Evaluation of the MSc Programme in Land Management at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH),

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1 KT00 Land Management at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH), Kristin Land and Tommy Österberg 16 January 2013

2 Table of contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GENERAL ON THE PROGRAMME AND THIS EVALUATION THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAMME THE PROGRAMME S IMPORTANCE FOR FORMER STUDENTS KTH S COOPERATION WITH FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES IMPACTS ON THE LAND SECTOR CONCLUSIONS INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE EVALUATION THE HISTORY OF THE LM PROGRAMME THE COMPOSITION AND EDUCATIONAL RESULTS OF THE LM PROGRAMME FINANCING AND COSTS COOPERATION WITH UNIVERSITIES EVALUATION IN EVALUATION IN EVALUATION OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE METHODOLOGY Questionnaires Interviews FINDINGS FORMER STUDENTS QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS General views on the LM programme Main strengths of the LM programme Main weaknesses of the LM programme Impacts on institutions and society UNIVERSITIES QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS Views on the cooperation with KTH New or renewed programmes or courses Regional cooperation and networking EMPLOYERS OF FORMER STUDENTS INTERVIEW RESULTS Views on the former students professional performances Impacts on institutions and society Gender aspects CONCLUSIONS KTH S LM PROGRAMME KTH S COOPERATION WITH FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES IMPACTS ON THE LAND SECTOR REGIONAL DIFFERENCES FUTURE EDUCATION RELATED TO LAND MANAGEMENT FINAL REMARKS...28 REFERENCES...30 APPENDICES...31 TERMS OF REFERENCE...32 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS...42 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR UNIVERSITIES (72)

3 COMPILATION OF ANSWERS FROM STUDENTS...57 COMPILATION OF ANSWERS FROM UNIVERSITIES...66 PERSONS MET (72)

4 1 Executive summary 1.1 General on the programme and this evaluation This is an evaluation of the MSc programme in land management at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH), regarding students from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Balkan region and East Africa. In total, 13 batches of 505 students have passed between 1996 and The programme was financed mainly by Sida. In addition, the programme was followed up through cooperation between KTH and a number of universities in the concerned countries, in order to develop similar education programmes at BSc and MSc levels. The programme has been evaluated at two earlier occasions, in 1998 and When designing this last evaluation, the questions posed at earlier evaluations have been used as appropriate in order to provide a continuation to the answers and the findings and in order to assess any changes of views and perceptions in the now larger target group. This evaluation was conducted through questionnaires to former students and to universities involved in the cooperation. Furthermore, visits were made to Kenya, Russia, Serbia and Uganda to interview former students, their current employers and representatives from the universities. Out of the total target group of 505 former students, 210 (42%) were reached and provided answers. The evaluators did not have resources to track persons that did not respond to and supporting phone calls. It must therefore be noted that had the answers, on which this evaluation has been based, only represent those who have chosen to contribute to this evaluation. In spite of this, we believe, based on the interviews with institutions, that the answers give a fairly true picture of the impact of the LM programmes in the various aspects. 1.2 The purpose of the programme The LM programme was initiated by BITS in view of the collapse of the former Soviet Union around The first ambition was to train officers that were made redundant after the rapid decline of the Soviet army, in order to find alternative occupation for them as professionals in land management. This first training was implemented by Swedesurvey in vgorod. An evaluation of this training indicated the need to expand the training to develop the land management education at universities. KTH was then contacted by BITS, which resulted in the design of a MSc programme in Land Management for Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic countries. As BITS became a part of the new Sida, the training was gradually expanded to involve more previous socialist countries, countries from Western Balkan and thereafter from East Africa. The LM programme focussed on management of land rights, i.e. the development of land resources, the process of managing land use rights, and property registration. The courses focussed on land law, valuation of properties and the land development process and procedures. The ambition was to develop students and new training programmes in the target countries that would be better prepared and capacitated to connect land management with the development of the property and credit market. Also issues like security for owners of land and property, improved and more secure tax purposes, and improved land administration were included. In the end, reliable property registration 4 (72)

