E-book Chapters
Browse the chapters and summaries from Dr Ken Lyons’ e-book on using Strategy Dynamics to improve Land Administration in developing economies.
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Read the chapters online, explore short summaries, or download individual PDFs from Dr Ken Lyons’ e-book on using Strategy Dynamics to improve Land Administration in developing economies.
Forewords
This e-book includes forewords from two highly respected voices with deep experience in Land Administration and Strategy Dynamics.
Table Of Content
The table of contents provides an overview of the e-book’s structure, guiding readers through the key themes, examples and practical applications covered in each chapter.
14 Chapters of Insight
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Chapter 1
Introduction
A short introduction to the purpose of the e-book, the challenge of improving Land Administration in developing economies, and the need to test proposed improvements before investing.
Summary
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Chapter 2
LAND ADMINISTRATION and INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
Chapter 2 explains the role of Land Administration in securing property rights, supporting social stability and contributing to economic development. It explores the challenges faced by developing economies and why Development Assistance projects must consider long-term sustainability after aid funding ends.
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Summary of Chapter 2
Land administration (LA) establishes the policies, laws, and institutions to manage property rights and markets. Its goals are to ensure secure tenure and contribute to social stability, and economic development. Commonly there is a performance gap in LA between developed and developing countries and Development Assistance (DA) is often used to reduce the gap and improve performance to a level that can be sustained by incountry budgets, post DA. While some DA has been very successful, wide spread success tends to be elusive, and the need is not diminishing.
Simulation, using Strategy Dynamics (SD), is introduced to “bench test” “performance improvement proposals” for effectiveness and sustainability before making the DA investment decision. How to use the SD approach and examples are provided in subsequent chapters. SD is quantitative and transparent.
The Chapter and its Annexes provide details on LA operational entities, DA and SD.
Chapter 3
DEVELOPMENT LOGIC
and WHERE THE “SYSTEM” of LAND ADMINISTRATION FITS in
Chapter 3 compares Logframes and Theory of Change with the Strategy Dynamics approach. It explains how simulation can make assumptions more explicit, show interdependencies and feedback loops, and test improvement proposals before investing.
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Summary of Chapter 3
The development logic in international assistance projects is commonly shown by Logframes, which depict linear cause-and-effect, or by Theory of Change, which can describe non-linear behaviour. Both methods are qualitative and contain numerous assumptions, many of which can be implicit.
The Strategy Dynamics (SD) method of simulation handles quantitatively, interdependency and feedback loops which may be reinforcing or balancing. All assumptions are explicit and transparent. This allows the testing of improvement proposals for effectiveness and sustainability, before investing, SD adds value to the qualitative methods of Logframes and Theory of Change. The following chapters provide details.
Annexes contain examples of: - a Logframe and a Theory of Change; implicit assumptions; inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, impacts and major assumptions for each of eight LA operational entities. The SD approach is explained in detail in the following chapters.
Chapter 4
STRATEGY DYNAMICS – The PRINCIPLES and applying them to Remove a Processing Backlog in a Land Registry and Keep it Low
Chapter 4 introduces the basics of Strategy Dynamics and explains how it can be used to test Land Administration improvement proposals before investing. It also begins an illustrative Land Registry example focused on reducing a backlog and keeping it low after Development Assistance ends.
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Chapter 4 Summary
A central theme is that, by using Strategy Dynamics (SD) approach of simulation, it is possible to test for effectiveness and sustainability, any Performance Improvement Proposals (PIP) in land administration (LA), during Development Assistance (DA) design, and before large investment $ are committed. This Chapter outlines what SD is, what it can do, and how it operates in some detail. SD is aimed at improving performance. Workflow is provided for two situations:- (1) testing PIPs and identifying an improvement strategy before investing; (2) assisting to monitor progress during implementation. This Chapter concentrates on the first situation.
Topics covered are:- performance over time (POT); performance improvement objectives (PIOs); the language of system dynamics- stocks, flows, feedback loops, delays, management decisions; schematic of the core structure (SCS) of the system that needs to be improved; performance improvement proposals (PIPs); performance indicators (PIs).
