**5. Conclusions and Recommendation**

The main research objective of this paper was analyzing the effects of merging cadastral information registration and urban landholding right proving institutions, ULARIA and ULDMB in Ethiopia, respectively. In order to achieve this objective, primary and secondary data sources were used. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focused group discussion from the case study area, Addis Ababa, whereas secondary data from internet sources, strategic plans, and institutional annual performance reports. Desk review and case study research methods were used with a qualitative analysis approach. Although the findings confirm that many challenging issues such as: poor institutional coordination within the land sector, lack of proper consideration of available institutional resources while planning strategies, communication gaps among land administration stakeholders, irregular assignment and replacement of institutional leaders, and leaders' commitment are facing, the most challenging one is basically emanates from the poor cooperation between ULARIA and ULDMB, and poorly designed strategic plans. Practically, urban land right provision and registration activities are closely related fields in that the targets intended, the resources deployed, the processes involved, and the outcomes provided are more or less the same. Despite their closeness, these activities are organized and executed by two different and independent institutions. Due to this arrangement, institutional performance could not be successful. Based on the result from both semi-structured interviews and focused group discussion, both ULDMB and ULARIA institutions design strategic plans every year, with low level of achievement or operational performance. This is because of strategic plans are not formulated in consideration with institutional resource capacities.

Therefore, this paper strongly recommends the following two directions in order to improve institutional performance in the urban cadastral system. (1) Strategic plan is a document that guides how specific activities are executed within various hierarchical management levels (upper, middle, lower). Thus, it is imperative to foster communication and interaction among employees and managers at all levels, so as to help the institution to operate as a more functional and effective team. A well-designed strategic plan considers the current situation of the respective institution. In doing so, available resources, money, and time are considered, and priority activities are identified that avoid ambitious plan. (2) Results have shown that the major challenging issue is the poor institutional coordination between ULDMB and ULARIA institutions. For the meantime, these institutions may come to cooperation through signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This arrangement, bounded with clear duties and responsibilities, may reduce their gaps, and increases institutional performances. However, in the long run, we suggest merging these two institutions can: reduce the effects of data duplication; provide services through one-window; reduce the cost of operations; fill the gaps in communication among the staffs; reduce time of operation; improve of customer service; increase efficiency within processes; and provide a more efficient operation of land markets. It should be noted that no institutional merging can be established overnight; rather it is important to take concrete steps to the right direction of merging.

This research focuses on practical application of the theory of merger only in urban land administration processes. Hence, other researchers may conduct a research if the same theory can bring the urban and rural land administration sectors in one umbrella so as to increase efficient operation of land market.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, S.D.C., W.T.d.V., P.D.-D., G.B.S.; methodology S.D.C.; validation, S.D.C., W.T.d.V., P.D.-D. and G.B.S.; formal analysis, S.D.C.; investigation, S.D.C.; resources, S.D.C.; data curation, S.D.C.; writing—original draft preparation, S.D.C., W.T.d.V., P.D.-D. and G.B.S.; writing—review and editing S.D.C., W.T.d.V., P.D.-D. and G.B.S.; visualization, S.D.C.; supervision, W.T.d.V., P.D.-D. and G.B.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received external funding from DAAD, in the form of a Short Term Research Scholarship for In-Country/In region Scholarship holders, grant number 57520399. The Article Processing Charges of this research were funded by the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

**Data Availability Statement:** The data presented in this study are available on request from the first author.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors would like to thank the Technical University of Munich (TUM), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Institute of Land Administration (ILA) of Bahir Dar University (BDU) for providing supporting materials.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
