Activities this quarter focused on analyzing and presenting the growing body of data that the ERC project is collecting, refining messages and improving the communications products that the LTRM Office uses to highlight its diverse work. ERC also continued to emphasize collaboration and communication across the STARR partner network.
Under Task 1, ERC worked with the LTRM Office and with USAID/Ethiopia to launch endline data collection for the Ethiopia Land Administration Program (ELAP) and Ethiopia Strengthening Land Tenure and Administration Program (ELTAP). We trained a local data collection firm and developed a set of survey instruments that effectively align with the original baseline instruments. We supplemented module material to the endline instruments in order to gather additional information about the impacts of second-level land certification in Ethiopia.
Our research, under Task 2 culminated in presenting four papers for the 2015 Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty (hereafter World Bank Land Conference) in collaboration with the LTRM Office. These four papers covered work conducted in Liberia, Ethiopia, and Zambia. We also contributed to the development of a survey paper that looked across projects to identify and discuss issues of interest. During this quarter survey instruments for the Community Forest Project in Zambia were finalized and data collectors were trained. In addition, we began research for two additional IEs: Ethiopia Land Administration to Nurture Development project (LAND) in the Afar region and Tenure and Global Climate Change project (TGCC) in Burma.
This quarter, activities under Task 3 focused on refining messaging related to what the LTRM Office does and communicating that message in a more targeted manner for increased impact. We also assisted with efforts to improve Office branding. ERC supported two events this quarter: a webinar on Land Tenure and Disasters and the World Bank Land Conference. To highlight the LTRM Office’s work at the latter event ERC produced a series of new products that included: a short animated video, an infographic, a photo gallery, a brochure for the Mobile Application to Strengthen Tenure (MAST) project, an informational postcard, and materials for two master classes on IE. We also began planning to make the growing body of materials associated with LTRM Office IEs accessible to researchers, students and others around the world through a data hub on the Portal.
Under Task 4, ERC continued to film modules for a new Massive Open Online Course on Land Tenure and Property Rights. ERC also continued to support the land tenure Community of Practice (which discussed the USAID programming in Rwanda). We developed a concept note for an Evidence Summit to share results of research on USAID-funded land programs in Ethiopia and supported the LTRM Office at the World Bank Land Conference.
Activities under Task 5 continue to move forward. The MAST project field tested technology in Pilot Village #1, began the process of building legal awareness of land rights, provided training to local leaders, and collaborated with evaluation firm Management Systems International (MSI) to prepare for the performance and IE of this pilot activity. This project continues to generate interest from the Government of Tanzania (GoT) and may help the Government achieve ambitious goals related to mapping and registering rural land rights under its Big Results Now program.
The second pilot project, the Land Governance Partnership in Burkina Faso, presents a number of challenges. ERC consultants and staff continue to provide remote support to the National Land Observatory (NLO) staff. During this quarter, the NLO completed recruitment of its staff. Most significantly, the NLO convened a workshop with key NLO stakeholders to define its’ five-year work plan.