INSTITUTE OF AMHARA LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

DEPARTMENT OF PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

GUIDE LINE FOR WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSAL

NAME OF THE FACULTY- PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

NAME OF THE INSTITUTE- AMAHRA LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Title of paper Procedures and Causes Leading to Corruption in Urban Land

Management in Bahr- Dar: The Case of 6- Sub City

Class teacher D.r SebsebwAtekaw

Submitted by:

FeredFekadu

Submitted to: Dr. SebsebewAtikaw

Day of delivered

August, 21/2013 E.C

 Table of content

Contents Page
Table of content…………………………………………………………………………………i

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………i

1 Introduction...................................................................................................................................3

2 statement of the problem …….……………………………………………………………….4

2.1 Research Questions…………………………………………………………………………4

3. purpose of the study …………………………………………………..………….....……..3

4. Literature review ….………………………………………………….….…………...……..3
5. Research design and methodology…………..……………………………...……….……….7
1. Limitations……..…………………………………………………………………………...8
2. Significance of the study……………………………………………………………….….8

Time Time………………………………………………..……………………………………..8

Budget……………………….……..………….……………………………………………….8

Reference………………………………………………………………………………………..9

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Abstract
Land information and its management are fundamental to successful urban land management and
the derived benefits to the economies and overall sustainable development and to minimize
corruption. The main objective of the study is to investigate the procedure and causes leading to
corruption in urban land management in BaheDar the case of 6 sub city. The study wasbased on
data obtained fromprimary and secondary source and this study use quantitativeapproaches in the
collection and analysis of data. Thus, the subjects in the study will be 22 respondents:18 key
officialsand experts from the land departments, 1 the city ethics Liaison Officer and3 from
Urban Development housing and Construction Bureau(from land management). unstructured
interview were used in the process. The data gathered throughinterview were analyzed through
descriptive statements.

Keywords: Land, Corruption , Urban land information system

1 Introduction
1.1 Back Ground

Land management in urban Ethiopia during the last decade was in transition and has faced many
interrelated challenges simultaneously. First, while the State retains public ownership of land, the
government is replacing the old system of urban land tenure (the “rent” system) by a more
market-oriented system of long-term leases. The process is phased and introduces the new
system gradually; starting first in major urban centers that gradually will applied and cascaded to
all urban centers in the country (MUDHC, 2014). Corruption in Urban land management is a
major problem and a major public issue in Bahr-Dar. Attention has been given to the problem
recently because of its negative impact and its fatal and crippling effects. Corruption has
increased in recent years and is a devastating phenomenon be it economic, social, political or
cultural. It undermines society and development, the poor are always vulnerable. For strategic,
operational and financial reasons, Geographical Information System (GIS) based mapping
solutions are becoming an increasingly important area for realizing effective land management
systems for many municipal governments across the globe. Despite the obvious gains, many
local authorities in Africa have not yet taken advantage of the new developments within this
sector owing to a myriad of resource challenges (Tendayi G. &Scelo Z., 2010
Land issues have been rising up the agenda of policy makers due to rapid urbanization and high
food prices. Yet, land administration is one of the most corrupt government activities. Corruption
in land administration is a major problem in many developing countries. In terms of small-scale
petty corruption, an international survey found that over one in five people reported having paid
a bribe when dealing with land services, placing land as the third most corrupt sector
(Transparency International: 2010-2011). Development aspirations of countries are highly
associated with the level of efficiency in which those countries manage their productive
resources including land. Land is one of the most demanded resources as all economic activities
are based on it. Societies which have created internal stability and a functioning market economy
recognize the need for effective systems for registering private land rights and for inexpensive
system of land transfer. The privatization of land and the registration of tenure whether free hold,

