Methods to Advance Understanding of Tenure Security: Impact Evaluation for Rigorous Evidence on Tenure Interventions

Abstract

The impact of land tenure interventions on sustainable development outcomes is affected by political, social, economic, and environmental factors, and as a result, multiple types of evidence are needed to advance our understanding. This chapter discusses the use of counterfactual impact evaluation to identify causal relationships between tenure security and sustainable development outcomes. Rigorous evidence that tenure security leads to better outcomes for nature and people is thin and mixed. Using a theory of change as a conceptual model can help inform hypothesis testing and promote rigorous study design. Careful attention to data collection and use of experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluation methods can advance understanding of causal connections between tenure security interventions and development outcomes.