An illustrative example set in a Land Registry (LR) is used to illustrate the workflow and provide a detailed worked example. The storyline is that aid has previously been provided to reduce a backlog, but after some time the backlog has again grown to the previous level. The requirement is to determine an improvement strategy that will remove the backlog and ensure that it stays very low, post development assistance (DA).
Testing PIPs, individually and in various combinations (scenarios) and determining an improvement strategy are covered in the next chapter, Chapter 5.
Chapter 5
TESTING the PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS for EFFECTIVENESS and SUSTAINABILITY
Chapter 5 tests different improvement proposals for a Land Registry backlog using Strategy Dynamics, showing how simulation can compare options and support more sustainable investment decisions.
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Chapter 5 Summary
Chapter 5 builds on Chapter 4 and uses a Strategy Dynamics (SD) model to test six Performance Improvement Proposals (PIPs) for a Land Registry to ensure they are effective and sustainable. Before testing, the model is validated by its ability to replicate past Performance Over Time (POT), such as historical backlogs and staff capacities. This "bench testing" allows strategies to be evaluated before significant financial investments are committed.
Testing reveals that PIP#6, a combination of multiple proposals, is the most effective strategy. It utilizes temporary staff to clear the immediate backlog while simultaneously increasing individual productivity through better procedures and staff training. Long-term sustainability is reached only when the registry's internal processing capacity (supply) is increased to consistently exceed the volume of incoming applications (demand).
The model also runs "What If" scenarios to evaluate risks, showing that legislative changes are vital for long-term success. Without these legal updates, the backlog is predicted to return in approximately six years. Consequently, the final strategy integrates technical assistance and proactive management with regular monitoring and evaluation to ensure improvements remain stable after aid ends.
Chapter 6
PROJECT FINANCIALS and EVALUATION
Chapter 6 adds costs, revenue and long-term sustainability to the Land Registry example, showing how Strategy Dynamics can support both financial evaluation and wider project decision-making.
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Chapter 6 Summary
Chapter 6 builds on Chapter 5 by extending the SCS (Schematic of the core structure) and the SD (Strategy Dynamics) model to include the financial aspects of the project. The model calculates the once off aid project costs and the ongoing operational and maintenance (O&M) costs to be met post aid by in country budgets. Revenues to government from the land registry (LR), are calculated before the improvements, during the improvements with aid, and post aid for ten years. The analysis compares revenues with and without the improvement project.
Although the financial benefits alone do not cover the project costs, the project provides important non-financial benefits. These include: - a more efficient LR; faster service for users; improve public confidence in the LR; the potential to attract back titleholders who use the informal land market rather than the LR; potential growth in the land market. The importance of the long-term sustainability of improvements, post aid is highlighted. A conclusion is that an IDA project might well be attractive to a host country and a donor where the IDA costs are a grant rather than a loan, and where the project is considered as Stage 1 for a larger project to improve land administration, conditional on the backlog from Stage 1 being kept low for two (say) years post Stage 1.
Chapters 5 and 6 together explain and provide an example of the application of simulation, using the SD approach, to test and evaluate proposed improvements for efficacy, before investing. An important point is not the numbers in the illustrative LR example, but that the SD approach provides a transparent and quantitative method of testing for efficacy. This example showed the application of the workflow for determining if the plan will work and designing a plan that will work. The next chapter shows the workflow for managing the improvement project during implementation.
Chapter 7
Using the SD MODEL as a LIVING BUSINESS MODEL to MANAGE the PROJECT and for M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation)
Chapter 5 tests different improvement proposals for a Land Registry backlog using Strategy Dynamics, showing how simulation can compare options and support more sustainable investment decisions.
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Chapter 7 Summary
Chapters 5 & 6 focuses was on building and using a SD model to assist project design. Chapter 7 focus is on using the SD model and the workflow to assist project implementation and management. The SD model is used to track progress towards objectives and identify where adjustments are needed, as in aid projects designs often have incomplete information and understanding evolves during implementation. By regularly updating the model with real data managers can quickly compare actual progress to design targets and test and adjust during implementation: i.e. the SD model is used as a Living Business Model (LBM).
