The government has intensified efforts to strengthen grassroots data management to ensure that development planning, resource allocation and policy decisions are informed by reliable and timely information from communities.

The State Department for Economic Planning is implementing Phase II of the Training and Capacity Building for Persons and Stakeholders Involved in Grassroots Data Management for Evidence-Based Planning, targeting officers and stakeholders in 25 counties.

The training, which runs from September 15 to October 2, 2026, seeks to improve the quality, consistency, timeliness and use of grassroots information in government planning, implementation, monitoring and decision-making.

Speaking during the opening of the training, Director of Planning Ms Terry Kimonye, who read the Principal Secretary for Economic Planning’s remarks on his behalf, said reliable information from the grassroots was essential in strengthening the link between evidence, planning and development results.

“At its core, this programme is about one thing: ensuring that government decisions are informed by reliable information from the ground,” the principal secretary said.

He said the initiative was particularly important as Kenya strengthens its national planning architecture and prepares for the development of the country’s post-2030 development framework.

The Principal Secretary said the Beyond 2030 national conversation would provide an opportunity to reflect on the country’s development journey and shape the next phase of national development, adding that the process should incorporate the realities, aspirations and experiences of communities across the country.

“This is why grassroots data matters,” he said.

Phase II builds on the first phase of the programme, which covered 11 counties in June 2026 and provided lessons on the collection, management, reporting and use of grassroots information, including the capture of citizen views and feedback on government interventions.

The second phase seeks to broaden coverage while strengthening the capacity of National Government Administration Officers and other relevant officers in standardized data collection, management, analysis and reporting.

The Principal Secretary said grassroots information could help the Government identify service delivery gaps, emerging vulnerabilities, economic opportunities and implementation challenges that may not immediately be visible through aggregate national statistics.

He, however, cautioned that collecting information alone was not sufficient, stressing the need for data to be accurate, verified, timely, properly managed and put to use.

“Good planning begins with good evidence,” he said, adding that information collected at the grassroots should accurately reflect the situation on the ground rather than what officials might want it to show.

He urged participants to use standardized tools and approaches provided through the programme to ensure consistency and enable information collected from different locations to be compared and used effectively.

The officers were also encouraged to strengthen verification and quality assurance, noting that errors introduced during data collection could affect planning, resource allocation and government decisions.

The Principal Secretary emphasized the importance of timely reporting, saying accurate information that arrives late could undermine effective government response.

“Timely information is as important as accurate information,” he said.

He further urged participants to protect the integrity and confidentiality of information they handle and to become champions of evidence-based planning in their respective areas.

He explained that the grassroots data programme was not merely a training exercise but part of efforts to establish a stronger evidence chain linking information from communities to county planning and national policy and decision-making.

National Government Administration Officers were identified as key to the initiative because of their presence and responsibilities at the local level.

The principal secretary said the officers were well positioned to identify emerging issues within communities and facilitate the flow of information to relevant government institutions.

He urged them to work closely with county planning and statistical officers, sector agencies and other stakeholders to avoid duplication and promote the use of common standards.

“Where information identifies a service delivery gap, an emerging vulnerability, an economic opportunity or an implementation challenge, it should trigger appropriate government action. Data must lead to action,” he said.

The Principal Secretary commended the National Government Administration officers and other participants for their commitment to strengthening grassroots data management.

He said the success of the initiative would not be measured by the number of officers trained but by improvements in the quality of information, reporting, monitoring and government decision-making.

“The success of this programme will not be measured by the number of officers trained. It will be measured by whether we see better-quality information, better reporting, stronger monitoring and, ultimately, better government decisions,” he said.

The Principal Secretary called on participants to translate the knowledge acquired during the training into daily practice and help build an evidence chain that begins with credible information at the grassroots, supports planning at county level and contributes to national policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation.

by Hamdi Buthul