3
enable people to improve their land and property so maximizing its value and use (UNECE,
2007).
Recent literature on corruption trends in Ethiopia indicate that the country is being under a
significant challenge of rampant corruption. According to the 2010/2011 Global Corruption
Barometer (GCB), 50% of respondents reported having paid a bribe to land services
(Transparency International, 2011a). According to the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Commission (FEACC), the institutionalization of informal fees is seen to have become so
commonplace in the land sector that the FEACC states it was nearly impossible to get a plot of
land without bribing city administration officials. Word Bank affirms this claim by stating that
rules for access to land are not clear and some have better access than others, largely due to
relationships or payment of bribes (World Bank, 2012a). Related to this, Transparency
International’s 2013 Global Corruption Barometer (GCB), indicated that a significant proportion
of respondents (43%) think that corruption levels in Ethiopia have increased in the years
preceding the survey (Transparency International, 2013b). Corruption is perceived to be a serious
problem in Ethiopia. A household survey commissioned by FEACC indicated that customs
services was the most corrupt sector, followed by land administration. In the case of customs,
those who are exposed to corruption have high capacity to pay and transfer their costs to others
through overpricing their commodities. When it comes to land related corruption, it affects all
level of the population as land is need for all economic activities. However, corruption in land
sector affects the poor so disproportionately as corruption is regressive in its nature. The country
was ranked 111th out of 177 countries in Transparency International’s 2013 Corruption
Perceptions Index (CPI).
Generally the prime purpose of this study is to analyze impact of corruption on land
administration in Bahr- Dar in the case of 6- Sub City Municipality and to bring to light the real
problemsProcedures and Causes Leading to Corruption in Urban Land Management .To be more
specific, the study was undertaken in order to:

1. Identify and understand the procedures and causes leading to corruption in Bahr- Dar in the
case of 6- Sub City land administration office.
2. To evaluate consequences of corruption on land administration of the town.
3. And finally, to suggest possible measures to reduce corruption in land administration of
themunicipality.

2. statement of the problem

Corruption is perceived to be a serious problem in Ethiopia, which is rated 114th out of 180
countries in Transparency International's 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index, with a score of 34
out of an achievable 100. Particularly this corruption blowout in the country has a unique
implication to the corruption contagious land sector. The sector has been identified as one of the
corruption vulnerable sectors and, for example, According to the Federal Ethics and Anti-
Corruption Commission 2007/2008 Annual Report, 28 of the 63 cases investigated during the
year were in the land administration and development sector.
The government of Ethiopia establishes mechanisms for involving the civil society in corruption
prevention, creation of effective legislative and institutional frameworks and mobilization of
political will to fight corruption. In doing this, the government, has taken a number of measures
to deal with the problem of corruption in the land sector within the framework of the National
Anti-corruption Strategy. While the city level has devolved most of its urban management

4
related responsibilities to the sub-city level.But the prevalence of corruption in urban land
management in the case of Bahr-Dar it's 6 sub city is high, due to that the city most land
management members or the officials were accuse by corruption especially when it comes to
urban land administration issues.Hence; this study aims to explore to depth understand the
procedures and causes leading to corruption in urban land management.

2.1 Research Quetions

Corruption, given its secret nature is a phenomenon that is easy to sense yet hard to capture. It is
a constant challenge for researchers, motivating them to develop scientific methods in
approaching this sensitive issue. In line with this, my study will approach the subject matter by
designing and presenting the following questions to the sample population.

Questions in their order were as follows:

1. What are the procedures and causes leading to corruption in Bahr- Dar in the case of 6- Sub
City land administration office?
2. How is corruption negatively impacting in Bahr- Dar in the case of 6- Sub City land
administration office?
3. What possible measures can reduce corruption in Bahr- Dar in the case of 6- Sub City land
administration office Municipality?

The above questions will then be linked to purpose of the study listed in section below.
Accordingly, questionnaires designed to address the above general study areas were presented to
sample population.
[

3. purpose of the study

The prime purpose of this study is to analyze impact of corruption on land administration in
Bahr- Dar in the case of 6- Sub City Municipality and to bring to light the real
problemsProcedures and Causes Leading to Corruption in Urban Land Management .To be more
specific, the study was undertaken in order to:

4. Identify and understand the procedures and causes leading to corruption in Bahr- Dar in
the case of 6- Sub City land administration office.
5. To evaluate consequences of corruption on land administration of the town.
6. And finally, to suggest possible measures to reduce corruption in land administration of
themunicipality.

