The Land Administration Project (LAP) is the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources initiative to implement the policy actions recommended in the National Land Policy document launched in June 1999. The key issues identified in the policy document include inadequate policy and regulatory framework, weak land administrative regime both public and customary, indeterminate boundaries of customary lands, multiplicity of land dispute which has clogged the court system, and general indiscipline in land use development and disposition. The mechanism for addressing these issues is the Land Administration Programme, the first five years of which is the Land Administration Project.

The Land Administration Project (LAP-1) is the first phase of a commitment by the Government of Ghana to use the Land Administration Programme to reduce poverty and enhance economic/social growth by improving security of tenure, simplifying the process of acquiring land by the populace, developing the land market and fostering prudent land management by establishing an efficient system of land administration, both state and customary based on clear, coherent polices and laws supported by appropriate institutional structures.

The project has multi-donor support with development partners including the International Development Association, Nordic Development Fund (NDF), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The rest are German Bank for Reconstruction (KFW).

In order to ensure successful implementation of the LAP, the Land Administration Programme Unit (LAPU) within the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has developed a Project Implementation Manual (PIM) to serve as a guide. The purpose of the manual is to establish the framework for the country – led coordination, implementation and monitoring of all project activities in support of LAP; provide information and guidance to all implementing agencies concerned with LAP on the programme as well as spell out implementation arrangements and project reporting.

The manual, which is a working document, would be used by all Ministries, implementing agencies, donor institutions, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, NGO’s, Customary Authorities and Community groups associated with the implementation of LAP.