Decentralization as a Strategy to Scale Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration: An Indian Perspective on Institutional Challenges

Many countries grapple with the intractable problem of formalizing tenure security. The concept ‘fit-for-purpose land administration’ (FFPLA) offers a way forward by advocating shift towards more flexible, pragmatic and inclusive approach for rights recording. Inherently, process outcome implementing FFPLA will have significant socio-political ramifications but these not received much attention in literature; additionally, few papers considered this context decentralization, an endorsed strategy FFPLA. This paper contributes to gap critically analyzing three formalization initiatives India which employed flexible recording approaches where decentralization is used scale implementation. cases show how quickly can kickstart implementation at via collaborations local governing bodies partnerships non-state actors. An institutionalist highlights ensuing political contests between new traditional actors that inhibit authority, challenges coordinating network public private without clear formal collaborative governance structures ensure democratic outcomes. In doing so, we contribute knowledge around so it ‘fit-for-people’ better able support policies processes secure scale.