The Challenge of Sustaining Project-Driven Results in Decentralized Land Tenure Management in the Senegal River Valley: Lessons from the MCC-MCA Land Tenure Security Activity Alain Diouf, Millennium Challenge Account, Senegal Kent Elbow, Millennium Challenge Corporation 1 Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty 2016

LTSA as a case study for sustainability of project results Study objectives: –Identify the conditions that contribute to sustainability –Contribute to knowledge of best practices for achieving sustainable results in the domain of land governance –Draw attention to the need for sustainability analysis and planning Why LTSA? –High level of awareness of the sustainability challenge –Explicit commitment and strategy for achieving long-term sustainability of project-driven results –Achieved results that are worth sustaining 2

A fundamental challenge to sustainability of project- drive results: Sporadic or incomplete implementation of national land policies The 1964 National Domain Law of Senegal Example from Burkina Faso: the 2009 Rural Land Tenure Law Example from Niger: the 1993 Orientation Framework for a new Rural Code Observation: While it’s true that in some cases considerable progress can be achieved within a span of 5 years, maintaining inertia and results often becomes extremely challenging once the project apparatus – and funding – have been dismantled and the partner government is unprepared to maintain inertia. National Domain Law,

Presentation of LTSA/IWRM 5-year MCC compact with Senegal implemented $171.7 million Integrated Water Resources Management Project (Large-Scale Irrigation) LTSA component to achieve secure and conflict-free land tenure LTSA assisted nine local governments to: –Formalize land rights in irrigation perimeters, –Conduct transparent land allocation operations based on a standardized procedures manual, –Computerize and manage land information systems, and –Update and apply commune-level land occupation and use plans including mechanisms for dispute resolution. 4

LTSA Results (worth sustaining) 60,151 hectares surveyed, mapped and existing land rights documented 10,003 rural land parcels incorporated into computerized land information systems established in 9 communities Delivery of 5,699 use rights titles 147 training sessions in use of land tenure security tools and processes (a total of 1,640 individuals trained) Improved land tenure management tools: land property rights registries, land occupation and use management plans, land allocation manuals… Participatory development of core principles and criteria for allocation of developed land 40 land use and conflict management committees 9 land management technical support committees 5

Happy Coincidences: The policy and institutional context Abundance of donor and GOS partners working in land governance in the Senegal River Valley National development policies promoting food self- sufficiency (irrigated rice) Shared desire to move beyond a history of land conflict in the Senegal River Valley Current initiative to reform land tenure policy: –Senegal has been trying for 20 years to establish a viable land tenure reform program –Current Land Tenure Reform Commission gaining steam at end of Compact –LTSA off-the-shelf model that defines and protects land property rights with respect to Senegal policies and irrigated crop production 6

LTSA Planning for Sustainability Adapting the program to the local land tenure environment (“Research Phase”) Imposing conditions to strengthen local capacity and buy-in Passing the torch to development partners Identification of sustainability choke points Capitalization Workshops to transfer tools and skills to local actors Built-in calendar flexibility permitting: –Mid-course training adjustments (i.e., increased training) –Exceeding project lifetime targets –Facilitated on-the-job-learning for local land governance technical staff –Increased visibility of the LTSA model at the local and national levels 7

Institutionalizing results – tools Procedures Manual for land allocation Application for land rights (titre d’affectation) Acknowledgement of receipt of application Applications Register Land Tenure Dossier Reporting Template for the Land Commission Land Property Rights Registry Land Information System Land Occupation and Allocation Plan (POAS) Charter for the Irrigation Domain (CDI) Land Conflict Registry Template for “installation” (physical possession of land) report 8

Institutionalizing results – Enhanced technical resources and backstopping Community Assistants and CTASF Conflict mediators and conflict resolution committees at commune and sub-commune levels POAS (Land Use and Land Allocation) Committees 9

MCC Program for Evaluating Post-Compact Sustainability of LTSA Results Post compact M&E will monitor: o Successful management of land conflicts, o Extent of formalization of land rights, o Level of use of the land information system, and expansion of the LTSA model – or of parts of the model – to additional communities beyond those within the project intervention zone Impact Evaluation Research Questions: o Perceptions of land tenure security o Perceptions of access to land o Relationship between tenure security and productive investment o Demand for formalized land rights o Reasonableness of costs to formalize o Trends and perceptions of land conflicts o Perceptions regarding the quality of local land governance 10 MCC is firmly committed to monitoring the results and evaluating impact of its programs

…but will the Post-Compact M&E and IE studies answer the question that underlies our study, namely: Will the hard-earned results achieved during the compact survive and thrive during the post-compact period? At a high level, yes – we’ll be able to identify trends in local land governance in areas targeted by LTSA for improvement But we may not know why the trends are moving one way or another. That is, are the trends explained by: –Effectiveness (or shortcomings) of the LTSA “model”? –Focus and commitment to planning and program design for sustainability? –A program to “institutionalize” the “model”? –Post-compact engagement of government technical agencies? –International partners’ follow-up and support for LTSA’s work? We recommend additional post-compact investigation to confirm and prioritize “best practices” for achieving sustainability of project-driven results in the domain of local land governance In the meantime… 11

Brief Summary of LTSA Best Sustainability Practices Design and implement a robust research program to ensure an appropriate program design in view of the local land tenure context Build in and maintain flexibility in the implementation calendar Identify and exploit opportunities provided within the existing policy and institutional context Initiate and maintain, from the beginning, unwavering focus and commitment to a goal whose time horizon significantly exceeds that of the program implementation calendar 12 Choose wisely

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