5 and secure ownership is a basis for the banking system to provide loans, and that will contribute to economic development. The LM programme was therefore structured as follows: MSc programme at KTH University support programme, with the ambition to develop new curricula or to change the current curricula in the countries of cooperation; the former students being the bridges between KTH and their home universities PhD studies, by training at KTH and support for this purpose at target universities 1.3 The programme s importance for former students The evaluation confirms the trends and conclusions from two previous evaluations. On an overall level, the programme has been found to be both relevant and appropriate. Results from the previous evaluations have influenced further adaptation of the educational curricula. In this report, there are areas mentioned that can be further improved, should the programme continue. The former students responding to this evaluation express to a very high degree that the training has contributed significantly to their professional development (95%), and to a less but still high degree (78%) that their careers are directly linked to having been subject to the training.. An interesting trait is that compared to previous evaluations, relatively more former students are absorbed by the private sector. It is also notable that as many as 38% of the respondents have continued their studies for a PhD degree or other higher education. Another notable outcome is that only 8% are unemployed, considering the economic situation in many of the countries. The programme has resulted in that close to all respondents are part of networks established as part of the training, mostly of a social nature but also of a more professional nature. The weaknesses reported in this evaluation identify certain problems that are out of control of KTH, such as limited possibilities to apply the gained knowledge when returning to the respective home countries and working environments (15% of respondents). The weaknesses are counterbalanced by a relatively high indication, both from the students and from the benefitting institutions, that the former students have made a positive impact on the university educational system and on land management in their home countries. Other weaknesses are quite straightforward and should be observed, but they require no further comments and conclusions. Many of the countries from where the students come are plagued by substantial political problems that impact on a real wish for change in line with good governance policies and strategies. There is a correlation between such countries and negative responses from students regarding their careers and their possibility to influence and change land management for the better. However, it is not the only explanation as there are also negative views expressed by students from countries that are on relative high levels in terms of good governance standards, such as the Baltic States. 5 (72)

6 With regard to the course contents, the respondents are in general positive to the programme, and there are limited suggestions on changes. The responses do not give any indication that major areas have been left out. The costs of the actual education do not differ from costs that are normal for other KTH programmes attracting the same number of participants with similar KTH input. In this sense, the courses are considered cost effective. 1.4 KTH s cooperation with foreign universities The responses and the interviews demonstrate that the cooperation has been both appreciated and considered an important dialogue. It has been regarded as a very valuable and important input for further development of the countries training programmes. It has also generated an increased number of short courses and PhD studies. The interviews with institutions where former students are now working, indicate that the professional knowledge of these persons are important for the development of training within the universities. The cooperation has had spin-off effects in terms of opening up for parallel networking with other institutions and the realisation of regional networks. It has also generated increased international contacts and adaption to the Bologna educational system. The new training programmes initiated through the cooperation with KTH are all very popular among students as well as employers. 1.5 Impacts on the land sector This evaluation has attempted to give indications if and to what extent the students trained under the programme have had positive effects on the land management reform agenda. A majority of the responding students claim that the training has put them in a better position to influence the development of their institutions in this regard. The persons interviewed at the institutions state that the former KTH students are a valuable workforce; many of them are becoming champions in ongoing land reforms through a higher degree of professionalism. What can be claimed by analysing the interviews is that there are many examples of the former students assuming important positions within the training institutions and in different land management organisations. The programme through its former students, and even more through its influence on the educational system in the involved countries, has already to a large extent contributed to the reform of the land administration sector. This impact is likely to grow over time, since the type of programme offered at KTH has not been in existence before in these countries. The demands on the former students are increasing due to ongoing land reforms, but as more and more of these students graduate and become employed in the land sector, the supply of staff should also increase with time. 1.6 Conclusions The LM programme has been very well implemented and as many as 72% of the students have completed their education. The programme is very much appreciated by all participants and has fulfilled its objectives. The cooperation with universities has been initiated through the students and has lead to development of similar land management training programmes on BSc, MSc and PhD levels in at least 15 6 (72)

