1 Poverty Graduation Policy for West Pokot County September 2020 FOREWORD West Pokot County Government is excited to launch the poverty graduation policy. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Poverty Graduation provides the type of multi-faceted responses that will ensure that no one is left behind, directly contributing towards Sustainable Development Goals’ targets 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 10 (reduced inequalities), and indirectly to SDG target 3 (good health and well-being) and 4 (quality education). The Kenya Vision 2030, the devolved system of Government and the Equalization fund are some of the key reforms defined under the Constitution of Kenya (2010) to address inequalities. Policy objectives of poverty reduction and subsequent graduation from poverty must extend to include all dimensions in which individuals are deprived or debilitated in areas such as health, income, gender, education and politics. A County-based graduation approach to reduce extreme poverty does not exist in West Pokot County or in any other County in Kenya. Furthermore, graduates from poverty face limited durable income generating opportunities, and risk slipping back to poverty. This policy document which endeavors to address extreme poverty reduction in West Pokot County was informed by the background above, to provide a roadmap and guarantee a significant milestone in the management and implementation of actions to end extreme poverty within the County. It was formulated through a participatory process involving all stakeholders in strategies for poverty alleviation, including government departments, non-governmental organizations, West Pokot County Assembly and implementation partners who will, in one way or the other continue to support advocacy for adequate budgetary allocation; access of beneficiaries to social protection and economic inclusion services and creation and strengthening of data collection systems. We are optimistic that all actors and stakeholders in the County will work around the statements in this policy to ensure that the County is geared towards the desired outcome of reducing the percentage of poverty in the County, which currently stands at 57.3%. The implementation of this policy will greatly contribute towards poverty reduction among the residents of West Pokot County with a resultant improvement in the quality of life. H.E Prof. John Krop Lonyangapuo,CBS, HSC Governor, West Pokot County. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This policy has been developed through immense technical and financial support from Village Enterprise and Wasafiri Consulting, with funding from Open Society Foundation as part of the Economic Justice Program implemented in West Pokot County in the year 2020. The County Government of West Pokot acknowledges the support from the Governor of West Pokot, H.E. Prof. John Krop Lonyangapuo, Ag. County Secretary Eng. John Karamunya, the County Departments of Finance and Economic Planning, Trade, Industry, Energy Investment and Co-operatives, the Department of Agriculture, Legal Services and Pastoral Economy and the Department of ICT and Public Service for tirelessly participating in the planning and formulation of this policy. I am grateful to members of the interdepartmental technical working group who contributed directly or indirectly towards the process. Their individual and team contributions to the preparation of statements, the discussions and organization of the policy formulation processes is commendable. Hon. Christine Apakoreng CECM - Finance and Economic Planning 2 Table of Contents FOREWORD ........................................................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 2 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS ......................................................................................................................... 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 8 1.1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 8 1.2. Problem Statement .......................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3. Legal and Regulatory Framework ................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Operational Definition of Terms ................................................................................................................. 10 CHAPTER TWO: OBJECTIVES, GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND ASSUMPTIONS ........................................................... 11 2.1. Objectives ................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.1.1. Overall Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 11 2.1.2. Specific Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 11 2.2. Guiding Principles ......................................................................................................................................... 11 2.3. Policy Assumptions ................................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER THREE:P OVERTY GRADUATION AND THE EXTREME POOR ................................................................................ 13 3.1. Background ................................................................................................................................................. 13 3.2. Poverty Graduation in the Context of County Development ............................................................................... 13 3.3. Approaches to Poverty Graduation .............................................................................................................. 13 3.4. Pillars of Poverty G raduation .................................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER FOUR:P OLICY OBJECTIVES ANDM EASURES TO END EXTREME POVERTY ............................................................. 15 4.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 15 4.2. Policy Objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER FIVE: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND COORDINATION MECHANISMS ........................................................... 18 5.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 18 5.2. County Coordination Mechanism for Poverty Graduation Programmes ............................................................... 18 5.3. Key players and their roles ........................................................................................................................... 20 5.4. Process of Targeting Beneficiaries ................................................................................................................. 21 5.5. Graduation and Exit ................................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER SIX: FINANCING GRADUATION PROGRAMMES ............................................................................................... 23 6.1. Financing Graduation Programmes ......................................................................................................................... 23 6.1.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 23 6.1.2. The Resource Mobilization Framework .................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER SEVEN: POLICY MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEMS ............................................................................... 24 7.1 . Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 24 7.2. Policy Monitoring & Evaluation System ...................................................................................................... 