The example shows the performance indicators (PIs) used and their location in the model. The results of actual progress to design targets are shown at three time points: – halfway through the project, the end of aid, twelve months after the end of aid. A traffic light system is used to indicate discrepancies. A summary table for management is shown for each time point. Revised performance targets can be sketched in and the likely affects seen, before a management decision is made.
How different stakeholder groups may view M&E (monitoring and evaluation) differently is discussed. Using the SD model as a Living Business Model can help bridge these perspectives by providing deeper analysis and supporting adaptive management beyond the limitations of spreadsheet monitoring.
Chapter 8
SUMMARY – APPLYING THE SD APPROACH and HOW IT ADDS VALUE to IDA for LAND ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 8 summarises how Strategy Dynamics adds value by making project logic clearer, testing improvement proposals before investment, and supporting better design, monitoring and sustainability.
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Chapter 8 Summary
This Chapter summarises, from previous Chapters, what System Dynamics (SD) is, and how it can be applied to improving Land Administration (LA). The application of SD was illustrated in the design, testing and management of an illustrative project, to remove a backlog in a Land Registary (LR) with Aid, and to keep it low, post Aid.
An abbreviated logframe for the backlog example is provided. One logframe activity (A2.2, Improve LR procedures) is compared to the equivalent structure in the SD backlog model. The transparency of the development logic and the quantifiable nature of the SD model can be easily seen via integral POT (performance over time) graphs.
A table shows how the SD approach adds value to the logframe approach by its application to Lessons Learnt from a number of LA project evaluations. A summary is provided of how the SD adds value to current approaches. The pain-gain equation is briefly discussed. Meadows twelve places to intervene in a system, termed leverage points, are listed with their relative power. A reduction of these with some examples applied to land administration is shown.
An abbreviated logframe for the backlog example is provided. One logframe activity (A2.2, Improve LR procedures) is compared to the equivalent structure in the SD backlog model. The transparency of the development logic and the quantifiable nature of the SD model can be easily seen via integral POT (performance over time) graphs.
A table shows how the SD approach adds value to the logframe approach by its application to Lessons Learnt from a number of LA project evaluations. A summary is provided of how the SD adds value to current approaches. The pain-gain equation is briefly discussed. Meadows twelve places to intervene in a system, termed leverage points, are listed with their relative power. A reduction of these with some examples applied to land administration is shown.
Chapter 9
UPGRADING THE QUALITY OF A LAND REGISTRY: & IMPROVING REPUTATION; WINNING BACK CUSTOMERS; INCREASING REVENUE; FINANCING SUSTAINABILITY
Chapter 9 shows how improving Land Registry quality and reputation can attract users back, increase revenue and support long-term sustainability after aid ends.
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Chapter 9 Summary
This example has a number of Performance Improvement Objectives (PIOs), some of which are interdependent. Increasing Quality is one of the PIOs. In this chapter Quality is treated as a single entity. In some later chapters Quality will be treated as having subcomponents, In the previous chapters in Part B there was only a single PIO, remove a backlog and keep it low post aid.
The example setting is a semirural Land Registry (LR) which has low quality and reputation. Poor performance has led to roughly 20% of titleholders bypassing the LR for property transactions, resulting in significant lost government revenue and an operations and maintenance (O&M) budget that barely covers salaries.
Land Agency senior management used the Strategy Dynamics (SD) approach to improve performance. Five Performance Improvement Objectives (PIOs) were identified and focused on improving quality and reputation, winning back inactive customers, and increasing government revenue while maintaining low backlogs and waiting times. For each PIO, Performance over Time (POT) graphs were compiled showing past, future desired, and futured feared performance. For future desired and feared performance, two time periods were shown, the short period with aid, and the much longer post aid period.
The improvement process:- depicted the LR’s system of operations using a Schematic of the Core Structure (SCS) of the system to be improved; identifying five Performance Improvement Proposals (PIPs); building an SD simulation model; Using the SD model to test the PIPs for efficacy (i.e. see what combinations of PIPs could produce the desired future for each PIO). PIP#5 was the most efficacious.