7 universities located in all regions. In addition, the programme concept has spread to another 50 universities in Russia and 4 more in Ukraine. In Ethiopia, the students have been very active in establishing the land management programme at Bahir Dar University, and from there similar programmes have started to develop in Ethiopia and in other African countries. The initiative has also led to that more provincial governments and also the central government in Ethiopia have started to show a growing interest in promoting secure tenure for its citizens and to develop a land administration system that can be reliable and can serve the general public. In this sense, the LM programme has actually been a starter for the land reforms in Ethiopia. The LM programme has been very relevant and timely for the development of the land management to support the transition from command to market economy in former socialistic countries. It has introduced knowledge that was lacking in the socialistic education system and contributed to the understanding of the importance of real property rights for economic and sustainable development. During recent years, most African countries have introduced new land polices and land laws. However, the work to implement these new policies and laws has rather not started. Also in this respect, the LM programme is very timely and relevant in the way of providing adequate training that has been missing in the existing educational system. The LM programme has already made considerable impact on the development of land management systems in the countries in question. The combination of development of relevant training programmes and support to institutional development of the sectors through land sector programmes (Sida) and other bilateral and multilateral donors has also positively contributed to a sustainable impact. There is also a considerable potential for a continued long-term impact when more students from the new training programmes graduate and start to contribute to the development. The LM programme is an excellent example of a successful contribution in line with the overall guiding objectives for Swedish development cooperation. It is a unique investment in development of competence for an entire sector of the society by its approach of a long term engagement of a Swedish training institution. The results of the training have been subject to continuous evaluations. The programme has followed its initial objectives and expanded from that base. It has created a foundation for change of the land management systems from outdated concepts to meet the demands of the future. It is an example of an area in which Sweden has comparable advantages to contribute to sustainable development with a type of education that is lacking in many countries. However, the needs for a continued development of LM programmes in developing countries are far from satisfied. 7 (72)

8 2 Introduction 2.1 Background of the evaluation Between the years 1996 and 2012, the Department for Real Estate Planning and Land Law at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden, offered a MSc programme in land management to students from abroad. This education generally known as the LM programme was financed mainly by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). From the beginning the studies stretched over 1.5 years; this was later prolonged to 2 years. In all, 13 batches composed of a total of 505 students, of which 500 were financed by Sida, have been educated at KTH. The corresponding (sub) programmes are called LM1-LM13. KTH has requested Lantmäteriet the Swedish mapping, cadastral and land registration authority to carry out an evaluation in regard to the long-term impact of the LM programme for the students who participated with support by Sida. The evaluation was also to consider the influences that this programme might have had on the establishment of similar training programmes at universities, as well as on the development of institutions for land administration, in those countries. The evaluation was carried out by Dr Kristin Land (previously Andreasson) and Mr Tommy Österberg at Lantmäteriet. Mr Björn Bengtson from SIPU International has also participated, providing advice on the planning and on the analysis of the results of the evaluation. The time frame of the evaluation was September to December The history of the LM programme 2 After the political and social changes in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union, Sweden decided to support the development of land administration institutions that could provide security of tenure and facilitate the development of land markets in connection with privatisation of land and buildings in former socialistic countries. This support was mainly channelled through Swedesurvey, the overseas agency of Lantmäteriet and funded by the Swedish Board for International Cooperation and Technical Support (BITS). The first ambition was to train officers that were made redundant after the rapid decline of the Soviet army, in order to find alternative occupation for them as professionals in land management. This first training was implemented by Swedesurvey in vgorod. It was soon realised that the educational institutes in Russia did not provide adequate education for the new situation in society. The LM programme at KTH was therefore started to provide additional education at MSc level in various fields that were missing in the supported countries existing training programmes, such as real property planning and implementation, real property law, transparent procedure to handle privately owned land, real estate economics and information technology. An evaluation of this training indicated the need to expand the training to develop the land management education at universities. As BITS became a part of the new Sida, the training was gradually expanded to involve more previous socialist countries, countries from Western Balkan and thereafter from East Africa. 1 Contact details: kristin.land@lm.se; tommy.osterberg@lm.se; bjorn.bengtson@sipuinternational.se 2 This description is based on the Terms of References, see Appendix 1. 8 (72)

