1. VGGT AND THE F&G: VERSATILE TOOLS FOR IMPROVING TENURE GOVERNANCE
Wordsworth Odame Larbi
Transversal Coordinator
FAO
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2. INTRODUCTION
Responsible tenure governance improves food security, poverty reduction, environmental management, reduction of tenure related conflicts, social and economic development
VGGT was endorsed by CFS in May 2012
F&G was endorsed by the AU in 2009 through the AU Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges
Soft laws with persuasive effect but set the standards and frameworks for improving governance of tenure, land policy frameworks, land administration systems, land use planning, etc
Signify global engagement for dealing with challenges of tenure governance by promoting transparent and accountable tenure structures and administrations

3. CHALLENGES OF TENURE Tenure insecurity Colonial legacies
Legal pluralism
Legal recognition of customary land rights including women’s land rights
Gender issues
Rapid urbanization
Challenges of land use planning
Land related conflicts
Pastoral rights to land
Inefficient and ineffective land administration systems
Institutional deficiencies

4. GLOBAL/ REGIONAL RESPONSES
Reference framework, process guidance and standards for improving governance of tenure
Promote land regimes that offer more secure tenure
Recognition of legitimate tenure rights
Safeguards for large scale land acquisitions

5. THE EUROPEAN UNION LAND GOVERNANCE PROGRAMME
Country-specific tenure issues
Varied implementers including Government, International Development agencies such as FAO, GIZ, Technical assistance firms, CSOs, Private sector companies
A wide array of tenure issues including mapping and recording of community/customary rights, legal recognition of customary rights, inventory of public lands, agricultural investments, fisheries tenure, pastoral rights, post-conflict tenure situations
Use of technology to influence change
Linking projects to policy processes
16 ACTIVE IN-COUNTRY PROJECTS
MORE THAN 60 MILLION EUROS
Phase 1: Angola, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, Swaziland
Phase 2: Brazil, Cameroun, Columbia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Pakistan, Sudan, Uganda

6. THEORY OF CHANGE In-country Projects Global/Regional
Food security, Poverty reduction, Environmental sustainability
LPI/FAO
Monitoring reports on integrated implementation
National level policy processes
Inputs and data for monitoring SDG indicators
Provide quality technical support
Global/Regional
AU Declaration on Land Issues
Global VGGT implementation
Improved land governance
Transversal Support links the individual projects and strengthens their capacity to achieve their objectives within the framework of the VGGT and, in the African context, the AU Declaration
Transversal project provides:
VGGT compliance and analysis
Opportunities for cross- learning
Opportunities to influence policy and practices
Sourcing quality technical support
Transversal Support
Transversal Project:
Capacity Development; Experience Capitalization;
Knowledge Sharing; Cross-cutting themes support
Support to M&E; Communication
The conceptual framework and the linkages between the Transversal and the In-country projects. The transversal project uses evidence from the in-country projects to monitor the uptake and use of the VGGT and the F&G so as to be able to report ultimately to the African Union and the CFS. In return the Transversal support provides capacity development, tools for effective implementation and a platform for experience and lesson sharing the thereby opportunity to influence policies and practices. At the same time it ensures a consolidation of the critical mass of change agents/champions at the country level.
In-country projects provide:
Evidence of using VGGT/F&G principles
Opportunities to assess impact of VGGT/F&G
Opportunities to participate in knowledge sharing activities
In-country Projects
Range of tenure related issues
Different implementation models to influence policy and achieve good land governance

7. EXPERIENCE CAPITALIZATION
TRANSVERSAL SUPPORT
Implementing VGGT/F&G at country level require dedicated effort to capacitate project implementation teams and government agencies
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
KMP
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
EXPERIENCE CAPITALIZATION
Transversal Support ensures that project implementation is regularly monitored and that the wealth of lessons learnt are documented and disseminated: “What has worked? What has not? Why?”.
M&E
HOW CAN PROJECTS BE SUPPORTED IN OPERATING IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE F&G AND VGGT?
COORDINATION

8. CAPITALIZATION MECHANISMS
OBJECTIVES
Review progress
Increase technical and soft skills through variety of methodologies
PPT, Share fair, Poster, World Cafes, Group discussions, Bilateral discussions
Share experiences/ Learn from peers
Collect good practices to inform communication products and higher level processes

