April 2014: An Independent Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the ‘2011-2015 Strategic Framework of the International Land Coalition (ILC) and Management Response’ has been carried out. The MTR assesses: the continued relevance of the Framework, which aims to catalyze partnerships to achieve a pro-poor land governance agenda; progress made towards its objectives; and effectiveness in the Framework’s delivery, including monitoring and learning. The MTR’s reflections and assessments serve as a basis for formulating concrete, feasible and realistic recommendations.

Regarding relevance, the MTR concluded that the Framework garners wide support within ILC and is broad enough to address global, regional and national land-related priorities. However, the indicators’ framework has lost relevance since some indicators referred to processes that were less important than expected, while other unanticipated processes have emerged. The report states this is not surprising given the nature and context of ILC’s work, in which over 150 organizations act together in multiple countries and regions. Additional challenges include: the emergence of other networks on adjoining themes, which forces ILC members to choose where to focus their time and energy; and controversy among members concerning engagement with government and the private sector.

Regarding progress on outcomes, ILC is becoming an influential actor on land issues. However, the MTR points to difficulties in predicting whether it will succeed in incorporating pro-poor land governance into national policy development and implementation, for which decentralizing regional steering committees and creating strong and diverse national ILC networks will be required. The MTR also underscores: the need to close knowledge gaps, and disseminate and provide information and knowledge; progress towards influencing global land-related processes/systems; more visibility in specific thematic global policy processes than in larger fora where multiple actors are involved; and mixed regional-level progress, where more capacity, clear and coherent strategic direction and resources are required.

On delivery, the MTR assessed strategy, cooperation, steering structure, processes, and monitoring and learning, stressing: the importance of increased cooperation and action by ILC members; over dependence on the Secretariat to stimulate and enable such cooperation; and weak regional decision-making capacities.

The MTR recommends maintaining the existing Strategic Framework, but changing the way success is measured, and adopting a stronger country focus in the next Strategic Framework. It also recommends shifting emphasis, through: regional and global advocacy and knowledge management efforts to support country-level change; synthesis and validation of knowledge products; enhancement of membership quality; and a monitoring system that effectively captures the ‘unpredictable pathways of change through which ILC ambitions will be realized.’

Additionally, the MTR calls for: the ILC to be a ‘knowledge broker’ and the main arena where land-related actors share and access land-related knowledge; and redefining, empowering and equiping the Secretariat at the local, regional and global levels. [Publication: Independent MTR of the 2011-2015 Strategic Framework of the ILC and Management Response]