Land Governance Support Activity FY19 Quarter 2 Report (January - March 2019)

The program aims to establish more effective land governance systems in Liberia, enabling comprehensive reforms to improve equitable access to land and security of tenure. This, in turn, is expected to facilitate inclusive sustained growth and development, ensure peace and security, and provide sustainable management of the environment. LGSA provides technical and organizational assistance to the Government of Liberia (GOL), civil society, and communities in their land rights reform process. The program is implemented in collaboration with partners Landesa, CDR Associates (CDR), Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), and Parley. Tetra Tech and its partners work closely with the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) and the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Working Group on Land Reform to implement the Land Rights Act (LRA). During the reporting period, LGSA made significant progress in strengthening the land governance regulatory framework. The program assisted the LLA in reviewing the draft strategy for the implementation of the LRA, developing model by-laws for the development and management of customary land, and preparing a comprehensive draft land governance regulation required for the proper implementation of the LRA. LGSA also made notable achievements in land administration personnel development and training. In partnership with the Forestry Training Institute (FTI), the program launched the Geomatics Education Program (GEP) on February 21, 2019. The program aims to provide training and capacity-building opportunities for land administration personnel, enabling them to effectively implement the LRA and other land governance functions. In addition to these achievements, LGSA continued to provide day-to-day advisory support to the LLA, particularly in regard to the implementation of the LRA, enhancing the capacity of the Gender Unit, and consolidating physical presence in the counties. The LLA benefited from day-to-day advice and technical discussions with the LGSA Chief of Party and other technical specialists from the project. The program's progress was hindered by funding issues, which slowed down some planned activities, such as providing survey training, public outreach, community land rights, and other support to improving the LLA's operating procedures. However, the program continued to make significant progress in strengthening the land governance regulatory framework and land administration personnel development and training. The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) is a key beneficiary of the LGSA program. The LLA continued to benefit from day-to-day advice and technical discussions with the LGSA Chief of Party and other technical specialists from the project. The LLA's Acting Chairperson, Commissioners, Executive Director, and other management and technical staff received advisory and technical support from the LGSA team. The program's success is attributed to the collaborative efforts of Tetra Tech and its partners, who worked closely with the LLA and the CSO Working Group on Land Reform to implement the LRA. The program's achievements demonstrate the importance of technical assistance in supporting the establishment of effective land governance systems in Liberia.