The improvement strategy for implementation was:- upgrading quality to approximately 0.9; when LR Reputation reached O.7, launching a marketing campaign to win back the “lost” titleholders; using a small percentage of newly generated revenue to fund an adequate O&M budget.
To ensure long-term sustainability of improvements (post aid), the strategy emphasizes that maintaining high service standards is vital to prevent a "vicious cycle" where quality decay leads to reputation loss and declining revenue. By allocating sufficient funds for operations and maintenance (O&M), the Land Registry can function as a "goose that lays golden eggs", providing a reliable and increasing revenue stream for the government. The example also shows how the SD simulation model can be used as a Living Business Model (LBM) for continuous Monitoring and Evaluation, allowing for real-time tactical adjustments if actual performance deviates from desired targets.
Chapter 10
STAFF DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING SKILLS and INCREASING WORK CAPACITY
Chapter 10 shows how Strategy Dynamics can test staff training and mentoring strategies to improve skills, maintain capacity and support better service delivery over time.
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Chapter 10 Summary
This example is a set in regional Lands Office (LO) where staff largely gain skills on the job by informal observation of other staff. This has led to:- low skill levels; processing errors; when staff leave their skills go with them; new hires have few skills. This creates a downward spiral of declining competency.
LO management decided to use the Strategy Dynamics (SD) approach to identify a strategy that would:- increase staff skills; skills could be sustained; a significant increase in salary costs would not result; not involve finding an aid provider.
Nine Performance Improvement Objectives (PIOs) were identified and Performance Over Time (POT) graphs compiled showing, past, desired future, feared future, performance. (This is another example of multiple PIOs). A Schematic of the Core Structure (SCS) of the SUPPY/Staffing was prepared. It showed a staffing pipeline of junior and senior staff with attributes of skill level and salary. Eight Performance Improvement Proposals (PIPs) were brainstormed and the SCS was extended to include these, and how they would affect supply servicing demand.
A SD simulation model was built, and each PIP was tested for effectiveness and sustainability (e.g. how well each of the futures trajectories generated by the model for each PIO aligned with their desired future trajectory as depicted in the POT graphs). A series of graphs was produced showing the results of testing for effectiveness and sustainability.
The identified improvement strategy consisted of a combination of: – hire trainees and formally train them; conduct regular short in-house up skilling; conduct formal training for junior staff before advancement to senior staff; senior staff to formally mentor juniors. Detail is provided.
Also shown is how to regularly use the SD model as a Living Business Model (LBM), during and after implementation, to check progress and sustainability, by comparing actual progress against model target.
Chapter 11
Increasing Quality: where Quality has Subcomponents which are the Responsibility of Different Agencies
Chapter 11 shows how Land Registry quality depends on connected components across different agencies, and how Strategy Dynamics can test scenarios for cooperation, funding and long-term sustainability.
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Chapter 11 Summary
Chapter 11 shifts from treating Land Registry (LR) quality as a single entity (as was done in Chapter 9) to a model where quality is composed of various subcomponents managed by different agencies. The primary purpose is to allow senior officials to "better understand" the interactions between these subcomponents and the implications of distributed institutional responsibility. This exploration is framed within a "learn by doing" pilot project, initially conducted as a desk study using a System Dynamics (SD) approach to provide quantitative insights into how upgrading individual parts affects the overall system.
Quality is categorized into internal subcomponents under the LR's control (such as infrastructure, services, and integrity) and external subcomponents (such as title boundaries, maintenance budgets, and property rights security) under the jurisdiction of the Cadastre, Treasury, and Justice agencies. The model evaluates "overall quality" through four distinct viewpoints: quality under LR control, overall quality of the LR, tenure security, and assistance to economic development. Assessment of these viewpoints can be done using an average or minimum value approach; the latter is more rigorous, as a single low-performing subcomponent can undermine the perceived "usefulness" of the entire system for stakeholders like banks.
