| dc.description.abstract | The Public Affairs Index (PAI) is a framework for monitoring delivery of public
services at the county level. The Index helps to identify gaps, bring out emerging
issues, and guide in prioritizing policy actions. The project that generated the
PAI demonstrates the role of KIPPRA, as a think tank and research intermediary,
in strengthening frameworks and tools for coordinating key stakeholders in the
research ecosystem in Kenya to dialogue, network and enhance research uptake
to inform the implementation of the devolved system of government. Through
the project, five ecosystem strengthening goals have been achieved, as part of the
RISA Fund, namely the building of human capital for the research stakeholders
involved, enhancing research uptake into policies and regulations at the national
platform as well as county level, equitable and inclusive participation devolved to
each of the 47 counties, the networking of assets to drive collaboration between
research actors and policy makers, and providing incentives for high quality
research.
Hence, based on the RISA project, this report provides detailed indicators in the
framework across nine pillars, namely fiscal management, economic performance,
human capital development, essential infrastructure, environmental management,
transparency and accountability, crime and justice, water, sanitation and hygiene
(WASH), and social welfare. The indicators that form the pillars were constructed
using both primary and secondary data sources and an adapted distance-tofrontier
score methodology (DTF).
Devolution is one of the most significant changes in governance structure in Kenya,
after a long-standing desire to move away from a centralist form of governance
since independence. The main objective of creating the new governance structures
as spelt out in Article 174 of the Constitution, is to devolve power and resources to
attain optimal delivery of public services and allow citizens to effectively participate
in governance. The fourth schedule of the Constitution outlines 14 functions now
fully devolved to county governments. Since 2013, about Ksh 2 trillion have been
disbursed to the counties to facilitate delivery of public services.
The County Government Act 2012, the Public Finance Management Act 2012, and
the Public Finance Management Regulations 2015 provide the legal framework for
devolution and fiscal decentralization. County governments are mandated by the
County Government Act 2012 to implement Integrated Development Planning. | en |