4. Literature review
Literature reviewindicates the past studies focused on the literature that has been related to the
research problem.
Corruption in the land sector is defined as the abuse of power and authority by those in charge of
land administration for their own gain or benefit (Mutondoro F. Ncube, 2013). Corruption in the

5
land sector usually takes two forms namely political corruption and bureaucratic corruption
(Transparency International, 2013). Political corruption occurs with opportunities created when
state-owned lands are privatized or leased, zoning or construction plans are approved, large-scale
land acquisitions by investors are negotiated and the land is expropriated for government .
The Ethiopian land administration system is troubledwith a high degree of informality. One of
the maincauses of this is the absence of clear legislation as wellas confusion about the
applicability of legislation.Indeed, where there is legislation, implementationguidelines are
oftentimes lacking, which createsconfusion (World Bank 2012b).
In Ethiopia, corruption has become increasingly sophisticated in various sectors demanding a
well- integrated and multi-disciplinary strategy. The deficits of democracy (deficient in a
democratic power-sharing formula, check and balance, accountable and transparent institutions
and procedures), monopolization of the economy and the politicization of the civil service have
opened the door to political corruption and state capture (GudetaKebede, 2013). In the land
sector, corruption has clipped the land management and governance system from exploiting the
opportunities and withstanding the challenges that urbanization, population growth, and climate
change have brought, for example. The government of Ethiopia has alleged to take legislative
and institutional responses in the past two decades even though the result on the ground is
paradoxical. Ethiopia has amended both urban and rural laws to make land governance
transparent and accountable and fight corruption, rent-seeking patronage, nepotism and other
means of using economic and social power in land governance. The country has also worked on
strengthening anti- corruption laws and institutions.
Corruption is defined as the exercise of official powers against public interest or the abuse of
public office for private gains. It can also be defined as impairment of integrity, virtue and moral
principles for private gains. (Okech,2016; Van der Molen, and Tuladhar, 2006; Gibbons, K.
M.,1989) Corruption is not manifested in one single form. It typically takes at least four broad
forms:
1. Petty, administrative, or bureaucratic corruption. Many corrupt acts are isolated transactions
by individual public officials who abuse their office by demanding bribes and kickbacks,
diverting public funds, or awarding favors in return for personal considerations. Such acts are
often referred to as petty corruption, even though, in the aggregate, a substantial amount of
public resources may be involved.
2. Grand corruption. The theft or misuse of vast amounts of public resources by state officials
usually members of, or people associated with, the political or administrative elite constitutes
grand corruption.
3. State or regulatory capture and influence peddling. State capture is the collusion by private
actors with public officials or politicians for their mutual, private benefit. In this form of
corruption, the private sector captures the state legislative, executive, and judicial apparatus for
its own purposes. State capture coexists with the conventional (and opposite) view of corruption,
in which public officials extort or otherwise exploit the private sector for private ends.
4. Patronage, paternalism, clientelism, and being a team player. Corruption occurs when officials
use their official position to aid clients or colleagues with the same geographic, ethnic, or
cultural origin so that they receive preferential treatment in their dealings with the public sector,
including public sector employment (Shah, A., 2007).
Systemic corruption is deep-rooted and pervasive which happens in a routine manner within and
between the companies, public sector establishments, or individuals is called systemic corruption

