Impact of Political Economy on Land Administration Reform - Burns et al. (2025)

This article explores the usefulness and viability of applying a political economy lens in the design of land administration reform projects. Drawing on case studies from Ghana, Indonesia, and Tanzania, key informant interviews, and a two-round policy Delphi survey with experienced World Bank and development-partner specialists, the research confirms that political economy analysis (PEA) can meaningfully improve land reform design and is achievable within typical project timeframes.

The article produces and validates a two-stage framework for systematically considering political economy in land administration reform: an initial PEA Scoping exercise, structured around four drivers (nature of the investment, existing land policy and practice, the state's capacity to deliver land administration as a public good, and political context), followed by an In-Depth PEA that defines a top-level political economy question to guide project design and ongoing implementation.