Aubrey Barker Fund grant, awarded to Dr. Trias Aditya, has improved Indonesian land administration nationally

The project "A Blended Learning Course Design in Fit for Purposes’ Cadastral Survey" 

Project manager, Dr. Trias Aditya, from the Department of Geodetic Engineering of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia

The Aubrey Barker Fund is dedicated to enhancing sustainable survey and land management skills in developing countries through professional education and capacity building for the lasting benefit of local communities. In 2020, The Aubrey Barker Fund, administered by FIG Foundation, granted GBP 20,000 for two years to the project "A Blended Learning Course Design in Fit for Purposes’ Cadastral Survey". The project was run by Dr. Trias Aditya from the Department of Geodetic Engineering of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project's completion was re-scheduled for August 2024.

FIG publication basis for this project in Indonesia 

This project "A Blended Learning Course Design in Fit for Purposes’ Cadastral Survey" was set in Indonesia, the home of millions of land parcels spreading across numerous populated islands, both big and small islands, many of which had not been mapped and registered by the country. Under the legal and institutional framework, systematic land titling activities from village to village were expensive and took a long time to complete. Land titling activities were impossible without a complete cadastral map and active participation from communities and government officers.

The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and The World Bank had published principles and guidelines to give a way forward to accelerate the land registration progress called Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration (FFP-LA) (FIG Publication No. 60 by Stig Enemark, Keith Clifford Bell, Christiaan Lemmen and Robin McLaren). 
What was required in Indonesia was a paradigm shift from a top-down traditional cadastral survey and mapping into a bottom-up modern cadastral survey for accelerated land registration. This was lacking in Indonesia. To effect the changes required a combination of modern survey techniques and community participation applying FFP-LA principles in order to accelerate and assure the quality of the land registration.

Development of a new learning platform

The project plan was to develop a learning platform applying blended learning practices (a combination of online courses and field visit interactions) in FFP Cadastral Survey (FFP-CS) for both in-house students and para surveyors (i.e. local representatives in the community) across the country. The project would develop course objectives, student outcomes and teaching materials of FFP-CS adhering to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) standards.

An online assessment and certification system involving the Project Team’s University, National Land Agency and The Association of Surveyors was also to be developed. This blended learning program would produce an excellent capstone design for ABET curriculum and speed up the community readiness for FFP-CS implementation.

Land registration challenge accepted  

Fit-for-Purpose (FFP) Land Administration has been tested and implemented world wide. Although there has been a comprehensive implementing guidelines available (Enemark, McLaren and Lemmen, 2015), finding the really fit land registration method suitable for a country context was not easy. Managing the financial, political, legal and administrative risks associated with large-scale registration campaigns were crucial. Indonesia’s progress on land registration program provided a good context to try out how quality, cost, and speed of land administration services should be accelerated extending stakeholder interaction. A combination of modern survey techniques and community participation applying Fit for Purposes (FFP) Land Administration principles would accelerate and assure the quality of the land registration.

Project results improving land registration for Indonesia nationally

Dr. Trias Aditya led the succesful project "A Blended Learning Course Design in Fit for Purposes’ Cadastral Survey" towards impressive project results:

• The project developed a set of learning materials applying blended learning practices in FFP Cadastral Survey (FFP-CS) for both in-house students, surveyors and para surveyors (i.e. local representatives in the community) across the country.

• The project developed course objectives, student outcomes and teaching materials of FFP-CS.

• The training module was developed accordingly with the focus on the cadastral data quality improvements.

• The publications have been successfully produced.

• The project has helped the Indonesian government in developing some regulations (technical guidelines and ministry regulation) in regard to data quality improvements and participatory approaches as well as AR/VR adoption to the national land registration program.

Read the full report

FIG Office

30 September 2025