24 7.3. Data collection, Analysis, and Reporting ........................................................................................................ 24 3 CHAPTER EIGHT: COMMUNICATION AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS .......................................................................................... 25 8.1. Management Information Systems .............................................................................................................. 25 8.2. Communication and Influencing Strategy ....................................................................................................... 25 8.3. Policy Review .......................................................................................................................................... 25 Annex 1. County Macro Structure .................................................................................................................................... 26 Annex 2. County Monitoring & Evaluation System (CIMES) ...................................................................................... 27 Annex 3. M&E Outcome Indicators .......................................................................................................................... 28 References.............................................................................................................................................................. 29 4 LIST OF FIGURES & TABLES Figure 1: County Organogram Figure 2: County Integrated Monitoring & Evaluation System Table 1: Summary of Key County Development Baseline Indicators 5 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS CBO Community Based Organization CBT Community Based Training CECM County Executive Committee Member CIDP County Integrated Development Plan CO Chief Officer COMEC County Monitoring and Evaluation Committee CTMEC County Technical Monitoring and Evaluation Committee GCP Gross County Product GDP Gross Domestic Product HH Household INGOs International Non-Governmental Organizations KIBHS Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey KSEIP The Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Program M&E Monitoring and Evaluation NGO Non-Governmental Organization OSF Open Society Foundation OVC Orphans and Vulnerable Children SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SILC Saving for Internal Lending Communities VE Village Enterprise 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The objective of this policy is to provide a framework for addressing developmental gaps to ensure that all the residents of the County live a dignified life by harnessing their resources, opportunities and capabilities for their socio-economic development and well-being. The policy is based on the principles of Leadership and Integrity; Good governance; Equity, Fairness and Social Justice; Common standards; Public/Stakeholder participation; Adequacy, affordability, and sustainability; Flexibility and responsiveness to changing contexts. It identifies several gaps which are addressed through four broad measures namely Cooperation, collaboration and integration; Sustainable social, economic and cultural development; Sustainable utilization of asset resources (factors of production) and resilient community. Implementation of this policy will be through streamlining and coordination of all stakeholders and programmes. Poverty graduation programmes will adopt a multi sectoral approach under the leadership of the Department of Finance and Economic Planning in close collaboration with the National Government and development partners. The County Government will partner with the national government, private sector and other development partners to mobilize resources that will facilitate the implementation of poverty graduation programmes across the County. Monitoring and evaluation of the programmes will be done using existing County Government structures and systems managed through an integrated management information system. This policy may be reviewed after every four years. However, programmes will be reviewed regularly under the leadership of the County Poverty Graduation Steering Committee. 7 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.0 Background Information and County profile 2 West Pokot County covers an area of approximately 9,169km with a population of 621,241 (2019 Census). It is situated in the North Rift along Kenya’s Western boundary with Uganda border. It borders Turkana County (North and North East), Trans Nzoia County (South), Elgeyo Marakwet County (South East) and Baringo County (East). The extreme poor are estimated to be 26.3% of the population (163,386 people). The County ranks 5th, nationally. It is however good to note that the, overall, poverty has fallen to 57.3% in 2015/16 from 68% in 2013. The County is made up of six sub counties, 20 wards and 103 villages. It has three main livelihood zones namely pastoral, agro pastoral and mixed farming. The County economy is estimated at Ksh.46.8 billion and contributes an estimated 0.7 percent to the national gross domestic product. 1.1. Introduction Kenya’s devolution, ushered in 2010, has ensured that service delivery is brought closer to the local people, communities and businesses. This has provided a flexible platform and counties are now able to work more effectively to improve service delivery. This is a conscious effort to address inequalities and disparities between regions by transferring both additional resources, discretion over resources and policy decision making power to the County level of Governance. The enactment of the Constitution in 2010 led to County- oriented policy development and development planning and has greatly helped County Governments to record significant development progress. Therefore, to address historical inequalities and disparities caused by marginalization, there is need for prioritization of policies, strategies and programmes aimed at poverty reduction/graduation, increasing equity and equal access to income-generating opportunities and sustainable livelihoods at the County level. The West Pokot County Integrated Development Plan highlights the County’s key challenges as poverty, insecurity, poor infrastructure and the effects of climate change. To address these issues five key priorities are highlighted: increase access, retention and completion levels in pre-primary, primary, secondary and post- secondary education by at least 100% by 2022; support value addition and ensure that manufacturing contributes 15% to GDP by 2022; focus on initiatives that guarantee food security and nutrition to all; ensure equity in all socio-economic opportunities and protection of vulnerable groups and support provision of universal health coverage. It is against this background that the County aims to enact this policy to support the formulation and future enactment of legislation to support implementation of pro-poor programs. 1.2. Problem Statement Attempts to uplift the poor out of chronic poverty have recently received significant attention globally especially after the adoption of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the population of the County in the 2019 census was 621,241. There were 116,182 households in the County. 57.3 percent of this population lives below the poverty line, compared to a national average of 36.1% (KIBHS, 2016). 