Simulation of six scenarios, ranging from a "Desired Future" with full cooperation to a "Feared Future" where the LR acts alone, highlights that inter-agency cooperation is vital for success. For instance, high-quality title records cannot be fully achieved without integrated boundary data from the Cadastre to form a Land Information System (LIS). Furthermore, the sources emphasize that while international aid can reach initial targets, long-term sustainability depends entirely on consistent in-country funding for operations and maintenance (O&M) to "keep the golden goose alive" and prevent quality decay.
A major takeaway is that clarity of aim is essential when designing quality improvement strategies, as different goals (like internal efficiency versus economic development) require different levels of agency engagement and investment.
Chapter 12
ADDRESSING INFORMAL FEES
Chapter 12 shows how Strategy Dynamics can test ways to reduce informal fees, improve Land Office integrity, and support more reliable land administration services.
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Chapter 12 Summary
In many developing countries, Land Offices suffer from artificially long waiting times and backlogs, which staff often maintain to create a market for informal "go fast" fees. These fees are often driven by inadequate staff salaries, weak regulations, and a low risk of penalty due to a lack of managerial will. Complex existing workflows further contribute to the problem by creating multiple points where fees can be requested, sometimes totalling the cost of the formal fee and driving customers away from using the formal Land Office for land dealings.
To address the above, the System Dynamics (SD) approach is utilized to model the system's core structure and identify the "climate for informal fees" as the Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This climate is determined by three interdependent stocks: the adequacy of staff salaries, the strength of laws and regulations, and the willingness of managers to act against noncompliance. The primary Performance Improvement Objectives (PIOs) are to significantly reduce the payment of informal fees while maintaining low waiting times and backlogs.
The Schematic of the Core Structure (SCS) for LR operations was modified to include an unofficial “go fast” processing lane, and interdependency of the three Proposals to Improve Performance (PIPs). Six Scenarios were identified based on variations of achievement in the three interdependent PIPs. An SD simulation was built and the six scenarios run and Performance Over Time (POT) graphs of future performance produced for six Performance Indicators (PIs).
Results indicate that Scenario #1, which fully combines all three PIPs (adequate salaries, strong laws, and willing managers), is the most effective case where all indicators reach their targets. However, this success is subject to significant time delays, taking approximately 55 months for the KPI to reach its target value even in the best-case scenario. Several scenarios indicate the difficulty in fully negating go fast fees by targets not being achieved, or by taking so long that will and focus will probably be lost. Risks were identified and discussed, and Critical Success Factors (CSFs) identified. A major CSF was the need for strong political support. For long-term sustainability, the importance of Treasury approving and paying adequate salaries and providing an adequate budget for O&M (Operations and Maintenance), was identified and stressed. The provincial government decided to implement a proof of concept pilot to test the identified strategy and manage risks before scaling up to other LOs. The value of this SD approach lies in its logical, quantitative, and transparent nature, which forces officials to think deeply about system structures and the quantitative effects of proposed interventions. By addressing informal fees, the government aims to improve the integrity of operations, thereby increasing tenure security and enabling land titles to be used as collateral for economic development. (Using titles as collateral is covered in Chapter 13).
Chapter 13
USING TITLES AS COLLATERAL TO OBTAIN DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL
Chapter 13 shows how Strategy Dynamics can explore the link between title quality, bank confidence, collateral lending and development capital.
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Chapter 13 Summary
Chapter 13 focuses on the potential for raising development capital in developing economies by using property titles as collateral, a practice that is routine in developed nations but often hindered elsewhere by banks’ concerns regarding Title Quality. Using a Strategy Dynamics (SD) approach, provincial government officials utilized a SD simulation model to understand the interactions between Land Registries (LR) and the banking sector, The purpose of the modelling was to provide senior Provincial Government Officials with a better understanding of the system which could provide development capital, if banks were willing to accept titles as collateral.
A high level SCS (Schematic of the Core Structure) of the LR (Land Registry), the banking system, and their interconnectivity, when titles were accepted as collateral, was developed. Four scenarios involving Title Quality and bank lending practices were identified, as well as a base case where banks do not accept titles as collateral. Scenario results show that substantial capital can be generated when banks lend against titles and LRs sustain high standards. However, the system is highly sensitive to declines in title quality—if LRs become overstretched and quality drops, processing delays increase, confidence falls, and banks may withdraw from lending, halting capital flows. (In Chapter 11 Title Quality was shown to have subcomponents where different agencies have responsibility for different sub components, and that to achieve and sustain the Title Quality necessary for banks to accept titles as collateral, integrated cooperation between all agencies was necessary).