9 Program -me number In addition, efforts were made to support the establishment of similar educational programmes at universities in the regions in question. From the beginning, the LM programme focused mainly on students from the Baltic countries and the rth-west region of Russia. The number of countries was expanded to include more countries in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia. Another few years later, in 2003, countries in the Balkan region joined, and from 2004 there were students also from Ethiopia. Finally, in 2006, students from Eastern Africa were also included. In addition to this Sida supported group, five students from other countries participated in the training through Tempus 3 or Swedesurvey funding. The gender distribution among the Sida supported students was almost equal, 252 men and 248 women. 2.3 The composition and educational results of the LM programme 4 The programmes LM1-LM11 consisted of a one year education at KTH in Stockholm followed by half a year of thesis work in the student s home country. The thesis was to be presented at KTH when finalised. From LM12, the scope was extended to two years, of which one and a half year comprised courses at KTH. The reason for the prolongation was to adapt to a similar change of other MSc programmes at KTH, based on the European standard for academic master programmes (the Bologna agreement). The prolongation of the LM programme made it possible to extend the course contents, especially in fields such as real property formation, cadastral mapping, real property economics and valuation, and scientific research methodology. These changes of the curriculum were in line with demands expressed by the students in previous evaluations. The educational results for the Sida financed students are shown in Table 1. Number of students Finished with approved thesis work Percentage all regions Percentage former Soviet Union Percentage Balkan Percentage Africa Percentage Ethiopia LM % 87% LM % 70% LM % 77% LM % 77% LM % 77% LM % 63% LM % 57% LM % 72% (23 of 32) 83% (5 of 6) LM % 63% (20 of 32) 100% (6 of 6) % (8 of 8) LM % 41% (13 of 32) 33% (2 of 6) % (8 of 8) LM % 60% (15 of 25) 67% (10 of 15) 92% (11 of 12) 100% (7 of 7) LM % 60% (12 of 20) 100% (12 of 12) 93% (14 of 15) 100% (4 of 4) LM % 65% (13of 20) 55% (6 of 11) 93% (14 of 15) 100% (3 of 3) Total % 67% (249 of 372) 73% (41 of 56) 93% (39 of 42) 100% (30 of 30) Table 1: Results of each programme per region 3 Programme for educational development financed by the EU 4 This description is based on the Terms of References, see Appendix 1. 9 (72)

10 The regional differences are notable, with the best results from Ethiopia and other African countries, and the poorest from former Soviet Union. Possible reasons behind this according to the course management can be language difficulties, lack of support and motivation from the home organisation, and the conceptual differences and traditions in regard to land use rights. The total outcome, where 72% of the students have finalised their studies with approved grades, is considered a good result, comparable with other master students at KTH. Six participants from the LM programmes are currently continuing their studies at KTH for a PhD degree. These graduates are from Ethiopia, Uganda, Belarus, and Armenia. One student from Ukraine has already finalised his PhD degree at KTH. 2.4 Financing and costs 5 The LM programmes were from the beginning financed by BITS and later by Sida through the programmes EUROPE (former Soviet Union), NATUR (Balkan) and URBAN (East Africa). The students from Ethiopia were financed by Sida Amhara Rural Development Programme (SARDP). In addition, four students were financed by the Tempus programme, and one Chinese participant by Swedesurvey. The total costs including tuition fee and living costs for the respective programmes are summarised in Table 2. Costs for the LM programme Tempus Cost/ Programme Former Soviet Balkan East Africa Ethiopia China approx. Total (SEK) student LM LM LM LM LM LM LM LM LM LM LM LM LM Evaluation, revision, final works Sum Remarks: Costs for LM12 and LM13 are higher since the training was prolonged from 1.5 year to 2 years Table 2: Compilation of costs per programme distributed between regions 5 This description is based on information provided by Professor Hans Mattsson. 10 (72)

11 The cost per student can be compared to the present tuition fee at KTH for MSc education, which is 290,000 SEK, and the living costs for 14 months (equal to the foreign students time in Sweden) which are about 140,000 SEK. In total, this sums up to 430,000 SEK per student. 2.5 Cooperation with universities 6 KTH s cooperation with foreign universities started with the selection of participants to the LM programme. Every country assigned a coordinator to be the link between KTH and the students. The cooperation then continued through visits and other contacts between these coordinators and KTH. Some of the students were already employed at local universities when selected to the LM programme. In some cases this resulted in them introducing the curriculum from KTH in their own universities upon their return home. With assistance from Sida, KTH supported the development of BSc programmes for land management in Belarus, Estonia, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. In a similar way, a special programme was developed for Russia, spreading to about 50 universities within the country. In Ukraine, the programme has been spread to 4 more universities. The development of MSc programmes has also been supported by the EU through Tempus. Through these latter programmes KTH has contributed in Belarus, Armenia, Moldova, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Russia and Macedonia. In Africa, the Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia has developed a BSc programme in land management with support from KTH and financing from Sida. The students from the LM programme at KTH have been very instrumental in the establishment and development of this programme. From there, the concept spread to universities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, who have all started or are planning to start BSc programmes in land management. Several of them are planning also to start training on the MSc level. Furthermore, these universities have formed a regional network to support each other in the continued development of land management training programmes. KTH and the Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) at the University of Twente in Holland are also participating in this network. To the next meeting in 2013 representatives from Finland and Germany will be invited to join the network. Investments in capacity building at universities in terms of providing financial support, both from Sida and Tempus, are shown in Table 3. This gives a total picture on investments that have been made in order to promote the KTH approach to training in land management to universities in the supported countries. 6 This description is based on information provided by Professor Hans Mattsson. 11 (72)

