Designing and implementing a LADM-based cadastral information system in Serbia, Montenegro and Republic of Srpska

Abstract

A reliable and efficient land administration plays a vital role in the country's development. For that purpose, records that ensure data management about real properties, rights, and legal or natural persons that are right holders should be well organized. Maintenance of cadastral records in Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Srpska (one of the two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina) have encountered many issues in recent years. There was a need for modernization to provide more efficient cadastral information systems. Following the recommendations to implement all international standards related to the field of interest to achieve interoperability and incorporate best practices, it was natural to consider the development of the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) country profiles and LADM based cadastral information systems in these case countries and the region. The domain models had to comply with the national laws, so the regulations also had to be analyzed in detail. Once the domain models were established and verified on the conceptual level, they were implemented as part of the technical solution for the cadastral information systems in the case countries and the region. The goal of the paper is to share the experience gained during the process of design and implementation of LADM based cadastral information systems in Serbia, Montenegro and the Republic of Srpska. This experience is summarized into methodological steps grouped into four design and implementation phases. These phases include conceptual modelling and development of LADM based country profiles in these regions, the definition of real estate cadastre business processes, database implementation and data migration, and finally, country profile's implementation in the form of a technical solution that is in use in cadastral offices and on the Web. The outcomes that resulted from the activities conducted in each of these steps are presented. The goal is also to present challenges we met during conducting activities in these phases and findings we reached in the process so they can be used as a basis for some other work and a more general methodology that will cover larger areas and countries outside Europe.