GIS for Land Administration Training Course

Duration 10 days 16 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends GIS Officers, Cadastral Surveyors and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-GRS-048

Before you join: Participants should be comfortable using desktop GIS to open layers, inspect attribute tables, apply simple queries and produce basic maps.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Land administration agencies, municipalities, banks, utilities and land-intensive businesses depend on reliable parcel, tenure, valuation and land-use information. Yet records are often split between paper files, spreadsheets, registry systems, survey plans and imagery. Inconsistent identifiers, poorly defined boundaries, missing metadata and weak update controls create disputes, delay transactions, weaken tax rolls and undermine investment decisions. GIS provides the spatial framework for connecting these records, testing their quality and publishing controlled land information services.

This course equips participants to design, build and manage GIS datasets for land administration. Participants work with cadastral parcels, rights and restrictions, survey control, land-use layers, valuation zones and administrative boundaries. They apply the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM), fit-for-purpose land administration principles, topology rules, georeferencing methods, ISO 19115 metadata and OGC web-service concepts. The course also covers remote sensing for parcel and land-use interpretation, field data collection, quality assurance, data governance, change management and access control.

Instruction combines short technical briefings with guided GIS build work, public-sector and commercial cases, group review sessions and operational planning. Participants create a land administration GIS work package during the course, beginning with a data model and progressing through parcel capture, validation, analysis, service design and governance controls. They leave with reusable templates, quality rules and a documented prototype suitable for adaptation within a land registry, municipal cadastre, property unit or land management programme.

The course suits professionals who already work with spatial, property or land records and need stronger capability in applying GIS to legally significant land information. It is relevant to jurisdictions using formal title systems, deed registration, customary tenure records or mixed land administration arrangements.

What you will be able to do

  • Design a cadastral GIS data model using LADM classes and local identifiers
  • Create parcel, boundary and tenure datasets from survey, registry and imagery sources
  • Apply georeferencing, coordinate reference system selection and topology validation methods
  • Assess parcel data quality using completeness, positional accuracy and consistency measures
  • Interpret satellite imagery for land-use, encroachment and change-detection evidence
  • Configure GIS workflows for parcel updates, transaction tracking and audit trails
  • Publish controlled land information services using OGC standards and role-based access
  • Produce a land administration GIS implementation plan and prototype presentation

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Build confidence handling legally significant parcel and tenure spatial data
  • Create defensible parcel-quality checks for registry and cadastral records
  • Translate survey, registry and imagery sources into usable GIS layers
  • Prepare implementation requirements for land information system improvements
  • Present GIS evidence clearly to surveyors, registrars and decision-makers

For your organisation

  • Reduce duplicate parcel records and conflicting boundary representations
  • Improve traceability of land-record updates, corrections and approvals
  • Support faster property transactions through better spatial record retrieval
  • Strengthen land-use monitoring and encroachment detection using imagery
  • Establish consistent GIS standards for cadastral data sharing and publication

Course modules

16 modules over 10 days

Participants can distinguish core land administration functions and define the information needed to support them.

  • Land administration functions: tenure, value, use and development rights
  • Cadastre, land register and conveyancing records distinguished by legal purpose
  • Parcel, property, holding and administrative-unit identifiers matched across source systems
  • Formal, customary and informal tenure relationships mapped without conflation
  • Land administration system actors, mandates and information handoffs documented
  • Fit-for-purpose land administration principles applied to service priorities

Participants can select and document suitable coordinate reference systems for land administration datasets.

  • Geographic and projected coordinate reference systems compared for parcel mapping
  • Datum transformations assessed before combining legacy survey and GIS layers
  • National geodetic control networks connected to cadastral survey evidence
  • Survey plans, bearings, distances and monument references interpreted correctly
  • Coordinate precision, scale and map accuracy linked to intended land services
  • Transformation parameters recorded within spatial data documentation

Participants can design a cadastral data model using LADM concepts and local business rules.

  • ISO 19152 LADM classes: parties, rights, restrictions and responsibilities
  • Spatial units, boundaries and basic administrative units modelled separately
  • Unique identifiers designed for parcels, titles, buildings and transactions
  • Domain values and controlled vocabularies defined for tenure attributes
  • Relationship tables connect parties, parcels, rights and supporting documents
  • Local legal terminology mapped to consistent database entities

Participants can assess land information sources and prepare them for GIS integration.