12 Investment in capacity building at universities Programme Sida Land Management Countries Time Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus Investment SEK Georgia, Moldova, belarus, Real Property Science Russia, Ukraine Land Management Russia Land Management East Africa Bahir Dar University Ethiopia Ongoing Sum Tempus Polotsk Samarkand +Tashkent Jerevan Comrat+Cishinau Belgrad MIIGAiK+vosibirsk+Rostovon-Don Belarus Uzbekistan Armenia Moldova Serbia Russia Kiev Ukraine Lviv Ukraine Kharkiv Ukraine Donetsk Ukraine Skopje Macedonia Sum Table 3: Investment in capacity building at universities, including curriculum development and guest lecturing. The Bahir Dar investment also includes PhD studies, lecturing, buildings and equipment. The Tempus investments also include equipment and writing of teaching material in domestic languages. 2.6 Evaluation in 1998 The LM programme at KTH was first evaluated by Mr Jim Widmark, the former Director General of Lantmäteriet, in The evaluation included questionnaires to 12 (72)

13 students in the batch of 1998 and to the authorities, training institutes and private companies in Russia, Estonia, and Ukraine. The focus was mainly on the relevance of the training programme for the students, and on the implementation in regard to the recruitment process, language, cost-effectiveness etc. In this respect a number of improvements were recommended. The evaluation concluded that the education was both timely and relevant. It was also considered to be cost-effective, since the costs were similar to the ones for Swedish students. The LM programme students were very satisfied with the training, as were their employers. Most students continued to work within their organisations after the training at KTH, reaching positions that made it possible for them to contribute to the continued development both of the education system and the land administration in their home countries. The evaluator strongly recommended that the LM programme should continue, and that support for the development of similar programmes at training institutes in the various countries should be included in the programme. This recommendation was followed in the coming programmes. 2.7 Evaluation in 2005 The LM programme was once more evaluated, in 2005, by Dr Ulf Kihlblom at U- Consult Sweden AB. An questionnaire was sent to 296 students, of which 124 (42%) replied. This questionnaire was complemented with questions to the country coordinators, who participated in the recruitment process for the LM programme, which increased the answers to a total of 223. The evaluation showed that most former students continued to work in their organisation: 49% in governmental organisations, 30% in universities, 18% in private organisations and 3% in other organisations. According to the evaluation, about 43% have been promoted and 31% given more responsibility, but only 25% have increased their salary after finalising the LM programme in spite of promotion or increased responsibility. About 60% of the answers indicate an increased personal satisfaction based on increased knowledge, international contacts and experiences, personal maturity etc. The evaluator s conclusion was that the LM programme was very professional, and that the students were very satisfied. The programme was also considered to be costeffective. It was recommended that the programme should be extended to include students both from the Balkan region and from countries where Sweden already supported land management programmes, mainly in Eastern Africa. In this way, land management development could be supported with more competent staff for authorities and ministries to develop and operate national land management systems, and universities could be supported for development of land management programmes, in the respective countries. This recommendation was implemented in the coming LM programmes. 13 (72)

