The State Department for Economic Planning on Tuesday kicked off Phase II of the Training on Grassroots Data Management for Evidence-Based Planning, targeting officers and stakeholders involved in grassroots data management in Turkana County.

The three-day session is being held at a Lodwar hotel. It brings together the County Commissioner, Deputy County Commissioners, Assistant County Commissioners, Chiefs, and Assistant Chiefs. It was officially launched by Mr. Julius Kavita, the County Commissioner, on behalf of Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr. Raymond Omollo.

In a speech delivered by the Commissioner, Dr. Raymond Omollo said the programme seeks to ensure the government receives timely, reliable, and credible information from the grassroots.

Dr. Omollo said the government would use the information from grassroots in planning, resource allocation, implementation, monitoring, and decision-making.

“Timely information sharing is critical in decision-making,” he said.

“Data must not only inform decision making, it must translate into action and measurable results,” he added, noting that the programme’s success will be judged by the outcomes it delivers, not merely by the number of officers trained.

Consultant Alphonse Obonyo of the World Governance Center said the exercise is meant to build the capacity of National Government Administration Officers (NGAO).

The State Department for Economic Planning is working with Konza Technopolis, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the State Department for Interior.

“The government is working on streamlining grassroots data management so that when data is collected from household it is escalated from sub-location, through the administration structures all the way to national government for planning,” Obonyo said.

He said officers have previously submitted information and reports in different formats, making analysis for decision-making difficult. The government is now rolling out a structured data collection and management system, with a standardised format that will reduce the time it takes for information to reach decision-makers.

In line with the Data Protection Act, NGAO officers will use an app to collect, store and manage data securely.

Obonyo commended the participants for their active engagement and expressed confidence that the training will go a long way in strengthening national planning.

By Peter Gitonga