Inception Report – OGP Action Plan 2024-2027 – Kakamega, Kenya
- Action Plan: OGP Action Plan 2024-2027 – Kakamega, Kenya
Overview
Name of Evaluator
Edwin Orisi
Member Name
Kakamega, Kenya
Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open government ... Title
OGP Action Plan 2024-2027 – Kakamega, Kenya
Section 1.
Compliance with
co-creation requirements
1.1 Does a forum exist?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
Kakamega County established an OGP Multi-Stakeholder ForumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple... to coordinate the co-creation, implementation and monitoring of the OGP Action Plan. The forum brings together county government representatives, the County Assembly and civil society stakeholders to provide oversight, guidance and coordination of open government reforms.
The Kakamega OGP Action Plan identifies the Multi-Stakeholder Forum as the institutional structure for implementing the Action Plan and outlines the role of the Steering CommitteeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and rules; a... and Technical Committee in coordinating progress.
1.2 Is the forum multi-stakeholder?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The forum includes representatives from both government and non-government actors. Membership includes representatives from the County Executive, County Assembly and Civil Society Organisations, ensuring that different stakeholder groups participate in the OGP process.
The Action Plan states that the Steering Committee consists of representatives drawn from the County Executive, County Assembly and Civil Society, while the Technical Committee includes members from these stakeholder groups.
1.3 Does the forum hold at least one meeting with civil society and non-governmental stakeholders during the co-creation of the action plan?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The County conducted inception meetings and stakeholder engagement meetings during the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive... of the OGP Action Plan. These meetings brought together government representatives, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to discuss priorities, identify governance challenges and contribute to the development of commitments.
The Action Plan recognises the contribution of stakeholders, including civil society members, citizens, the OGP Steering Committee and Technical Committee, in the development of the Action Plan.
1.4 Has the action plan been endorsed by the stakeholders of the forum or steering committee/group?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The Action Plan was developed through a collaborative process involving government and non-government stakeholders. Stakeholders participating in the OGP process contributed to shaping the commitments and final Action Plan.
The County acknowledges that the OGP Steering Committee, Technical Committee, citizens and civil society representatives contributed towards development of the Action Plan.
Section 2.
Recommended practices
in co-creation
2.1 Does the government maintain a Local OGP website or webpage on a government website where information on the OGP Local process (co-creation and implementation) is proactively published?
No
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The County Government of Kakamega currently uses a dedicated Facebook page as an online platform for sharing information, updates, and stakeholder engagement related to the OGP process. However, at the time of assessment, there is no dedicated OGP webpage hosted on the official County Government website where OGP co-creation and implementation information is systematically published.
2.2 Did the government provide information to stakeholders in advance to facilitate informed and prepared participation in the co-creation process?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The County Government of Kakamega provided information to stakeholders before and during the co-creation process through inception meetings and stakeholder engagement sessions. These engagements enabled stakeholders to understand the Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More (OGP) process, the purpose of the Action Plan, priority governance areas, and their role in contributing to the development of commitments.
Stakeholders were provided with relevant information and opportunities to discuss governance challenges, propose priorities, and provide inputs that informed the development of the Kakamega OGP Action Plan.
2.3 Did the government ensure that any interested member of the public could make inputs into the action plan and observe or have access to decision-making documentation?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The County Government of Kakamega provided opportunities for stakeholders and members of the public to contribute to the development of the OGP Action Plan through inception meetings and stakeholder engagement forums. These engagements created spaces for citizens, civil society organisations and other interested actors to provide inputs on governance priorities and proposed commitments.
The OGP process was designed around transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the public,... More, citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to more ... More and access to information. The Kakamega OGP Action Plan identifies public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio..., civic engagement and access to information as key priorities, including the use of participatory structures and platforms that enable citizens to contribute to policy and budget discussions.
2.4 Did the government proactively report back or provide written feedback to stakeholders on how their contributions were considered during the creation of the action plan?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The County Government of Kakamega provided feedback to stakeholders through the OGP Multi-Stakeholder Forum and stakeholder engagement forums during the co-creation process. The forums provided opportunities for stakeholders to discuss proposed priorities, review inputs, and understand how their contributions were considered in shaping the commitments included in the final Action Plan.