9. CAPITALIZATION MECHANISMS
OUTCOMES
Lessons learnt for improved project implementation
Capacity increased in specific technical and soft skills
Good exchanges to develop capacity for project implementation
Good practices captured to inform communication products and higher level processes

10. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Behaviours, Process, Standards, and Technical Solutions that allow you to share and use knowledge to support the strategic goal of the Programme or Organization
Increase knowledge of the projects
Increase project memory

11. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM
A better way – knowledge repository
Minimize re-learning
Increase productivity
The old way
cc: everyone
Transversal
Memory

12. KMP
The EU Land Governance KMP serves as the main online communication tool and information repository for project implementers:

13. MONITORING & EVALUATION
Key to all projects in terms of tracking, documentation and reporting
M&E Framework prepared to cover Pan-African, Transversal and Country level projects
Pan-African level indicators are aligned with MELA
Country level indicators aligned with MELA where the countries overlap – Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Niger and Uganda
Integrated into the KMP with privileged access to in-country projects:
Data to be provided by in-country projects
Indicators agreed and validated by CM
Move from output reporting to results reporting

14. LESSONS LEARNT
Mainstreaming of VGGT and F&G into project implementation requires deliberate effort and trackable indicators
Projects are feeding into national processes and influencing policies - Cote d’Ivoire, Angola, Kenya, Niger, Ghana
Improving recognition and recording of customary/ communal land rights – Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Swaziland
VGGT and F&G principles are internalized in project implementation – Consultation, participation, inclusiveness, etc.
Comprehensive capacity development of all stakeholders – Ethiopia, Malawi
Private sector and professional association participation increase VGGT awareness and intake – Cote d’Ivoire
Enabling technology provides entry point and catalyst for reviewing and streamlining land administration processes to achieve policy, legal and institutional reforms – Angola, Ghana (Open Tenure for tenure rights in fishing)
In country projects are ways of ensuring that VGGT principles are mainstreamed into legal, policy and institutional processes
Good knowledge on key thematic issues generated – Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Angola; VGGT translation into Portuguese and Amharic

15. Strong political leadership and commitment to improve land governance – classic example Angola
Strong commitment from the project staff and government counterparts to participate in capitalization meetings – Malawi, Swaziland, Kenya, Ethiopia
Capitalization meetings enable participants to learn new approaches to address governance of tenure issues and identify good practices
Integrating projects into policy processes not only contribute to successful implementation but also to sustainability of gains and impacts eg Niger États Généraux du foncier Rural (EGFR); Cote d’Ivoire Technical Assistance; Ghana Revision of legal frameworks on fisheries
Linking projects to long term vision of the land sector in the country, enabling succesor projects to be formulated on time eg. Kenya
Realistic goals which take into account the full range of complexities and inclusion of all key stakeholders in implementation eg. Kenya
Effective communication with appropriate messages to key stakeholders eg Burundi used a jingle on inventory of public lands
Transversal project is an excellent model for coordinating projects across several countries, providing capacity and knowledge to ensure successful implementation
Translation of VGGT and TGs into local languages increases knowledge uptake and use at national and local levels eg Portuguese and Amharic
VGGT integrated into the ALPC processes and reporting to AUC
Success Factors

16. Challenges
Strong commitment and political leadership needed to ensure VGGT and F&G are used
Deliberate effort is needed to integrate VGGT and F&G into land governance processes. It will not happen automatically
Continued awareness raising and sensitization on VGGT at country level. Still a ‘heavy’ document that requires breakdown at local and community levels
Women participation in land governance process is still weak across all the projects – Average 18 – 32 percent
Project M&E systems must link up with transversal M&E system
Limited use of the KMP
Sustained resources and time are needed to integrate VGGT into social and economic frameworks
Expected outcomes of some of the in-country projects are very ambitious for the project period

17. CONCLUSION
The quest for good governance will continue to be a relevant development agenda in developing countries so long as tenure security is an issue
The poor, vulnerable, minorities, youth, women and persons generally remote from power centers will lose out if land governance processes do not improve
International tools and support are available to assist countries in dealing with tenure challenges
There is demonstrable evidence from the in-country projects that with the appropriate political commitment and leadership the VGGT and F&G can be game changers in tenure governance
Effective capacity development, awareness raising and use of technology to raise a critical mass of VGGT champions at country level is needed
Long term engagement of development partners and more commitment from governments will ensure sustainability in gains made and impact

18. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
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