Accessibility of Land Data and Information Integration in Newly-Independent Countries, with Specific Reference to Timor-Leste

Abstract

Abstract Land data is one of the important elements in the development of a country. Local and national decision makers require this data for planning and implementation of various governmental programs. Hence, this dataset should be well managed and accessible. However, in many developing and newly independent countries such as Timor-Leste, land data is sometimes not efficiently organised, and access to the data is difficult. In some cases, land data is not assembled in one database but is held in different unlinked locations with no overriding structure by the data collectors and holders. The distribution of this data can be manual, which requires long administrative processes and is time consuming. The research aimed to investigate and suggest solutions for issues such as legal, administrative and technical issues associated with the implementation of land related data integration from different sources in newly independent countries. This research goal is achieved by examining the legal and administrative processes for land data exchange that exist in Timor-Leste, coupled with a review of several case studies regarding Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) and Land Information Systems (LIS) from developed and newly independent countries. Then, fieldwork was undertaken to investigate user and data requirements for the establishment of a digital data access user interface. Drawing from the fieldwork results, a prototype of a digital data access interface was built using prototyping tools. In follow-up usability testing, the viability, usefulness and satisfaction associated with the prototype to the land agency (DNTPSC – Direcçao Nacional de Terras Propriedades e Serviços Cadastrais/Directorate for Land, Property and Cadastral Services), stakeholders and the public in Timor-Leste, was measured. Results from the first fieldwork surveys indicated that there are complicated legal, administrative and technical issues regarding land data exchange, storage and integration in Timor-Leste. Furthermore, user requirements for better land data unification and data access systems have to be established in Timor-Leste. These survey findings became basis for designing a digital data access prototype. The usability testing of the prototype, in the second period of fieldwork, suggests that the prototype is viable, useful and satisfies the requirements of the DNTPSC staff, stakeholders, and the public. The prototype provides an insight into how a future Land Information System in Timor-Leste may look.