26.3 per cent of the County population lived in extreme/hardcore poverty. This has been caused by historical marginalization arising from national development policies, insecurity, cultural practices (both economic and social), adverse climatic conditions and low levels of education and human development. Although West Pokot County has implemented several poverty reduction interventions in the recent past, its impact is yet to be felt among the extremely poor households. Most people in the County especially those living in ‘hard-to-reach’ areas continue to suffer from food insecurity occasioned by persistent droughts, lack of access to quality farming inputs, insecurity manifesting in the form of cattle rustling, lack of stable income sources and traditional economic activities (pastoralism). This has led to rising inequalities, malnutrition, poor health, low human development and low participation in social, economic and political development in the County. This poverty graduation policy is founded on tested interventions aimed at addressing poverty among the extreme poor in across the County. 8 1.3. Legal and Regulatory Framework There are various legal and regulatory frameworks that will guide this policy as summarized below: The Constitution of Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya (2010) provides that every citizen has a Kenya 2010 right to access high standards of health, adequate housing, and reasonable standards of sanitation, adequate food, clean water, social security and education and are covered by a basic level of social security. Poverty reduction strategies are hinged on ensuring that County residents access basic needs and are enabled to generate wealth. At the County level the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP 2018 – 2022) West Pokot CIDP for West Pokot outlines the strategies and programmes for the plan period that will 2018 – 2022 lift residents out of poverty. These activities and programmes are synchronized with the the Governor’s manifesto 2017-2022 and national strategic plans to ensure seamless implementation of national policies at the local level. Local legislation has been enacted to ensure that poverty graduation programmes are covered by law. These include the West Pokot County Community Service Act, 2018 and West Pokot Cooperative Development Fund Act 2018 among others. Kenya National This policy provides specific interventions in social protection among the Social Protection Policy vulnerable and the extreme poor. 2011 The Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Program (KSEIP) and Inua Jamii Programs are good examples of social assistance and complementary programs targeting the extreme poor in Kenya. They are implemented by the State Department of Social Protection. Sustainable Goal 1 of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aims at reducing poverty Development Goals levels from 36% to 10% to guarantee a decent living. 2015-2030 Kenya Vision 2030 and Planning documents like Kenya Vision 2030, Big Four Agenda and Medium-Term Sessional Paper No. 10 Plan III provide the roadmap towards achieving poverty eradication from a national of 2012 perspective. Pillar III of Vision 2030 on Equity and Poverty Reduction provides for a coordinated effort to create jobs and end poverty in Kenya. 9 1.1 Operational Definition of Terms Poverty A state of continuous deprivation or a lack of the basics of life. Basics include economic, social, psychological, and physiological factors. Poverty, therefore, has many dimensions that encompass both income poverty and human or capability poverty. Poverty manifests itself at the individual, household, community, and national levels. Poverty Is a transition which occurs when extreme poor households increase their Graduation incomes/consumption above the extreme poverty line and are able to sustain themselves out of hardcore poverty. County The County model incorporates comprehensive evidence based targeting, livelihoods Poverty promotions through asset transfers, grants and soft loans, Social protection (consumption graduation support/relief), financial inclusion (financial services/training/mentorship) and social model empowerment (life skills support on social issues) Extreme Poor Households and individuals whose monthly adult equivalent total food and non-food expenditure per person is less than Ksh 1,954 in rural and peri-urban areas and less than Ksh 2,551 in core-urban areas(KIBHS,2015). Targeting It is an evidence based method of identifying the extreme poor households and placing them on an upward trajectory out of poverty. Beneficiaries Those individuals or households who actually receive goods, services or benefits under a poverty graduation programme. Screening The identification and inclusion of eligible individuals or households for programme participation. Target Those potential households or individuals intended to receive goods, services or benefits population under a particular programme or activity. Gross County It is a geographic breakdown of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that gives an Product estimate of the size and structure of county economies (GCP) 10 CHAPTER TWO: OBJECTIVES, GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND ASSUMPTIONS 2.1. Objectives 2.1.1. Overall Objectives The overarching goal of the County Poverty Graduation Policy is to provide a framework for addressing developmental gaps to ensure that all the residents of the County live a dignified life by harnessing their resources, opportunities and capabilities for their socio-economic development and well-being. 2.1.2. Specific Objectives The following are specific objectives that gave a roadmap towards the development of this policy: 1. Strengthen cooperation, collaboration and integration of the national government ministries, County departments and relevant stakeholders in addressing extreme poverty causal factors. 2. Facilitate sustainable social, economic and cultural development for the extreme poor in West Pokot County. 3. Promote sustainable utilization of asset resources (factors of production) to facilitate socio-economic development and poverty reduction in the County. 4. Develop a resilient community capable of overcoming poverty shocks through utilization of available resources that will break the intergenerational cycle of poverty. 2.2. Guiding Principles The implementation of poverty graduation policy in the County will be guided by the following principles: 1. Leadership and Integrity: The County Government will provide leadership within a legal and policy framework to facilitate the coordination and alignment of poverty interventions and oversee the provision of long-term coordinated support to poverty graduation. In addition, the County Government will ensure that ethical principles in Chapter 6 of the Constitution and standards are upheld in all programmes and interventions. 2. Good Governance: Poverty alleviation programmes will be inclusive and transparent. They will have inbuilt accountability and will disseminate information in an accurate and timely way, including information on instances involving abuse of the system, on contract terms and unit costs of institutions administering poverty alleviation interventions, and on the procurement of services. The social security system will ensure the right of beneficiaries and agencies to seek, receive, and impart information on all social protection entitlements in a clear and transparent manner, which includes continuing disclosure of information on the rules and operations of these programmes. Poverty alleviation programmes will be informed by research conducted regularly by credible County and national institutions. 