Towards a Responsible Land Administration Curriculum

In line with the GLTN focus on strengthening land policy, improving global knowledge, and strengthening capacity of partners, the GLTN Secretariat engaged ITC (University of Twente) to explore the feasibility of the design and development of curricula in Responsible Land Administration. The general objective is to strengthen the capacity of higher education and other relevant networks or institutions globally and provide quality undergraduate and post-graduate courses on the theme of pro-poor, gender responsive land tools. In inception phase representatives from ITC and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in consultation with GLTN secretariat, guided by the project’s general objective, developed a framework with overall approach. The main output was a curriculum design entitled ”Teaching Essentials for Responsible Land Administration” with a course title “Responsible Land Administration 101” was created and distributed for review and comments. A final report included a brief outline of a draft curriculum and recommendations for next phase/s of curriculum development.
This preliminary work forms the basis for the next stage of development, which is coordinated by RMIT University and University of East London under project 2 of the GLTN Research and Training Cluster. This project aims to develop detailed outlines for each of the 6 Modules, and commence development of full curricula. Based on the original design by ITC expanded outlines for each Module have been developed and it is on these that we are seeking expert input with key stakeholders. In November 2016, an expert group meeting (EGM) was held at the University of East London. The EGM was organized by GLTN partners UN-Habitat, the University of East London and RMIT University. A total of 18 experts, from various countries and academic and professional disciplines within the land sector, discussed and agreed on next steps in the production of a structured knowledge base to support the development and delivery of the curriculum. The potential users include any land-related academic program and self-study courses with potential for certification.
This EGM has established a firm foundation for the development of the structured knowledge base, which is planned for completion during 2017. Six modules are planned, including an introductory, module on responsible land administration, plus five substantial modules covering the key subject areas of access to land & land tenure security, land management & planning, land policy & regulatory frameworks, land based financing / land value sharing, and responsible land administration and information.