Tharaka District Development Plan 2002-2008

Abstract

The Tharaka District Development Plan (DDP) for the period 2002-2008 was prepared by the District Departmental Heads of various Ministries under the coordination of the District Commissioner (DC) assisted by the District Development Officer (DDO) and members of the District Planning Team. The Plan is a product of broad-based consultations among various stakeholders undertaken in each of the sixty-nine districts in the country. It has been prepared in the backdrop of the theme of the 9th National Development Plan, which is “Effective Management for Sustainable Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction The Tharaka DDP articulates medium term policies and objectives, which are further translated into short-term strategies and programmes to be implemented under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The latter is part of the budgetary reforms undertaken to strengthen the linkage between policy, planning and budgeting. The Rural Planning Department of the Ministry of Finance and Planning provided the overall guidance through seminars and training workshops and was responsible for the formulation of guidelines, editing and publication of the Plan. The Plan is divided into four chapters as follows: Chapter One: Provides the background description of the district in terms of its area, administrative divisions and main physical features as well as a summary of data essential for making informed choices while planning. Chapter Two: Provides a review of the performance of the Tharaka District Development Plan for the period 1997-2001 and insight into the major development challenges and cross cutting issues to be tackled during the 2002-2008 Plan period. Chapter Three:

Forms the core of the Plan and is prepared along the lines of the PRSP/MTEF sectors. It indicates the priorities, strategies and programmes proposed to overcome the development challenges identified in Chapter Two. The proposals are in line with the people’s aspirations as outlined during the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper District Consultation Forums. Chapter Four: Introduces implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for the 2002-2008 Tharaka DDP. It outlines the institutional framework for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the 7-year Plan, ard the indicators and instruments to be used and sets out clear roles . u. 11 stakeholders. District Planning is the cornerstone of the District Focus for Rural Development Strategy (DFRD). This strategy is currently being revamped to ensure that an effective bottom up delivery system that facilitates two-way communication between the community and development partners through the administrative hierarchy in the district as well as at the national level is established. In order for this Plan to be more effective than before, communities will be actively and fully involved in the entire planning process: from selection, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. However, this requires huge investments in training and capacity building, particularly on participatory methodologies for the communities, and effective delivery of services closer to the people. In this regard, district information systems will be put in place, with District Information and Documentation Centre (DIDC) and District Planning Unit (DPU) playing a central role in the process. This will be actively pursued by the Rural Planning Department through the office of the DDO in collaboration with development partners.