3. Equity, Fairness and Social Justice: All strategies, plans and programmes in the policy will mainstream gender issues at all levels. In recognition of the fact that men and women, and boys and girls, are affected differently by the same risks and face different types of risks, efforts shall be made to assess the implications for both males and females of any planned social protection activity at every level. In accordance with the Constitution and international agreements, social protection will ensure the promotion, and protection of workers while conforming to international labour standards. Issues of youth, women, PWDs and minority groups will also be mainstreamed at all levels. 4. Common standards: Partners and agencies involved in implementing and supporting social protection will commit to a common set of performance and financial management standards and reporting procedures. They will compile and share with relevant stakeholders’ statistical information, periodic progress reports, and the results of independent audits, actuarial valuations, and social budgets. The gradual decentralization 11 of responsibilities for the delivery of social protection to County levels will also require a system for measuring results against agreed benchmarks, setting performance and quality standards, and creating tools to monitor the delivery of benefits and services. 5. Public/Stakeholder participation: Beneficiaries and all stakeholders will be consulted and involved in the design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of social protection interventions. Encouraging partnerships at Ward, Sub County, County, Regional, National and International levels. There will also be the adoption of a multi-sectoral and multi-agency approach to create synergy particularly in poverty alleviation issues. 6. Adequacy, affordability, and sustainability: Poverty alleviation schemes and programmes will be affordable for both low-income individuals and the state budget. Efforts will be made to ensure that benefits are sufficient to provide appropriate healthcare, minimum levels of protection for those covered by social assistance arrangements, and a reasonable level of income (based on an individual’s past earnings) for those covered by social security schemes and their dependents. The levels of benefits will be indexed to an objective standard that will consider periodic changes in the cost of living and ensure the sustainability of the benefits. 7. Flexibility and Responsiveness to Changing Contexts: Poverty graduation programmes will be sensitive and capable of adapting to emergencies and shocks. This will enable the Government and stakeholders to respond to emergencies in a timely and effective manner through well established, well designed, and efficient institutional channels. 2.3. Policy Assumptions The current fragmentation of interventions to poverty eradication is a major constraint to the efficient use of resources and prevents these interventions from having a full and meaningful impact on the lives of the poor and vulnerable. There is, therefore, an urgent need to find a feasible way to coordinate existing Programs/Projects/activities and integrate new ones. This policy is based on the assumptions that: 1. The delivery of poverty graduation interventions will be efficient, cost-effective, and equitable. 2. Responsibility for the delivery, administration, and management of poverty graduation intervention programmes will gradually be decentralized from the highest level to the lowest level of County Administration. 3. Stakeholders will participate accordingly and be accountable for the delivery, administration, and management of Poverty Graduation programmes. 4. The County Government and partners will establish efficient and cost-effective monitoring, evaluation, reviewing, and reporting systems. 5. All new programmes and schemes as directed under this policy will complement current County Government policies and programmes. 6. The beneficiary targeting approach will consider the multidimensional aspect of poverty while identifying beneficiaries to explicitly take into consideration the multiple objectives of graduation programmes and the multiple deprivations of the extreme poor households 12 CHAPTER THREE: POVERTY GRADUATION AND THE EXTREME POOR 3.1. Background Poverty graduation is a transition which occurs when extreme poor households increase their incomes or consumption above the extreme poverty line and are able to sustain themselves out of hardcore poverty. Poverty graduation approach, for years, has been employed to respond to diverse vulnerabilities encountered by households living in extreme poverty who often are not reached through ordinary programmes. It is thus an intentional strategy aimed at reaching extreme poor households and/or individuals using a uniquely targeted, time-bound and holistic method. The approach is gaining global recognition due to its steadiness in transiting the households out of extreme poverty in a sustainable manner; as well as its adaptability to diverse development (community) contexts. Most of the poverty graduation programmes consist of targeting of poor households with a combination of layered and sequenced interventions often over a defined period of time in order to facilitate the achievement of strengthened and sustainable livelihoods. The approach combines multiple elements e.g. cash or in-kind transfers, training, access to financial services, asset transfers, mentoring into a coherent package. The poverty graduation approach is proven to yield benefits around income, consumption, food security, assets, savings, health, social identity and women’s decision-making among extreme-poor households. As an integrated approach to fighting extreme poverty, the approach ensures a thorough process of targeting, training, mentoring and provision of assets/consumption together with monitoring and evaluation to support vulnerable populations to not only escape from extreme poverty but also increase their chances of falling back in case of shocks. 3.2. Poverty Graduation in the Context of County Development A County-based approach does not exist in West Pokot (or in any other County in Kenya) to apply graduation packages at scale to reduce extreme poverty. Presently, there are a limited number of graduation type programmes implemented by NGOs and Community-Based Organisations but no effective policy to bring these together or link them to government efforts. Similarly, there is no coordinated approach to targeting of households and individuals and tracking of their progress out of poverty. Additionally, current poverty reduction focused efforts are fragmented and poorly coordinated, hampering effectiveness, leading to wastage and undermining results. Furthermore, graduates from poverty face limited durable income- generating opportunities and risk slipping back to poverty. A coordinated approach at the County level will build a platform for the County and national stakeholders to elevate and better target their investments and to encourage the engagement of new donors. This effort will also provide valuable lessons and evidence for those aiming for similar outcomes in other counties. Through a system-wide approach, a foundation to embedding graduation into County Government infrastructure will be established. This will drive an increased understanding of and support for the approach from the County and national governments, and development partners. It is envisioned that greater coherence in efforts to tackle (extreme) poverty in the County will lead to better outcomes for the poor. As an integrated approach implemented by governments and non-governmental organizations, graduation gained global recognition by demonstrating its impact by elevating millions of households from the worst forms of poverty. It has therefore been identified as a key strategy in social protection equipping participants with the skills, assets and ability to earn a sustainable livelihood. Consequently, as an approach to development programming, it is a model that will ensure integrated County planning for all programmes, guarantee intra and inter-departmental collaborations and ensure value for money through demonstrated impacts across all key sectors of development by the County government. The ultimate goal of poverty graduation will be to ensure that all residents of West Pokot County live in dignity and are given the opportunity to exploit their capabilities for social and economic development. 