6
(Bank, W., 1997). Sporadic corruption, on the contrary, is the opposite of systemic corruption,
where it occurs at times. Hence, there is no threat to economy or mechanism for control in this
type of corruption. However, it might cripple the resources of the economy. Political corruption
is manipulation of policies, institutions and rules of procedure in the allocation of resources and
financing by political decision-makers, who abuse their position to sustain their power, status
and wealth. Political corruption is characterized by voting irregularities, nepotism and cronyism,
rule of a few, false political promises, paying journalists for favorable coverage of candidates
and parties influencing voters by the distribution of money, food and drink, holding on to power
against the will of the people (Kandukuri, 2015).
Recent literature on corruption trends in Ethiopia indicate that the country is being under a
significant challenge of rampant corruption. According to the 2010/2011 Global Corruption
Barometer (GCB), 50% of respondents reported having paid a bribe to land services
(Transparency International, 2011a). According to the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Commission (FEACC), the institutionalization of informal fees is seen to have become so
commonplace in the land sector that the FEACC states it was nearly impossible to get a plot of
land without bribing city administration officials. Word Bank affirms this claim by stating that
rules for access to land are not clear and some have better access than others, largely due to
relationships or payment of bribes (World Bank, 2012a). Related to this, Transparency
International’s 2013 Global Corruption Barometer (GCB), indicated that a significant proportion
of respondents (43%) think that corruption levels in Ethiopia have increased in the years
preceding the survey (Transparency International, 2013b). Corruption is perceived to be a serious
problem in Ethiopia. A household survey commissioned by FEACC indicated that customs
services was the most corrupt sector, followed by land administration. In the case of customs,
those who are exposed to corruption have high capacity to pay and transfer their costs to others
through overpricing their commodities. When it comes to land related corruption, it affects all
level of the population as land is need for all economic activities. However, corruption in land
sector affects the poor so disproportionately as corruption is regressive in its nature. The country
was ranked 111th out of 177 countries in Transparency International’s 2013 Corruption
Perceptions Index (CPI).
5. Research design and methodology
The study employed a qualitative research design to identify and understand gaps under the legal
framework for urban land management procedures and causes leading to corruption. The
qualitative data will be analysed though unstructured interview continuously as it is collected for
emerging themes. The focus here is on the richness of the truancy issue and how effective the
program has been in addressing it from the perspective of the participants and emphasis is on
what they feel and why they feel that way. The article relies on data obtained from primary and
secondary source and used approaches in the collection and analysis of data. The complex and
less accessible nature of urban land corruption networks need to approach thoroughly.
Purposive/Judgmental Sample was used in the selection of the study units. Bahr-Dar is made up
of 6 Sub cities. The study focused on the City as the study was interested in the sub city where
pressures and demand for land tenure and use is high. Thus; 6 sub city qualified for. However, In
order to cover a wide array of information on corruption in urban land management the study
mainly focused on experts within the sub city and from Bureau. The sample consisted 22
respondents:18 key officials and experts from the land departments, 1 the city ethics Liaison

7
Officer and 3 from Urban Development housing and Construction Bureau(from land
management). Since it was important to seek information from land department employees,
experts and key officials of the department including land officers, surveyors and urban planners
qualified for the study. Qualitative data were analyzed through summarizing and describing
information in meaningful ways.

6. Limitations
Time constrain, it also will not be quantify the findings as well as a probability of subjective.

7. Significance of the study

This study will shed light on the level of corruption on land administration in Bahr- Dar in
the case of 6- Sub City Municipality. This will help the municipality to develop policy aimed
towards curbing corruption and mismanagement. It will also contribute in raising public
awareness on issues of corruption in municipality services. Furthermore, it will add to
literature on corruption in the field of public administration. New ideas obtained will enhance
the study of public administration.

Data Analysis

The qualitative data will be analysed based on the findings.

Time Table

No. Activity Approval Time Time Schedule

1 Select problem title Me (Researcher) August 8-10/2013
2 Identifying related material Me August 11-13/2013
3 Gathering information Me August 14-16/2013
4 State activity Me August 17-18/2013
5 Plan proposal Me August 19-21/2013

B. Budget (Resource)

No. material Amount BR

1 Paper , pen and laptop or 12,1,& 1 respectively 30
desktop

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8. Refference

 Tendayi GONDO, Scelo ZIBABGWE, (2010): GIS solutions and land management in urban Ethiopia.

 Janelle Plummer (eds), Diagnosing Corruption in Ethiopia: Perceptions, Realities and the
Way Forward for World Bank Group Key Sectors (The World Bank, 2012
 Corruption Crimes Proclamation No. 881/ 2015, Negarit Gazzeta 21st Year No 36