Land and Peace in Colombia: FFP Methodology for Field Data Collection and Data Handling

Abstract

Effective land administration is an essential step on the road to peace in Colombia. The Colombian government plans to have a complete nation-wide land tenure coverage within seven years. The traditional approach to land administration in Colombia is not up to this policy challenge: the pace is too slow, the costs too high, the procedures too complex. Fast and effective land administration is essential for the implementation of the Reforma Rural Integral of the Peace Agreements, and to maintain public confidence in the peace process. The Netherlands contributes to the implementation of the peace agreements by focussing on fast and effective land administration, together with the Colombian institutions. This paper presents a methodology for a project where fit-for-purpose Land Administration is tested at scale – after a successful field test. The test will be done in two pilot areas. These are participatory and integrated pilots, leading to cadastral maps and, more important, to land titles whenever the legal framework and institutional cooperation allows for land regularization and adjudication