  • Paper maps, deed plans and registry extracts assessed for usability
  • Source lineage recorded for every imported parcel and boundary feature
  • Scanning specifications selected for cadastral plans and annotated sketches
  • Attribute crosswalks reconcile legacy codes with target data structures
  • Duplicate identifiers, null values and conflicting dates identified systematically
  • Data acceptance criteria agreed before conversion or digitisation begins

Participants can georeference cadastral source maps and evaluate registration accuracy.

  • Ground control points selected from stable, identifiable reference features
  • Affine, polynomial and spline transformations compared for source map distortion
  • Root mean square error interpreted against map scale requirements
  • Residual patterns inspected to detect misplaced or unreliable control points
  • Rubber sheeting limitations documented for legally authoritative boundary records
  • Registered raster plans linked to parcel identifiers and source metadata

Participants can create parcel and boundary features from survey, plan and imagery evidence.

  • COGO entry creates boundaries from bearings, distances and curve parameters
  • Parcel polygons digitised using snapping, tracing and construction tools
  • Shared boundaries maintained once between adjacent cadastral parcels
  • Boundary evidence classified as surveyed, general, approximate or disputed
  • Building footprints, easements and access corridors captured as related features
  • Editing tolerances set to prevent gaps, overlaps and sliver polygons

Participants can configure topology rules and resolve common cadastral data errors.

  • Must Not Overlap rule applied to registered parcel polygons
  • Must Not Have Gaps rule tested within complete cadastral coverage
  • Boundary coincidence checks identify misaligned shared parcel edges
  • Topology exceptions documented where legal geometry requires special treatment
  • Error inspection separates digitising defects from valid legal situations
  • Correction logs preserve editor, date, reason and approval evidence

Participants can manage parcel attributes and define auditable land-record update workflows.

  • Parcel attributes structured for location, tenure, valuation and land use
  • Effective dates distinguish current, historical and pending land interests
  • Subdivision, consolidation and boundary adjustment transactions modelled spatially
  • Parent-child parcel relationships preserve lineage after cadastral changes
  • Editor tracking captures user, timestamp and modification history
  • Approval states control draft, verified, registered and archived records

Participants can use remotely sensed imagery as supporting evidence for parcel and land-use analysis.

  • Spatial, spectral, temporal and radiometric resolution matched to land tasks
  • Orthophotos assessed for parcel interpretation and visible boundary evidence
  • Visual image interpretation uses tone, texture, pattern and association
  • Satellite imagery identifies land-cover change near registered parcel boundaries
  • Image dates compared against transaction dates and field verification records
  • Remote sensing evidence distinguished from legally surveyed boundary evidence

Participants can integrate land-use controls and restrictions with parcel information.

  • Zoning overlays linked to parcels through spatial intersection analysis
  • Setbacks, buffers and exclusion zones calculated from statutory requirements
  • Protected areas, flood zones and easements mapped as restrictions
  • Land-use classifications standardised across planning and cadastral datasets
  • Parcel compliance queries identify development-control conflicts for review
  • Planning approvals connected to relevant parcels and application boundaries

Participants can analyse parcel and property data to support valuation and revenue functions.

  • Valuation zones delineated using location, services and market characteristics
  • Comparable sales linked to parcels using consistent property identifiers
  • Spatial joins connect tax records, improvements and land-use attributes
  • Assessment coverage maps reveal missing, outdated or inconsistent valuation records
  • Graduated symbols communicate assessed values without exposing personal data
  • Revenue analysis distinguishes taxable parcels from exempt property categories

Participants can plan field verification activities that strengthen cadastral and tenure records.

  • Field forms capture parcel occupation, claimants and supporting evidence
  • GNSS observations recorded with accuracy estimates and collection conditions
  • Photographs, sketches and documents attached to field feature records
  • Participatory boundary walks document neighbour agreement and contested locations
  • Offline collection workflows protect continuity in low-connectivity areas
  • Field verification results reconciled against registry and survey source records

Participants can document dataset quality and establish governance controls for land information.

  • ISO 19115 metadata records purpose, lineage, currency and access conditions
  • Completeness measures quantify missing parcels, attributes and source documents
  • Positional accuracy assessed against control points and stated tolerances
  • Logical consistency checks test identifiers, domains and spatial relationships
  • Data stewardship roles assign ownership, maintenance and quality responsibilities
  • Retention schedules distinguish operational records from permanent legal evidence

Participants can specify controlled GIS services for sharing land information across authorised users.