14 3 Evaluation Objectives and Scope This evaluation focuses on three objectives: 1. individual development of the former students of the LM programme 2. development of educational programmes and courses in the field of land management/administration at universities which cooperate(d) with KTH 3. contribution of the LM programme to the development of land management/administration in the respective countries. The first objective is aimed solely at the former students, while the second one addresses universities only. The third objective is relevant to both these groups and also to current employers of the former students. As mentioned above, the whole LM programme involved 505 students from 26 countries grouped in three regions: former Soviet Union, Balkan and Eastern Africa. This evaluation covers all of these students, and all universities that have cooperated with KTH in this context. As for Ethiopia, which was a separate project financed through Sida, an evaluation made by Mr Österberg at Swedesurvey in 2008 is consequently considered also in this context. 3.2 Methodology Questionnaires Two of the targeted groups all former students and the universities with new or renewed programmes or courses were sent questionnaires (see Appendices 2 and 3) via . Besides questions with simple options of reply, such as yes or no, other questions were designed in order to obtain more extensive information. Both sheer facts and the respondents perceptions and views were asked for. The actual questionnaires were made in the form of two websites, using the program Survey Generator. The Internet addresses of those web sites were distributed to the respondents through , carrying also a brief introductory letter explaining the purpose of the evaluation. addresses were obtained from KTH, both to former students and to universities. The questionnaires to universities were sent to the country coordinators listed by KTH. Some former students had several addresses and all of them were used. Out of some 700 addresses in total, around 150 were returned as non-existent. Hence, the questionnaires were sent to about 550 addresses, representing about 350 former students. Where possible, the addresses were checked with help of people met during the interviews in Kenya, Uganda and Serbia. This survey covered participants from all LM1-LM13 training programmes. The last evaluation made in 2005 covered participants up to LM9. Participants from LM10 and up to LM13 have not been previously investigated, representing 157 former students out of the total (72)

15 Responses were received from all programmes and from all participating countries, to varying degrees. In terms of representativity, all major groups of participants have contributed to the results of this evaluation. The methodological weakness of this as well as of previous evaluations comes from the fact that the results are obtained only from those that we were able to trace and convince to participate 210 of out 505 former students. A statistical sampling technique has thus not been applied. It must therefore be observed that issues regarding careers, professional development, etc. may not be fully representative in terms of the entire target group. However, we believe that the answers give a credible picture of the opinions of the main target group Interviews In order to obtain in-depth information in addition to the questionnaires, personal interviews were held with representatives from all three targeted groups in all three geographical regions. The countries visited were selected with respect partly to the number of former KTH students, partly to the introduction of new or renewed educational programmes or courses. This method of selection resulted in visits to Kenya & Uganda, Serbia and Russia respectively. The interviews were carried out in three phases. The first one was made jointly by Dr Land and Mr Österberg in Nairobi and Kampala, with an added objective to further develop a concordant procedure and polish the wordings of the questions. The other two phases were carried out separately, in Belgrade by Dr Land, and in Moscow by Mr Österberg. The questions asked were similar to the some of ones in the questionnaires but provided better chances of elaboration on the answers. The interviewees were former students, university staff, and employers of former students (see the list of persons met, Appendix 6). The selection of individuals was based partly on their positions within their organisations, partly on their availability on the days of our visits to the respective countries. As for employers, we aimed at high officials such as heads of divisions or departments of land related authorities. 15 (72)

16 4 Findings 4.1 Former Students Questionnaire Results General views on the LM programme Responses from the questionnaire were received from 210 out of a total of 505 former students (42%). A summary of the responses is presented in Appendix 4; the total list of responses is available on CD upon request. The number of responses from the different countries is distributed in a similar way as the number of former students. Most responses are from programmes from 2003 to 2008 (LM8-LM13), but all programmes are represented in the responses. About 82% 7 of the responses are from former students who completed the MSc degree. The general reason for not obtaining the degree is failure to finalise the thesis. About 38% of the former students have continued studying for PhD or other higher education levels, and about the same number has been engaged as lecturers in training institutes in their home country. Today, the former students are employed rather equal between central government authorities, universities and private companies. Compared to the evaluation 2005, the share in private companies has increased from 18 to 31%, and the employment in central authorities has dropped from 49 to 29%. About 8% are unemployed, mainly in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) such as Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia and Tajikistan. A majority of the former students (72%) sees a future in the land management sector. Most former students (78%) report that they have made a career thanks to the LM programme. Those who do not see a connection between the training and a career are mainly from Belarus, Croatia, Moldova and Serbia. Almost all former students (95%) report that they have developed as professionals thanks to the LM programme. The LM programme seems to have generated lasting contacts between most of the participants (88%). These contacts are mainly social (93%), but some are also on a professional basis, both internationally (36%) and nationally (38%). A great majority consider the programme to be very (50%) or fairly (36%) meaningful for them as individuals in the long run. The opinion among the former students is more divided when it comes to the LM programme s contribution to the development of land management institutions in the home countries. Most former students are positive (61%), but negative answers dominates in Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, and Macedonia. See section for more details about this question, and also about impacts on the society Main strengths of the LM programme Most answers (82%) include comments on the main strengths of the LM programme. For analysis purposes, the answers have been compiled in themes of similar content. In total, 14 themes have been identified. In the following table, the different themes are 7 The percentage given refers to the number of responses for each question. This number might differ between different questions. 16 (72)

