When combined with public outreach to target vulnerable groups, land regulatory and institutional reform has the potential to empower the poorest households to formalize their plots. Well-designed communication campaigns may be key to catalyzing demand for land services. Often wealthier households with larger and more valuable land parcels are more likely to go through the bureaucratic procedures of land formalization. This often leaves smaller landholders with less tenure security. In Senegal, the project specifically targeted these poorer landholders in awareness raising and outreach campaigns, resulting in increased demand by these households. Analyzing interim survey data, the final evaluation explored the characteristics of land formalization recipients and found that the biggest increase in the share of plots with a title was among the poorest households and households with smaller area under cultivation. Future MCC policy and institutional reform interventions that are dependent on inciting demand for land services should consider investing in communication campaigns to reach target beneficiary groups.
Lesson Learned