Simplified Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS)
Farm registry, land identification, and direct payments
Description
Simplified Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) is a streamlined set of interoperable digital registries and workflows used to manage agricultural support schemes in Kosovo, enabling farmer registration, land parcel referencing and direct payment processing in a single operational chain. Built around the Electronic Farmers Register (eFR), a simplified Land Parcel Identification System (sLPIS) and a Direct Payment Support Register, the platform aims at strengthening eligibility checks, inspection planning and payment traceability, supporting more transparent and efficient delivery of subsidies and pre-accession (IPARD) assistance and measures. The eFR is a digital database managed by Kosovo’s Payment Agency, designed to determine farmers’ eligibility for financial support from public authorities and other sources. sLPIS is a GIS-based system for mapping and checking agricultural parcels while the Direct Payment module manages applications, controls and payments for support schemes. Together, they form the backbone of Kosovo’s digital subsidy administration
Technology
The simplified IACS runs as a web-based management information system hosted by Kosovo’s Paying Agency. The eFR is a database application that records each farmer’s identity, location, land use, livestock and bank details, assigning a unique ID. The sLPIS module is a GIS web application that uses orthophotos and cadastral layers to digitize parcels and link them to farm records. The Direct Payment Management component draws on these registers to process subsidy applications, run administrative and on-the-spot checks, calculate entitlements and generate payment decisions and reports. All components are made available to the public sector users via the intranet access through authorised credentials.
Target
The simplified IACS serves two main user groups. First, the platform supports public authorities i.e. the Agriculture Development Agency (ADA), Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD) and municipal agricultural offices – who rely on it to register farms, verify land, manage direct payment applications and produce monitoring data. Second, it benefits farmers, particularly smallholders, by making registration and access to support more systematic and rule based. The number of registered farmers grew fourfold from 16 608 in 2012 to over 66 000 by 2019 across all 37 municipalities within 7 years of its introduction.
Business model
The simplified IACS is a non-commercial public sector infrastructure. Farmers do not pay to register or to have their parcels mapped or payments processed. The system is financed through a mix of donor-funded projects in particular EU IPA/IPARD support for the Farmer Register, LPIS and Paying Agency accreditation and ongoing government budget allocations for ADA and its IT operations.
Impact
The combined eFR–sLPIS–Direct Payment system has transformed subsidy administration in Kosovo from fragmented, fully paper-based processes into a structured digital workflow even if some components remain paper based. The integrated system has created a single registry of more than 60 000 farms, each with a unique ID, reducing duplicate claims and improving targeting. Mapping of parcels in sLPIS increases the accuracy of area-based payments and allows better control of land-related measures. The Direct Payment module speeds up processing and supports auditable decision-trails, contributing to greater transparency and institutional trust. While many applications are still facilitated through municipal offices, the digital backbone reduces paperwork and travel and creates a unique identity and mapped holding for each participating farm. Future upgrades aim at a further integration with other national e-government systems in particular through the e-Kosova platform.
Partners
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD); Information Society Agency (ISA - ASHI); GIZ; AAM Consulting; Geo&Land; FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Four Betters
Better production
Better life