17 arranged in order of the number of former students who have expressed similar views (see Table 4). Main strengths of the LM programme Number of answers Professional course management, lecturing, organisation, 18 administration and social activities The combination of practical, technical and theoretical aspects on land administration in the programme The combination of legal, economical and technical topics in a way that turned out to be very suitable for land management issues The composition of the programme and the teaching methodology applied The experiences from Sweden and other countries on the development of land administration system and land information systems The programme was timely in relation to the changes going on in the students home countries The composition of the students from different countries, cultures and professions and the exchange of experiences between the students The way the programme promoted need of change of the land administration system in the home countries, especially need for the development of a market economy Study visits to Lantmäteriet and other Swedish organisations 3 Filling a gap of knowledge, not available in the home country 3 Possibilities to live and study in a developed country for long time and learn how the society is organised and is functioning The good access to good literature and other information for the studies The possibility to learn English language for land management terms Sum 98 Table 4: Compilation of the students comments on the main strength of the LM programme Most comments relate to the professional way in which the education was organised and performed, the course administration and the social activities. Many former students also point out the course content, including the important combination of legal, economical and technical topics that is not available in the home countries. This type of training is considered to be very useful for the development of land management 17 (72)

18 systems, and is also pointed out to be timely in view of the concurrent development in their respective countries. Furthermore, the programme has contributed to a realisation of the need for change of the existing systems in the home countries. The possibilities to study the Swedish system and the Swedish way of life are also mentioned as positive factors. In short, the answers indicate that the former students are very satisfied with the way the programme was set up and implemented Main weaknesses of the LM programme About 35% of the respondents have commented on the main weaknesses of the LM programme. These comments have been grouped according to main themes. The following table summarises the number of answers in each theme (see Table 5). Main weaknesses of the LM programme Number of answers Lack of possibilities to apply the gained knowledge 15 in the home country due to administrative and cultural differences, and also lack of possibilities to influence the decision-making process Some weaknesses in the form of less useful courses, teaching methodology or attitudes among teachers The time for the programme too short in comparison with the content Lack of possibilities to continued studies, research and PhD studies, and also lack of continued professional contacts, e.g. through Alumni association or similar Need for more practical exercises and study visits 9 The course content too much based on Swedish system and experiences Language difficulties 5 The selection of countries and participants from countries based more on politics than of professionalism Logistic problems with accommodation 2 The comprehensive course content, including legal economical and technical aspects, was difficult to follow by lawyers There should have been more emphasis on technical topics, especially GIS Sum 111 Table 5: Compilation of the student s comments on the main weaknesses of the LM programme (72)

19 The most common comment is that there are no weaknesses in the way the programme was conducted. Regarding factual weaknesses, several former students report that they have found it difficult to make use of the knowledge gained when back in their home country. About 14% of the comments have some critical opinion about the relevance of some courses included in the programme, and about the teaching methodology being mainly based on lecturing. Another comment on the programme is that it was too cumbersome, including too many topics during a short period. Also the difficulties to find time for the thesis writing are commented on. Another comment related to the programme design is the desire for more practical field work and study visits. A few former students also considered the course contents to be too much influenced by the Swedish system and practices; they would have preferred more international comparisons. There is no significant difference in the answers from the various countries. The dominant weakness that the students found it difficult to apply the knowledge when they came back to their respective country has several reasons. Especially from former Soviet Union, reasons given are that the reality on the ground was so different from the Western countries. Other reasons, mainly from Central Asia and Africa, are that the employment opportunities within the land management sector are scarce. A third reason is that the former students possibilities to influence on the development and promote change have been limited due to inertia in the system Impacts on institutions and society This part of the survey provides information on the perception of the former students in view of to what extent their training at KTH has contributed to any changes within their institutions and on the society. Through the interviews, the study has attempted to the extent possible to check if the trends below are shared by the institutions. A majority (61%) of the responding former students are of the opinion that their education at KTH has contributed to the development of their countries institutions in the field of land management or land administration. Given the opportunity to indicate the types of impacts, most of them listed concrete examples. The results show five main groups, compiled according to themes of similar content (see Table 6). Impacts on institutions Capacity building 25 Curriculum development at universities 23 New systems/methods for real property registration 14 Legislation development 9 New systems/methods for real property valuation 7 Number of answers Table 6: Compilation of the former students comments on their five greatest impacts on institutions in the field of land management or land administration Most comments hence relate to a raised level of capacity among staff at universities and authorities. The former students themselves are obviously included in this group, but some answers indicate that also other staff has significantly improved their competence. 19 (72)

