By Giulia Barbanente and Jimmy Gaudin
IFAD and FAO have brought together their shared experiences in the GeoTech4Tenure programme, to support IFAD Country Teams and IFAD supported projects to strengthen the impact of tenure activities in the context of agriculture and rural development programmes. The Combining Geo-Referencing Technology and Participatory Methods for Securing Tenure Rights (GeoTech4Tenure) Technical Guide and its learning programme, aim to support participants in ensuring they better considered land tenure security in the project they are involved in. It also provides them with a framework within which to work closely with communities and stakeholders, through participatory methods, to use geospatial technologies to define, record, monitor and manage land tenure rights within the project and for a sustainable future.
IFAD and FAO have brought together their shared experiences in the GeoTech4Tenure programme, to support IFAD Country Teams and IFAD supported projects to strengthen the impact of tenure activities in the context of agriculture and rural development programmes. The Combining Geo-Referencing Technology and Participatory Methods for Securing Tenure Rights (GeoTech4Tenure) Technical Guide and its learning programme, aim to support participants in ensuring they better considered land tenure security in the project they are involved in. It also provides them with a framework within which to work closely with communities and stakeholders, through participatory methods, to use geospatial technologies to define, record, monitor and manage land tenure rights within the project and for a sustainable future.
This learning programme intends to enhance the capacities of IFAD Country and Project Teams and other development partners by providing guidance on actions they can take to ensure a participatory approach to the establishment of secure tenure rights to underpin rural transformation projects. The guidelines have been developed in a manner that is consistent with the principles of Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT). In particular, the course explores resource requirements for securing tenure rights, a process for effective and inclusive participatory planning, defining, distributing, monitoring and maintaining land rights, and guidance on technologies that can support and enhance these discussions and outcomes.
In short, the learning programme comprises three phases:
- Guided by tenure experts, participants will work online (at their own pace) and participate in live instructor-led sessions to further develop their understanding of the basic principles of land tenure security as set forth in the Voluntary Guidelines and apply those principles to their own country context;
- Building on the principles established in Phase one, participants will take part in live instructor-led workshops, complemented by self-paced pre- and postworkshop activities. During this Phase participants will consolidate their knowledge of land tenure security and focus on the use of participatory methods, with complementary geo-spatial technologies for securing land tenure. Throughout the course participants will identify and prioritize actions that could be implemented in their own projects to achieve sustainable land tenure rights; and
- Participants will have an opportunity to seek guidance and support for implementing their recommendations through post-workshop mentoring. At the end of the learning programme participants will receive a Certificate confirming they have completed the programme.
The Learning Programme is designed for decision-makers from public and private land-based investments, who have identified weak tenure security as a challenge and intend to support participatory actions to increase security of tenure. Selected participants will become better able to facilitate participatory decision-making and the process of securing tenure rights through documentation, as well as identifying the most appropriate technologies to strengthen and support this process. Participants will have an opportunity to actively engage with colleagues at the central and local level in creating a joint plan of action. Finally, they will join an influential network of professionals who can improve land governance through participatory methods, and use of appropriate geo-spatial technologies.
To date, the project has gathered 93 expressions of interest received from more than 30 countries; the list is not exhaustive and more applications are expected in the future. In the coming months, IFAD and FAO will continue collaborating on delivering the project activities. These include the pilot training planned for early next year with the expected participation of approximatively 40 participants. This pilot training will serve to inform, revise and finalize the training module. Other trainings will follow in other languages, based on the demand. Once finalized, the guidelines and the training module will be available on both IFAD and FAO online learning systems.
The programme is funded by the Innovation Challenge Fund in IFAD with additional resource contributions by IFAD’s Land Tenure Desk and FAO’s Land Tenure Unit in the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division. It is implemented by FAO’s Land Tenure Unit in close collaboration with IFAD’s Land Tenure Desk.
For more information on the programme, please contact: GeoTech4-Tenure@fao.org.