Project- MOA

Land Administration and Management Project (L.A.M.P)

Overview

The Land Administration and Management Programme is a pilot programme jointly funded by the Government of Jamaica and the Inter-American Development Bank (I.D.B.). The Agreement was signed on the 5th April 2000. The purpose of the project is to support the Government in its efforts to establish a dynamic land market that promotes an efficient use of the resource thereby allowing accessibility to all segments of society in a fair and transparent manner.

The programme comprised four (4) components.

Land Registration
Land Information Management
Land Use Planning and Development
Public Land Management

Components of the Programme

Land Registration

Technical Assistance was provided under this component to develop new technical and institutional processes for regularization of land tenure in a proactive and systematic way. To achieve this specific objective, the tenure of 30,000 parcels in selected areas of St. Catherine were clarified. Legal documentation for securing land tenure was linked to accurate parcel boundary descriptions. In addition, the Survey department received support to implement part of this activity to strengthen their supervisory role in future tenure regularization, land registration and cadastral activities.

A national and local level public awareness campaign was conducted to encourage general public support for the Program, as well as to inform communities within the areas targeted for tenure clarification of the benefits of registered land ownership. At the local level, individuals were introduced to the procedures of the tenure clarification campaign and the incentives offered to applicants to register their land or update property records through the Program.

In addition, computer equipment and systems were provided to the Office of Titles to convert existing paper-based land records to digital format, as well as to establish a sustainable document imaging system to make the storage, continued conversion and retrieval of these digital documents more efficient. Public Land Management Component

Under this Component, the Government sought to achieve an acceleration of its land divestment program as a means of facilitating land access to all segments of society. Key activities were developed to initiate the operationalization of this commitment. These activities included the review of Government’s policy and associated operational strategies for public land management as well as the preparation of a manual for the divestment of public lands and a preliminary plan for the divestment of public lands in the parish of St. Catherine.

In addition, efficiency in the management of state-owned lands will be improved with the completion of an inventory of public lands in the parish of St. Catherine, including information on possession, land use, and land capabilities, and the design of information management systems to accurately record data and track all transactions pertaining to public lands.

Land Information Management Component

This component involved increasing he Government’s capacity in respect of land/geographic information and information systems to facilitate the policy formulation, planning and decision making needed for effective and efficient management and administration of land resources. This component consists of three primary activities: (i) facilitate the establishment of a network of land information systems; (ii) urban base mapping; and (iii) enhancement of the national geodetic network.

Under this component, an internet-based national land information system is to be developed. This includes: (i) initial installation of computer technology for the national land information system network at the Land Information Systems Division of the Survey Department; (ii) development of a framework for the implementation of national geographic information policies and the institutional agreements required for collaboration and information sharing among agencies and the private sector; (iii) creation of software applications for parcel data management and metadata management; (iv) creation of a multipurpose cadastral index database for St. Catherine; and (v) establishment and execution of training programs for land/geographic information management and mapping.

In order to provide up-to-date and accurate geographic data, aerial photography and digital base mapping covering approximately 32,000 hectares of the urban centers of Kingston and St. Andrew and Port Maria are to be completed. Color aerial photography has been acquired and has been used to produce digital maps that will form part of the national land information system. In addition, to enable cost effective cadastral surveying within the tenure clarification campaign as well as to enhance government mapping operations in general, technical assistance will be provided to implement a modern nation-wide geodetic network that is directly compatible with the Global Positioning System.

Land use planning and development component

This component is to provide technical support at the national and local levels to develop a decentralized and participatory framework for land use planning and development. This new planning framework will be guided by a manual that will define a more integrated and participatory land use planning process where physical, environmental, economic and social factors are taken into account. Based on this new planning framework, comprehensive development plans for Spanish Town and Santa Cruz will be produced. The resulting integrated development plans will be based on national policies and standards to address the long-term need for sustained urban growth in the country.

Achievements to Date

Land Registration

A Public Awareness Campaign was carried out involving the media, the internet, overseas edition of the Local Newspaper. Information was sent to the Jamaican Embassies in England, United States and Canada. There were meetings in Church Halls, at School Auditoriums throughout the blocks. The community meetings were well attended and the programme explained to the public. There was also an eight (8) page supplement in the Sunday Gleaner of October 28, 2001.

The Government also waived stamp duty and transfer tax, and the survey and legal work were carried out at minimal cost. The legal team also went out into communities to meet with the landowners.

Under the Land Registration Component, a target of 30,000 parcels of land in seven blocks in St. Catherine were to be regularized and clarified. The term regularization covers the Issuance of Certificate of Title for a parcel that has never been titled. The term clarification covers the updating of an existing Certificate of Title to accurately reflect the legal rights to the parcel.

A local Firm registered as Land Management Consortium (L.M.C.) was contracted through competitive International bidding to map 25,000 parcels in six blocks, 1,2,3,4,6 & 7. The remaining 5,000 parcels were to be mapped by an Institutional Team made up surveyors from the Surveys & Mapping Division of N.L.A. and paralegal officers attached to the Project Management Unit of L.A.M.P. The Contracting Firm completed 22,813 parcels while the Institutional Team completed 8,390 making a total of 31, 203 parcels mapped or 1,203 parcels above the target. 7,503 Legal files have been generated and these are rapidly being processed for titling.

Under this component the Titles Division of N.L.A. have been upgraded with computers and printers and scanners and a document imaging system. The computerization of the records has enabled N.L.A. to provide improved security and easier access to the records.

Land Information Management

Under this component the base mapping 32,000 hectares of Kingston & St. Andrew and Port Maria have been completed. Digital 1: 2000 orthophoto maps are available at the Surveys & Mapping Division.
4 G.P.S. continuous Operating Reference Stations were procured. Three of these have been installed in Kingston, Linstead and Lionel Town in Clarendon. They were all utilized in the surveying activities in St. Catherine.

Public Land Management

A Divestment Manual to govern the divestment of public land is being generated. A number of work shops have been held with representatives from all the relevant Agencies/Ministries. A framework document has been prepared and the final document should be ready by the end of the calendar year 2006.
An Inventory of Public Land and Buildings have been completed for St. Catherine. There are 6,705 parcels identified and verified 3,347 have buildings thereon.

Land Use Planning & Development

An Integrated Development Plan for Santa Cruz has been completed using the participatory planning process. N.E.P.A. and the St. Elizabeth Parish Council participated in the development of the plan.
A Participatory Planning Manual to guide the preparation of future integrated plans is completed and is with N.E.P.A.
Eight (8) training courses in Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.) were conducted for Officers from the local authorities. Thirty (30) Officers participated in this exercise.

At present the LAMP Teams are undertaking Land Tenure work on behalf of the National Irrigation Commission and working in the Colebeck area of St. Catherine and will shortly be going into St. Elizabeth and parts of Manchester.

Simultaneously, the Project Management Unit is keeping a window opened for landowners in St. Catherine who have finally decided to come on board so as to obtain the title for their land. I am not sure how long the Ministry will keep this window opened. The corridors of the Ministry are packed everyday with the late comers at the same time calls are coming in from other parishes.