ERC Quarterly Report (July 1 – September 30, 2014)

The purpose of ERC is to create, expand, and communicate the results of evidence-based knowledge around best practices in land tenure and property rights (LTPR). ERC aims to enhance internal USAID and external U.S. government (USG) learning, guide program design and implementation, and make the most effective use of limited development resources to accomplish key USG development objectives. The project supports achievement of USAID's Climate Change and Development Strategy under Strategic Objective 1, Intermediate Result 1.2, which includes ensuring the rights and engagement of local and indigenous communities in conjunction with a focus on improving tools and capacity for land-use planning to reduce deforestation. ERC also supports biodiversity conservation through collection and dissemination of evidence-based knowledge on how secure land tenure and property rights can incentivize sustainable land use and protection of valuable ecosystems. The task order includes five task areas that will be overseen under the direction of USAID's Office of Land Tenure and Resource Management (LTRM). These include impact evaluation, research, communication, training, and conducting pilot activities of promising innovative approaches in LTPR. The project employs a multidisciplinary approach that aligns with USAID Forward principles of learning and evidence-based programming as well as gender equality and female empowerment. During this quarter, the project expanded field activities, strengthened collaboration across the STARR partners' network, and supported joint efforts across offices within the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3) and with the Bureau for Food Security (BFS). In the impact evaluation work, the project continued to collaborate with the LTRM Office to improve the survey and interview instruments used and the processes involved in carrying out the six different impact evaluations managed under Tasks 1 and 2 of the ERC Task Order. The project successfully completed baseline data collection for the Tenure and Global Climate Change project and shared impact evaluation documents for the Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development II project and the Ethiopia Land Administration to Nurture Development project with STARR partners. The project also worked with the LTRM Office to oversee a significant, substantive review of the Ethiopia Strengthening Land Tenure and Administration Program and Ethiopia Land Administration Program endline survey documents. The ERC project is overseen by the USAID Office of Land Tenure and Resource Management, and the project's progress and learnings are reported quarterly. The project's activities are focused on creating, expanding, and communicating evidence-based knowledge around best practices in land tenure and property rights to support USAID's development objectives.