3.3. Approaches to Poverty Graduation The County government of West Pokot shall pursue the following four approaches in delivering County- wide integrated poverty graduation programmes: 13 Provision: Efforts in this approach will focus on social assistance covering a broad range of actions including agricultural input subsidies, food aid, affordable health charges, child protection services, and responses to life-threatening emergencies to enhance coping mechanisms of vulnerable groups: Prevention: Efforts in this approach will focus on strengthening social security and health insurance schemes through unemployment, healthcare, sickness, maternity, and other relevant benefits and pensions, as well as services to support communities and other subsidized risk-mitigation mechanisms to prevent deprivation or destitution. Promotion: Efforts in this approach will seek to strengthen interventions aimed at enhancing livelihoods and productivity, such as conditional public works programmes, food for work, and school feeding programmes in order to reduce households’ susceptibility to social risks. Micro and area-based schemes such as community- driven development initiatives will be part of this approach. Transformation: Efforts in this approach will continue to support the formulation of policies and the enactment of laws and regulations including the development of evidence-based programmes on poverty graduation, the statutory minimum wage, maternity benefits, inheritance rights, anti-discrimination legislation, anti-stigma campaigns, anti-corruption legislation, policies on fee-free education, and regulations on safe classroom environments (to avoid exclusion of vulnerable children and girls). 3.4. Pillars of Poverty Graduation Poverty graduation is anchored on four pillars that build resilience of households and individuals living in extreme poverty by addressing causal factors of poverty in social and economic spheres. Social Protection pillar provides reprieve for basic needs in the short-term through mechanisms of preventive, promotive and protective mechanisms such as consumption support, healthcare and education or access to basic services. Livelihoods promotion pillar supports the development of productive income-generating activities so as to widen income sources for households to support consumption, economic empowerment and asset accumulation. In order to realize the objective of this pillar, interventions such as cash or asset transfer, technical and soft skills training, linkages to labour and product markets and disaster risk management are employed. Social empowerment pillar promote aspects of behaviour change and social integration of households and individuals faced with extreme poverty to enable them participate effectively in social and economic affairs. Interventions in this pillar include mentorship and life skills, advocacy and community mobilization. Financial inclusion pillar enhance income management and savings at household and individual levels through financial literacy, linkages to financial institutions and savings support. This is summarized in table below: Graduation Pillars Graduation Interventions Results Consumption support Increased assets and productive skills Social Protection Health support Improved health &hygiene Asset transfer Food security Livelihood Promotion Technical training Livelihood diversity Social integration Psychosocial skills Social Empowerment Mentorship &Life skills Access to markets Financial Inclusion Savings support Access to financial services and savings 14 CHAPTER FOUR:P OLICY OBJECTIVESA NDM EASUREST O END EXTREME POVERTY 4.1. Introduction This section briefly provides an analysis of poverty graduation sectors in the County to help gain an in- depth understanding of the wider internal and external environment. A range of policy measures and interventions, presented below, will be used to extend poverty graduation programmes targeting the extreme poor and vulnerable members of the society. 4.2. Policy Objectives 4.2.1. Objective 1: Strengthen cooperation, collaboration and integration of the national government ministries, County departments and relevant stakeholders in addressing extreme poverty causal factors Poverty graduation of residents of West Pokot County from extreme poverty is a continuous effort by many organizations and governments. Efforts to fast-track the process of poverty graduation have faced the following gaps: ● Weak cooperation between the two levels of governments and partners ● Inadequate data collection and information sharing on poverty alleviation interventions ● Cattle rustling and insecurity likely to scare away government officials and partners ● Underdevelopment, low access to water and food insecurity. ● Fragmentation, inconsistencies and lack of coordination in preparedness, response/mitigating of risks ● Limited development partner presence ● Uneven distribution of resources Policy Statements To address these challenges, the County Government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, will commit to:  Establish County Poverty Graduation Steering and Technical Advisory Committees to strengthen cooperation among governments and partners  Promote strategic partnership with the private sector to uplift the extreme poor from losses.  Improve infrastructure and road connectivity in inaccessible areas  Improve security in the County  Encourage partnership with non-state actors to meet this goal  Establish an inter ministry implementation approach and consultations  Entrench good governance at all levels of decision making  Develop an integrated management information system to support data collection, management and monitoring and evaluation of all poverty graduation programmes  Establish and strengthen County institutions for managing information and information sharing systems;  Intensifying inter-County cooperation for poverty eradication  Develop a framework for community sensitization, and, to address issues of cattle rustling and peace keeping  Establish and harmonize mechanisms for collaboration for equitable distribution of resources 4.2.2. Objective 2: Facilitate sustainable social, economic and cultural development for the extreme poor in West Pokot County West Pokot County Government believes empowering the people to tap on the potential of the socio- cultural activities of the residents to generate income. Such activities include construction of cultural centres, supporting traditional dance groups, arts and other related activities. However, the following gaps have hindered the process: ● Inequitable access to affordable health services ● Poor infrastructure network and connectivity ● Underdeveloped social protection systems 15 ● Limited socio-economic empowerment opportunities. ● Inadequate