Empirical evidence supports the model’s findings. In developed countries, vast amounts of capital are raised through mortgage systems built on reliable land registries. Evidence from developing regions, particularly Europe and Central Asia, shows that land registration reforms can significantly increase mortgage activity, investment, and broader economic development. However, these outcomes are not guaranteed and depend on complementary measures such as institutional capacity, legal frameworks, and sustained government commitment. Poor governance or weak land administration systems can undermine these benefits.
The chapter concludes with strategic and risk management insights for policymakers. The foremost priority is maintaining consistently high title quality over long periods, requiring coordination across multiple agencies and adequate funding. Engagement with banks is essential to build confidence and align lending practices, while consumer education and safeguards are needed to mitigate risks such as defaults and property loss. Ultimately, the SD approach provides a structured and transparent way to understand complex system interactions, supporting better-informed decisions on leveraging land titles as a source of development capital.
Chapter 14
THE INITIAL RECORDING OF PROPERTY RIGHTS
Chapter 14 shows how Strategy Dynamics can compare options for recording property rights, helping assess costs, timelines, risks and sustainability before investment.
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Chapter 14 Summary
The Initial Recording of Property Rights (IRPR) is a development task to bring large numbers of properties onto a formal register, thus increasing tenure security. This example is set in province in a developing country where senior officials want to understand the options and implications of securing the property rights for ~10,000 properties in a single district.(There are many similar districts in the province). The officials decided to use the Strategy Dynamics (SD) simulation approach. The purpose of the analysis was, for each IRPR option, to better understand at a high level:-the process of conducting IRPR and options; the magnitude of the task (duration, costs, resources required); key issues involved.
The SD simulation approach was followed. A single PIO (Performance Improvement Objective) of providing secure property rights to 10,000 properties, with its associated POT (Performance Over Time) graph showing past, desired future and feared future performances. The process of determining property rights and their recording was shown as a SCS (Schematics of the Core Structure) of a processing pipeline comprising: – community awareness; recording rights claims; adjudication; dispute resolution; registration in a land registry (LR); issuance to owners of rights documentation. The SCS was extended to include the work crews, their skills and productivity, costs.
Three IRPR options were identified: - (#1) the status quo with detailed procedures and high accuracy requirements; (#2) the FFP (Fit for purpose) approach where regulations are relaxed; (#3) no change to regulations but support provided to an NGO (Non-Government Organisation) to conduct FFP and record results in a community register. An SD simulation model was built.
The model indicated that: - Option 1 was the most costly and time-consuming, at $43 per property with a duration of 3.5 years; Option 2 reduced costs to $19 per property nearly halves the duration to 1.8 years; Option 3 is the fastest and cheapest at $11 per property. The analysis team noted that Option 3 carries significant risks, such as the potential for community-managed records to become outdated, user trust to decline and uncertain funding to maintain Quality long term. Option 2 was seen as having merit.
The analysis team noted that there were five strategic issues and four operational issues that needed to be addressed. Comments were provided on each. The strategic issues needed to be resolved first by senior provincial officials and then the four operational, more technical, issues could be addressed. The team noted after the resolution of the strategic and operational issues, more modelling could be required if a whole of province IRPR was to be considered.
As in previous examples, this example and the results shown, are not the most important part. The important aspect is how the SD approach can be used. If the logic and structure of the SCS or the structure of the SD model is not appropriate for a particular situation, then it is relatively simple to develop an alternative SCS and SD model and use them. The most important point is that the SD approach is logical, quantitative and transparent, with no implicit assumptions or hidden hard wiring. It allows the exploration/testing of proposed improvements for effectiveness and sustainability before an investment decision.
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We invite researchers, senior administrators and development professionals to explore this material, challenge the status quo, and consider how simulation can support better planning for land governance and development assistance projects.