The chapter analyzes the land governance measurement. The land as crucial in any public policy and can be a constraint for the territorial development strategies. Frameworks for land governance are presented including The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security known as the VGGT, the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa, and the Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF). Initiatives for developing indicators for land governance and security of tenure are presented.
TopThe Land Governance Assessment Framework
The Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF) developed by the Bank and its partners (FAO, IFAD, UN-Habitat, African Union, IFPRI) precedes the VGGT. Its development was inspired by the consultations leading to the guidelines. The LGAF methodology piloting started in 2010, the Bank report was published in 2012, and a peer reviewed article in 2014.
LGAF is a country level, independent and comprehensive assessment guided by a framework of indicators, and undertaken by local experts using existing data and information. The LGAF assessment combines an analysis of the policy and institutional framework, with an assessment of the actual practice of implementation. It does so by compiling available data, information and experience, and drawing on expertise from all levels within government, academia, CSO/NGO and the private sector. The participatory process used consists of a series of steps to arrive at a shared assessment of the status of land governance in the country and agreed priorities. The
LGAF framework is compliant with the VGGT. FAO has developed a methodology to evaluate the usefulness and completeness of existing land governance assessment tools in the context of the VGGT for use at the country level.
VGGT and LGAF are also mutually reinforcing, with the VGGTs focusing on principles and overall guidance, and the LGAF on an evidence-based assessment of the current status of land governance and entry points, on which the VGGT can build.