Benchmarking Cadastral Systems – Results of the Working Group 7 . 1

In 1998, FIG-Commission 7 launched three new working groups for the period 1998-2002. Working group 7.1 got the title “Reforming the Cadastre” and its terms of reference were (i) to create a framework for the determination of progress and effectiveness of cadastral reforms, (ii) to develop key criteria to determine the benefits of cadastral reforms, and (iii) to actualize continually the Commission 7 inventory on cadastral systems. To deal with items 1 and 2, the working group decided to use the benchmarking approach. Benchmarking is concerned with questions of effectiveness, efficiency, best practice and customer satisfaction. Item 3 has been dealt with a questionnaire for a standardized country report. The paper describes the work being done and the progress that has been made by the working group. It gives an overview about the theoretical background of the method and procedures of benchmarking, the importance and usefulness of benchmarking in the field of cadastre, and the contribution of benchmarking to the FIG strategies. It shows how the working group tackled the topic of benchmarking and how it expects that benchmarking will be applied by the different countries. Some practical results of benchmarking operations carried out in different environments are shown as examples. CONTACT Jürg Kaufmann KAUFMANN CONSULTING, Concepts and Project Management in Cadastre Im Hauffeld 109 CH-8455 Rüdlingen SWITZERLAND Tel./ Fax + 41 1 867 34 89 E-mail: jkcons@swissonline.ch Web site: http://homepage.swissonline.ch/jkcons/