary provisions, of institutions and their management systems was also part of LARP but had difficulties being implemented in practice post compact. In the end, the political buy in was there due to the success of the LAA; however, these agreements would have been better to finalize ahead of Compact closure.
When designing projects that establish new institutions, it is important to take the financial and human resource sustainability into account. Where governments did not continue to support compact funded land institutions, these institutions were not able to continue to efficiently process land rights and related longer-term outcomes did not realize. In order to ensure sustainability of policy and institutional reform efforts, especially with newly established offices, legislation and procedures, it is key to consider a longer-term horizon during initial planning.