Devolution Working Paper 6: Practical Approaches for County Governments

Devolution Working Paper 6: Practical Approaches For County Governments

Publisher	World Bank Centre for Devolution Studies (CDS) Kenya School of Government (KSG)
Year of Publication	2015
Category	Report
County	All/General
Description	OBJECTIVE: This working paper proposes practical approaches for Kenyan counties to implement public participation in their systems that encourage meaningful public engagement. Kenyas new Constitution and supportive legal framework contain multiple provisions requiring both national government and counties to make information publicly available and consult with citizens in planning and budgeting. The devolution laws require that there be participation in integrated development planning and throughout the four stages of the budget cycle: formulation, approval, implementation and oversight. The County Government Act 2012, Public Finance Management Act 2012 and Urban Areas and Cities Act 2011 all provide strong social accountability provisions that counties are mandated to implement. Citizen participation affords county governments an opportunity to empower citizens on their operations and to deliberate, debate and influence the allocation of public resources. If done correctly, participation can greatly improve county government performance since it strengthens social equity outcomes for disadvantaged groups, helps reduce government inefficiencies and makes it more responsive to citizens needs and preferences. Counties are required by law to put in place legislation on public participation to give full effect to the County Government Act (CGA 92). A Public Participation Framework provides a roadmap for implementing participation at devolved level, subsequently improving its quality. Quality participation can eliminate or minimize risks often associated with devolution. Other common risks include growth of social economic enclaves and deepened inequalities. There are two major processes that require citizen engagement: integrated development planning and the budget process. This paper outlines the key phases of the CIDP process in which public participation should be considered and proposes methods for effectively engaging the citizens. Under the budget cycle the paper details the envisaged process of public participation in the various stages of formulation, analysis, execution and audit/reporting.
Tags	90feda7681b6e59698760278900a6a30, Counties / General
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