Evaluation of land policy and institutional reforms should ensure review and understanding of available land administrative data to best capture effects on land markets and sustainability of land institutions. The evaluation was able to review land administrative data in combination with qualitative data and household survey data to determine the types of households and parcels demanding land rights, the volume of land rights demanded, and related effectiveness and issues faced in processing of those land rights. Each data source has its strengths and limitations but combined these data sources can provide a clear picture of policy and institutional reform effects on land governance. Due to the nature of household surveys and often limited formal land transactions in the countries MCC works, the random sample provides only a small sample of households who utilize formal land services. The surveys allow for in-depth analysis of what types of households and parcels demand land rights and their related links with tenure security and investment; however, the small samples do not allow for an understanding of the overall institutional sustainability (demand and processing of land rights) and can lead to difficulties or errors when interpreting results. Administrative data provides a full picture of the land rights demanded and processed but the data can be difficult to obtain and, in this case, could not be directly linked with the household surveys. Follow-up questions using qualitative methods complement these quantitative sources by providing a deeper dive into the constraints and weaknesses in the demand and provision of land rights. Considering the land logic assumes provision of land rights documentation is a key interim outcome to improved perception of tenure and related investment and land use behavioral change, understanding who is obtaining these rights and the sustainability of these land institutions were key factors. Similar to Senegal, MCC land evaluations, such as in Burkina Rural Land Governance, Lesotho Land Administration Reform Activity and Mongolia Registry System and Process Survey, now use land administrative data to evaluate land policy institutional reforms.
Lesson Learned