  • OGC WMS publishes map images for controlled visual reference
  • OGC WFS supports feature access where authorised editing is required
  • Application programming interfaces connect registry, valuation and planning systems
  • Role-based access limits viewing and editing of sensitive ownership attributes
  • Service-level requirements define availability, response time and update frequency
  • Data-sharing agreements specify purpose, permissions, liabilities and retention

Participants can prepare an implementation plan for improving a land administration GIS service.

  • Current-state process mapping identifies delays, rework and control failures
  • Requirements prioritised using legal risk, service demand and data readiness
  • Phased migration plans sequence cleansing, conversion, validation and release
  • RACI matrices assign registry, survey, GIS and technology accountabilities
  • Change requests assessed for legal impact, cost and data consequences
  • Performance indicators track coverage, currency, transaction time and error rates

Participants can build, review and present a complete land administration GIS prototype with documented controls.

  • Project brief defines jurisdiction, users, service problem and decision needs
  • LADM-informed schema structures parcels, parties, rights and restrictions
  • Prepared parcel data passes topology, identifier and attribute quality checks
  • Imagery and land-use layers provide supporting spatial evidence
  • Update workflow records transaction stages, approvals and audit requirements
  • Metadata, access rules and service outputs document operational controls

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. LADM-informed cadastral data model template
  2. Parcel topology and quality-control checklist
  3. Land-record source assessment matrix
  4. GIS transaction workflow and audit-trail template
  5. ISO 19115 land dataset metadata record
  6. Land administration GIS implementation plan

Who should attend

  • GIS Officers — responsible for parcel, boundary and land-record spatial datasets
  • Cadastral Surveyors — needing stronger integration between survey plans and GIS records
  • Land Registry Staff — managing spatial references, titles and transaction updates
  • Municipal Planners — using parcel and land-use evidence for development control
  • Property Valuation Officers — linking valuation zones, parcels and property attributes
  • Land Programme Managers — establishing practical land information systems and controls

Skills and tools covered

Cadastral data modellingParcel topology validationLand tenure mappingRemote sensing interpretationSpatial data governanceLand information services

Tools and standards

QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, ISO 19152 Land Administration Domain Model, ISO 19115 metadata standard

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings followed by structured GIS build work using cadastral and land-record scenarios. Participants examine examples from municipal cadastres, land registries, valuation offices and land regularisation programmes. Group exercises address boundary conflicts, incomplete records, imagery interpretation and update controls. Simulations test transaction workflows, quality reviews and stakeholder decisions. Each participant develops an application plan for their own land information context, supported by peer review and instructor feedback.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should be comfortable using desktop GIS to open layers, inspect attribute tables, apply simple queries and produce basic maps. Familiarity with local parcel records, survey plans, property files, planning records or land registry processes is helpful. Participants should understand basic coordinate concepts such as latitude, longitude and projected coordinates. Prior experience with cadastral surveying, remote sensing classification, database administration or programming is not required. The course explains legal and institutional land administration concepts before applying them in GIS workflows.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should be able to use basic desktop GIS functions, including viewing layers, inspecting attributes and making simple maps. Experience with property records, survey plans or land administration is useful, but prior cadastral database design is not required.

Bring a laptop if attending classroom delivery, along with any non-confidential sample forms, parcel schemas or process documents you want to examine. Training datasets and supporting materials are provided.

It is intended for GIS officers, surveyors, registry staff, planners, valuation officers and land programme personnel. It is particularly useful for people responsible for improving parcel records or connecting land information systems.

General GIS courses focus on broad mapping and analysis functions, while this course concentrates on legally significant parcel, tenure, boundary and transaction information. Remote sensing is taught as supporting evidence for land administration, not as a standalone image-analysis programme.

Participants can assess existing parcel datasets, establish topology rules, improve metadata, define update workflows and prepare requirements for system upgrades. The templates can be adapted for cadastral, registry, valuation or land-use information services.

The first week establishes land administration concepts, spatial references, data modelling, parcel capture and quality control. The second week develops imagery use, land-use and valuation analysis, field verification, governance, service design and a complete capstone prototype.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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