access to clean and safe water, and improved sanitation. ● High infant and maternal mortality rates. ● Low access to education, financial support. ● Negative attitude towards vocational training. ● Inadequate vocational training centers. Policy Statements To address these gaps, the County Government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, will commit to:  Providing universal access to basic social services  Establish a County legal framework that ensures access to health and complementary social cover for the extreme poor  Progressively develop complementary County social protection systems to support all vulnerable groups  Strengthen mechanisms to address retrogressive socio-cultural practices  Introduce County affordable housing subsidy programme  Improve access to vocational training and skills development opportunities including startup up kits to the extreme poor and the vulnerable and particularly the youth  Strengthen community-based healthcare services  Strengthen health care infrastructure to focus on maternal and child, reproductive and elderly health care to reduce their vulnerability  Support preventive and promotive health care services  Improve equity in accessibility of affordable healthcare services through universal healthcare coverage 4.2.3. Objective 3: Promote sustainable utilization of asset resources (factors of production) to facilitate socio- economic development and poverty reduction in the County Inability to create wealth leads to poverty. However, the County has vast resources which could facilitate creation of wealth. The following are the reasons that might have contributed to poverty in the County: Challenges (land, capital, labour and entrepreneurship) ● High illiteracy levels ● Negative effects of climate change. ● High costs of farm inputs. ● Soil degradation. ● Low technology adoption, costly infrastructure and over-reliance on rain fed agriculture. ● Pests and diseases ● Inadequate capital ● Uneven concentration of capital resources ● Decreased agricultural output and post harvesting losses. ● Inadequate industrialization ● Rise in cost of basic commodities ● Inadequate access to sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurial opportunities; Policy Statements The County Government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, will commit to:  Facilitate small holder farmers to access funds, farm machinery and extension services that will enable them to inject capital into their farming activities to increase productivity.  Support the farmers through a subsidy programme to access farm inputs to enable them produce food and cash crops.  Support farmers put up water harvesting and storage infrastructure which will improve water access for irrigation to reduce over reliance on rain fed agriculture.  Promote the adoption of resilient agricultural crops to cushion the extreme poor from hunger. 16  Ensure environmental sustainability through educating the extreme poor on conservation agriculture.  Support extremely poor households to adopt agricultural innovative and appropriate techniques to build resilience to climate change shocks and risks relating to farming.  Support extreme poor to access affordable capital to start businesses.  Set up industries for value addition that will improve the marketability of local products.  Establish strategic market sites on high ways to link County traders with extra County, regional trading blocs and cross border markets.  Build capacity of cooperatives management and its members.  Enhance allocation to the County cooperative development fund.  Support and promote savings groups at community level 4.2.4. Objective 4: Develop a resilient community capable of overcoming poverty shocks through utilization of available resources that will break the intergenerational cycle of poverty The ultimate goal of the County Government is to ensure that the residents live a dignified life through the utilization of available resources to generate wealth. This can be achieved through education and empowerment of residents by imparting the relevant skills and knowledge. However, the following challenges hinder the attainment of this goal: ● Illiteracy levels among adult population in the County. ● Climate change and environmental degradation. ● High population growth. ● Inadequate capacity to respond to disasters ● Lack of a legal framework on disaster management in the County ● Fragmentation, inconsistencies and lack of coordination in preparedness, response/mitigating of risks ● Inadequate resources to improve poor households’ resilience mechanisms ● Incomplete and ineffective sharing of information on threats and vulnerabilities ● Encroachment to disaster prone areas ● Ineffective early warning system. Policy Statements The County Government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, will commit to:  Strengthen access to quality adult education in the County.  Strengthen existing shock responsive County social protection frameworks and establish a comprehensive social security arrangement that will extend legal coverage to all vulnerable groups.  Establish institutions and provide resources needed to provide social assistance to the various target populations including vulnerable women, children, youth and PWDs.  Integrate traditional early warning systems to government systems  Integrate women, youth and people living with disabilities in all poverty graduation programmes to cushion them from social and economic shocks.  Develop a legal framework for addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation 17 CHAPTER FIVE: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND COORDINATION MECHANISMS 5.1. Introduction The County Government consists of a County Assembly and a County Executive. The roles of these institutions are critical to the implementation of this policy framework. The County institutions link to the national level institutions through the various inter-governmental bodies including the County Governments Secretariat, the Council of Governors. The Macro organizational structure for West Pokot County government is provided in annex 1 and is linked to implementation of the policy. The department of finance & economic planning will provide leadership and coordination in the implementation of this policy. Implementation poverty graduation programmes implementation will adopt a multi sectoral approach. The following committees will be established to facilitate smooth implementation of the policy: County Poverty Graduation Steering Committee County Technical Advisory Committee Beneficiaries 5.2. County Coordination Mechanism for Poverty Graduation Programmes This policy recommends the establishment of two important committees. The County Poverty Graduation Steering Committee at the County level which shall be responsible for the co-ordination and oversight of all initiatives relating to social and economic inclusion programmes. It shall be chaired by County Executive Committee member for Finance and Economic Planning. Other members of the steering committee will include the CECMs and Chief Officers in charge of the implementing departments, and relevant development partners. The Director in charge of County Service Delivery Unit will serve as secretary to the steering committee. The committee may co-opt any other persons as members. The members shall meet bi annually for regular updates on policy implementation strategy. The Chair may call for a meeting when need arises and the advisory body will consult with external partners as required. The County Technical Advisory Committee will be chaired by a Chief Officer elected by members from among Chief Officers from the implementing departments. The secretary will be the Director in charge of Planning. The members of the Technical Advisory Committee will comprise of Directors from implementing departments, M& E unit and all Sub-County Administrators. 