CoBank Helps Volunteer Provide Further Guidance on Property Rights
Societies that experience conflict often have problems with land tenure and property rights, as people flee troubled areas or are forcibly relocated. Insecure land tenure poses significant impediments to economic and social reconstruction, because farmers and entrepreneurs are wary of investing when they cannot depend on legal and enduring access to land. Ineffective land administration may provoke more conflict and unsustainable resource use.
ACDI/VOCA has been working since September 2007 with partners ARD, Land Equity International and Belun on the Strengthening Property Rights in East Timor project. A mainstay of the project, which is a high priority of the government of East Timor, USAID and the U.S. embassy, is creating a process to systematically register land and property claims.
In June 2008 ACDI/VOCA volunteer Ed Doherty of Bailey, Colo., travelled there on a three-week assignment to help design and implement training. Doherty, with 25 years of human resources experience, was well suited for the assignment. His skills in leadership training, conflict management, decision making and communications were developed through such varied experience as army lieutenant in Vietnam, Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji and management consultant with OPM. Today he is president of the Pacific Development Center, which designs supervisory and management training.
Doherty was tasked with helping to plan training for the data collectors and field coordinators who will conduct the highly technical registration process in two pilot sites. His assignment included developing a training strategy, course outlines, lessons plans and training materials.
The result was a turnkey integrated pilot training course and a plan for use by the training coordinator to prepare, deliver and evaluate the training. While Doherty's planning and materials were immediately put to valuable use in the months following his assignment, there was still a need to incorporate lessons learned from the pilot and institute the next phase of training. But in late 2008 a funding cut forced the cancellation of his planned return assignment.
That is when CoBank, a longtime ACDI/VOCA member, came to the rescue. The Denver-based agricultural credit bank provided funds to the VOCA Foundation to support Doherty’s return in February 2009 for the next phase of training. While the project covered the airfare, VOCA Foundation funds supported Doherty’s other expenses and allowed the project to stay on schedule.
His second assignment, also three weeks long, produced a review of the pilot phase, intensive leadership and management training of field managers, and preparation of a final training manual. This use of VOCA Foundation funds illustrates how private resources can leverage those of USAID, the main project funder.
Now in its second year, the project has expanded to national coverage. It continues to register property claims and resolve disputes based on sound planning and appropriate training of staff.
To learn more about ACDI/VOCA's East Timor program, click here.