20 Further, the former students who have continued working with education report that they have managed to review and develop curriculum and teaching methodology based on experiences and support from KTH. Through additional initiatives, new concepts have been developed and additional support given through Tempus programme to continue the curriculum development and transform the university development to be more in conformity with the European system (Bologna) Almost as many former students highlight improvements of university educations, emphasising new curricula that introduce land administration and land management among otherwise mainly technical subjects. The other three main impacts are improvements in the fields of real property registration, legislation and valuation, i.e. in core activities of land related authorities. The answers show that many former students feel that they have made a real difference to their institutions and contributed to important changes therein. Regarding the former students opinions of their impacts on the society, in the form of positive long term effects on ten specific fields, the answers differ for different impacts. The positive answers vary from 50 to 88%. The fields that generated the highest number of positive answers concern improvements in land administration, services to the public, and university education. The least number of such answers concern impacts on corruption, gender issues, and food and water supply (see Table 7). Impacts on the society Number of positive answers More efficient land administration 148 Better university education 144 Improved services to the public 143 More activities on the property market and credit market 127 More consideration for the environment when exploiting land 120 Better ways of securing poor people s rights to land and property 118 Less corruption 104 Greater equality of opportunity between women and men at your place of work Greater equality of opportunity between women and men regarding rights to land and property More efficient food and water supply 83 Table 7: Compilation of the former students answers on their impacts on various areas in the society, listed in a sliding scale As for these positive answers, the ticked range of impact (from extensively to a little) varies depending on the fields. In general, the higher the number of such answers the stronger the impacts. Regarding improved university education, the most positive answers are from Bosnia, Macedonia, Tanzania, Uganda and Uzbekistan. For the other fields indicating great impacts, there are less significant differences between the countries (72)

21 The fields in which the LM programme seems to have had more limited effects, on the other hand, show some regional dependency. Regarding corruption, for example, the least impact is reported from Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, Estonia, Moldova, Russia and Serbia. The same regions, i.e. the Balkan and the Caucasus, indicate relatively little impact on food and water supply, as well as on the gender related fields. It is difficult to draw any certain conclusions from these responses, as a negative answer does not necessarily imply failure of the LM programme or even a negative situation in the country. A lack of impact on food and water supply, for example, may simply indicate that there is no shortage of such provisions. The comments following the answers regarding impact of the training programme show that many individuals find it hard yet to see what positive long term effects they might have on their institutions and their society. However, they trust that results will show in due course. Restricting factors are the low number of former students from some countries, or the short time that has passed since their education at KTH. In addition, some individuals mention that the land related institutions do not enough utilise the former students capacities. Another comment is that competent staff is not enough for making real changes as long as the working places are short of computers and other necessary equipment. 4.2 Universities Questionnaire Results Views on the cooperation with KTH Almost all (13 out of 15) responding university representatives express only positive experiences from their cooperation with KTH. The only negative aspects mentioned by 2 respondents are difficulties related to the selection of students to the LM programme, and problems with funding. However, at a closer look, both these aspects are only expressing wishes for more support from KTH and Sida not indicating any real difficulties in the cooperation of the past New or renewed programmes or courses All responses show that the cooperation with KTH has directly or indirectly resulted in the introduction of new or renewed educational programmes in the field of land management, cadastre etc. The MSc and BSc levels are most common, with 16 and 11 positive answers respectively, while only 4 responses relate to the PhD level. In addition, 6 answers concern short courses. Land management and land administration are dominating fields, but also property valuation has a significant role in those programmes or courses. In Kenya, for example, a MSc programme in Land Administration will start in September 2013; the curriculum is currently being written. The initiative was taken during an intense period of cooperation with KTH, but today the assistance comes mainly from ITC in the Netherlands (which is supporting other universities too in Eastern Africa to start similar programmes). There are also some spin-off effects of the LM programme. For example, a former student inspired by the MSc programme in Sweden has found possibilities to continue at PhD level in New Zealand. There are also 8 A summary of all responses is presented in Appendix 5; the total list of responses is available on CD upon request. 21 (72)