18 The Ward Multi ● Provide the overall policy guidelines for the programme in terms of Sectoral management, planning and execution of activities, and review and modify Committee will be if/when needed. chaired by a Ward ● Deliberate and endorse, based on recommendations by the Technical Administrator. Advisory Committee, the annual performance results, and officially confirm Membership will the ensuing allocation of funds for each department’s programme comprise of component(s). poverty graduation ● Ensure coordination between all stakeholder(s) involved in the implementing implementation of the programme and recommend action if the collaboration is sub-optimal. departments in the ● Deliberate and make decisions on any issue raised by the Technical Advisory ward. Members Committee shall elect a ● Approve policy recommendations on major design changes including transfer secretary from value; expansion plan; changes in eligibility criteria; etc. among the ● Ensure proper linkages and collaboration with other County committee departments/partners with respect to poverty graduation. members.County ● Provide overall oversight of poverty graduation programming and its sub- Poverty committees, particularly the Technical Advisory Committee. Graduation Steering Committee County ● Technically review and approve County and Sub-County programme Technical results/impact against plans, on a quarterly basis, and provide advice on any changes, adjustments and modifications for the next reporting period. Such Advisory changes, however, should be limited to necessary modifications. Committee ● Discuss operational and technical matters related to poverty graduation programming at County level and make recommendations to the Steering Committee ● Encourage coordination between all implementing departments/partners involved in the implementation of the programme and recommend action if the collaboration is sub-optimal ● Sensitization and training of the implementing officers at departmental/sub- County level(s) ● Technical Advisory Committee provides a platform for coordination, and if needed resolution of issues, between County government partners involved in the programme(s). ● Support implementation of the programme(s) work plans including operational budget preparation and management ● Ensure implementation of resolutions, directives and actions passed by the Steering Committee ● Develop stakeholder engagement strategies for the programme(s) ● Prepare internal annual, bi-annual, quarterly programme reports for stakeholders on project progress- completed activities, pending issues 19 5.3. Key players and their roles To ensure effective implementation of this policy, the following stakeholders will be involved: County Executive  Facilitate the coordination and alignment of poverty interventions and oversee the provision of long-term coordinated support to poverty graduation  Maintain a good working relationship with heads of other departments at the County to ensure effective implementation of this policy  Work closely with the National Government and other stakeholders including INGOs, NGOs, CBOs and FBOs  Spearhead in coming up with approaches for multi-stakeholder involvements to reduce the percentage of poverty in West Pokot County.  Lead team for actualization of the poverty graduation policy  Effective planning, budgeting and allocation of funds to facilitate application of poverty graduation model across all departments of the County  Critical in CIDP and annual budget reviews to ensure that poverty graduation has been well captured and incorporated  Will take lead in ensuring effective implementation of the poverty graduation policy  Participate in resource mobilization for this policy  Participate in data collection and analysis, including undertaking research and surveys  Design appropriate programmes and interventions  Advocating for appropriate policies and legislation for poverty graduation.  Overall leadership and coordination in policy implementation, and resource mobilization, data aggregation and analysis  Spearhead resource mobilization at the County for social and economic inclusion programmes  Support in capacity building of line ministries and other partners directly involved in graduation programmesProvides a platform for advocacy of graduation programmes for other partners West Pokot County  The County assembly will be responsible for approval of the policy Assembly  Allocate resources for effective implementation of the policy  Spearhead the enactment of related legislations and frameworks  Act as an oversight body to ensure implementation by the executive National  Will provide a platform for coordinating County peace committees who will Government be part of the graduation process Departments  Overall provision of security to create an enabling environment for poverty graduation  Provision of relevant reports and data on poverty causes at the County Non state Actors  Support the county government to enable implementation of graduation programming  Spearhead in Corporate Social Responsibility towards poverty graduation programmes 20 5.4. Process of Targeting Beneficiaries Targeting is the process through which extreme poor households are selected. It is one of the most important aspects of a Graduation programme and requires careful and deliberate design and execution. The execution shall be dependent upon the various appropriate interventions on different geographical zones and sustainability. Because the ultra-poor often live in hard-to-reach areas, are marginalized, and often excluded from community processes and traditional development programmes, the targeting method must involve a rigorous process that minimizes errors, captures eligible households and prevents households with greater means from being selected. Special effort is also needed to identify households with vulnerable groups, where girls are disadvantaged, and women exploited or marginalized. Our goal in developing this policy is to adopt graduation model which targets the extreme poor. It is for this reason that this policy will adopt a proxy means testing method of targeting households using easily- observable indicators associated with poverty, including demographic characteristics (age, size of household), housing condition (type of roof or floor), and productive assets (land or livestock). The identified beneficiary households will be subjected to community validation processes before a final list of beneficiaries for each of the programmes is generated. Updated beneficiary lists shall be produced every quarter. 5.5.Graduation and Exit The County Government and its partners will develop a strategy that will economically and socially empower poverty graduation beneficiaries to wean themselves off poverty graduation programmes and potentially from other social protection programmes and become financially self-sufficient wherever possible. Graduation criteria are used to set up the monitoring mechanisms, which programme staff use to measure progress, and identify deviations and issues that need to be addressed. Graduation criteria adopted will be clear, multi-dimensional, context-specific, and cut across the core Graduation pillars as follows; Pillar Graduation Criteria Indicators Social  Family members are healthy and food  All household members have at least two Protection secure nutritious meals per day in the past 2  Household has access to required basic months services (health, safety nets, and safe water  Children at risk of malnutrition show sources). healthy rate of weight increase for age  Household has income to meet basic  Household generates more average consumption needs monthly income than the cost of meeting basic monthly consumption needs Livelihoods  Household demonstrates increased asset  Value of productive assets have doubled Promotion accumulation and continuous engagement since the initial transfer in profitable and diverse livelihoods.  