Through these engagements, government and non-government stakeholders participated in an iterative process where feedback was discussed and incorporated into the development of the OGP Action Plan.
2.5 Was there an iterative dialogue and shared ownership between government and non-governmental stakeholders during the decision making process, including setting the agenda?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The OGP co-creation process in Kakamega involved iterative dialogue between the County Government and non-government stakeholders through inception meetings, stakeholder engagement forums and the OGP Multi-Stakeholder Forum. These engagements provided opportunities for civil society organisations and other stakeholders to participate in identifying priority governance challenges, shaping the agenda, discussing proposed commitments and providing feedback during the development of the Action Plan.
The process promoted shared ownership by involving government representatives, the County Assembly, civil society organisations and citizens in the development of the OGP commitments. The Kakamega OGP Action Plan identifies the Multi-Stakeholder Forum and Technical Committee as mechanisms for collaborative development and implementation of the Action Plan.
2.6 Would you consider the forum to be inclusive and diverse?
Moderately
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The OGP Multi-Stakeholder Forum was designed to promote inclusive participation by bringing together representatives from government institutions, civil society organisations and diverse community groups. The forum included representation from youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), ensuring that voices from traditionally underrepresented groups were included in discussions and decision-making during the OGP co-creation process.
The inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More of youth and PWD representatives strengthened the diversity of perspectives considered when identifying governance priorities and developing commitments under the Kakamega OGP Action Plan.
Section 3.
Initial evaluation
of commitments
1 CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... :
Public Participation and Civic Engagement
1.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The Public Participation commitment is verifiable because it is supported by an existing Public Participation Policy that provides a framework for structured engagement between the County Government and citizens. The commitment identifies clear activities related to strengthening citizen engagement, improving participation mechanisms, and creating opportunities for citizens and stakeholders to contribute to county decision-making processes.
Progress can be measured through identifiable deliverables such as the implementation of public participation activities, number of engagement forums conducted, stakeholder participation records, feedback mechanisms established, and reports documenting citizen inputs and government responses.
1.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevanceAccording to the OGP Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should include a clear open government lens. Specifically, they should advance at least one of the OGP values: transparency, citizen partic... to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The Public Participation commitment is directly aligned with OGP values because it strengthens citizen participation, transparency and accountability in county decision-making processes. Through implementation of the Public Participation Policy, the County Government seeks to create structured mechanisms that enable citizens and stakeholders to participate in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of county programmes, policies and budgets.
The commitment promotes open government by ensuring that citizens have opportunities to provide input, engage with public institutions and influence decisions that affect them. It also improves accountability by creating mechanisms for government to receive, consider and respond to public feedback.
1.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a continuation of ongoing practice in line with existing legislationCreating and passing legislation is one of the most effective ways of ensuring open government reforms have long-lasting effects on government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or r..., policies or requirements.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The Public Participation commitment builds on existing constitutional and legal requirements in Kenya that require public participation in governance and decision-making processes. The County already has a Public Participation Policy and established mechanisms for engaging citizens in county processes.
The OGP commitment strengthens and improves these existing practices by introducing a more structured, transparent and accountable approach to citizen engagement, including improving grassroots participation, stakeholder involvement and feedback mechanisms. Rather than creating an entirely new practice, the commitment seeks to enhance and institutionalize existing public participation processes to make them more meaningful and inclusive.
1.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
1.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
To strengthen implementation of the Public Participation commitment, there is a need to address resource constraints and behavioural challenges that may affect meaningful engagement. Adequate resources should be provided to support consistent grassroots participation, especially at ward and community levels.
One foreseeable challenge is the risk of participation becoming transactional, where some citizens may expect incentives or allowances rather than engaging based on civic responsibility and interest in influencing decision-making. On the government side, institutional rigidity among some officers may limit responsiveness to citizen inputs and reduce the effectiveness of participatory processes.
To mitigate these challenges, the County should strengthen civic educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ..., promote awareness of the purpose and value of public participation, improve feedback mechanisms, and build the capacity of government officers to embrace inclusive and responsive governance practices.
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