Do Design Science Research and Design Thinking Processes Improve the ‘Fit’ of the Fit-For-Purpose Approach to Securing Land Tenure for All in South Africa?
Simon Hull, Jennifer Whittal
In South Africa, land tenure security is a challenge for 60% or more of the population
who hold interests in land outside of the formal system of registered title. There is a need for the
cadastral and land administration systems to be reshaped, and for new land tenure forms to be
developed to record all land rights and interests so as to improve land tenure security for all. In this
paper, we undertake a reflective retrospective of the processes of land administrative reform in South
Africa using a thematic framework that includes fit-for-purpose, design science research, and design
thinking processes. Literary sources are coded using the thematic framework to identify potential
contributions of foregrounding design science research and design thinking in fit-for-purpose land
administration (FFP LA) approaches. Design science research paired with tools of behavioral science
add value in understanding the context, problems, needs, and objectives and in communicating the
results of critical reflection. The design thinking process has much to offer in capitalizing on the
human abilities of empathy, deep understanding, and challenging assumptions, setting the scene for
unconstrained creative thinking. Design science research and design thinking within FFP LA may
promote innovations in land administration systems reform initiatives that deliver restorative justice
in the South African land sector.
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