Exploring the Strategy Goals and Strategy Drivers of National Mapping, Cadastral, and Land Registry Authorities

Abstract

In many western countries, publicly led mapping activities and recording information of land parcels and buildings and the related rights, restrictions, and responsibilities have established their roles as important pillars of a functioning society. National mapping, cadastral, and land registry authorities as public agencies responsible for conducting these tasks are in a key position in shaping the development of the whole land administration sector. Most of these authorities have formulated their purposes, directions, and goals in the form of strategies. There is, however, a lack of understanding of the type of goals these authorities pursue through their strategies and why. Using an online questionnaire as a method, this study explores the strategy goals as well as the strategy drivers of national mapping, cadastral, and land registry authorities. We find that the strategy goals converge to a great extent and relate particularly to digitalization, data properties, customers and needs of society, and organizational development. Further, we observe that the strategy work of these authorities is most often driven by changes in the customer needs and by changes in the government’s policies. The contribution of the study lies in providing an overview of how national mapping, cadastral, and land registry authorities frame their near-future development and in highlighting that albeit the goals, for the most part, align with the qualities of a good, neutral land administration system, the authorities show low tendency to pursue transformative or paradigmatic changes through their strategies.