Household has access to at least two  Multiple sourcesof income that productive assets and are accessing exceed regular markets household  expenditures Financial  Household demonstrates significant  Household has sufficient savings at Inclusion increase in savings minimum to cover lean periods, a major  Household accesses and regularly crisis or household event participates in local savings mechanism  Household is linked to a formal savings  Household has access to borrowing and microcredit institution  mechanism 21 Social  Household members are part of and  Household members participate in Empower participate in community activities, community activities or social groups ment groups, organizations  All children are on track to complete  Children are educated primary and secondary education  Family members including children have a  Girl and boy child receive equal treatment positive mindset, and hope for and opportunities  the future  All children express feeling safe, loved,  Women and girls have equal voice and and aspirations for the future decision-making rights to male members  Participant expresses clear vision for the of the household future  Women can control their own assets  Men and women in the household share financial management  Increase in women’s knowledge, skills, confidence and leadership  Women of reproductive age have a right to choose and use family planning methods  Household members shun FGM  and early marriages 22 CHAPTER SIX: FINANCING GRADUATION PROGRAMMES 6.1. Financing Graduation Programmes 6.1.1. Introduction To implement the Poverty graduation Policy Framework effectively, a robust framework for resource mobilization is needed. There is need for the County government of West Pokot and partners to diversify its resource base. The diversification should consider the various types of investments, donor sources, partnerships among other sources of funding. 6.1.2. The Resource Mobilization Framework The County Government of West Pokot will partner with the national government, private sector and other development partners to mobilize resources that will facilitate the implementation of poverty graduation programmes across the County every financial year. Some of the sources which will provide the basis for funding the poverty reduction programmes and activities as specified in this policy document are: ● Equitable share of the County’s revenue ● Equalization fund ● Internal revenue and investments ● Development partners and donor support ● Public private partnerships ● Corporate social responsibility 23 CHAPTER SEVEN: POLICY MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEMS 7.1 . Introduction Monitoring and evaluating performance is a key element of policy implementation. The County Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation System (CIMES) will provide the guidelines to monitor the implementation of the identified priority projects and programmes. The County CIMES is provided in annex 2 and is linked to implementation of the policy. The following organogram shows the organization for M&E framework at County level. 7.2. Policy Monitoring & Evaluation System The County framework and procedures on Monitoring and Evaluation shall apply to all programmes and projects supported by the County Government and non–state actors projects implemented within the County where non-state actors will be incorporated into the committees on need basis. The County Technical M&E Committee and the County M&E Committee will be responsible for the monitoring, evaluation and learning processes of this policy for a smooth operationalization of the system.  County Technical Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (CTMEC); this committee will be chaired by; Chief Officer Economic Planning. Members shall comprise of County Directors of implementing and supporting departments, Sub-County Administrators, Governor’s Service Delivery Unit and development partners. The M&E unit shall provide secretariat.  County M&E Committee (COMEC); This Committee shall be chaired by County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Planning. Its members shall be the County Executive Committee Members and Chief Officers of the implementing departments. The Governor’s Service Delivery Unit shall provide secretariat. 7.3. Data collection, Analysis, and Reporting Monitoring and evaluation will be done using the expected outcomes, indicators, and targets for gauging performance instruments outlined in the summary of M&E outcome indicators table. Data will be collected and analyzed on the progress of implementation of Poverty Graduation Policy document. Reporting progress of implementation will be critical in adjusting strategic directions and measuring performance. Progress reports will be made on quarterly basis. Continuous monitoring will be undertaken and County Quarterly and Annual progress reports will be produced. This will assess the implementation progress and enable to identify and take necessary action to address emerging challenges. The report will outline projected targets, achievements, and challenges. The report will be prepared by County Monitoring and Evaluation Unit in collaboration with M&E committees at all levels, which will be submitted to County M&E committee for consideration and adoption by County Executive. M&E results will be shared with all stakeholders and used for program reviews. 24 CHAPTER EIGHT: COMMUNICATION AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS 8.1. Management Information Systems The County Poverty Graduation Steering Committee will provide leadership in the development of data management information systems. It will further help in setting up common data bases and reporting systems for stakeholders to upload data to these common data bases and use Information Technology to access information to enhance the delivery of Poverty Graduation Programmes. The County integrated MIS will be linked to the existing national systems such as the Single Registry and the Social Registry to ensure streamlined mechanisms at both levels of government. 8.2. Communication and Influencing Strategy The County Government recognizes that poverty graduation is not a widely understood concept in the County. Therefore, there is a need to formulate a comprehensive communication and influencing strategy to raise awareness of poverty graduation and to engender the necessary ownership of the policy by the various stakeholders and implementing partners. The communication strategy will be aimed at:  Providing information on the social protection concept in simplified and easy to understand formats.  Ensuring that information flows to and from key stakeholders in a timely manner, including key government ministries, development partners, communities, and beneficiaries.  Monitoring and disseminating the effectiveness and outcomes of the policy. The information will be disseminated through the media (electronic, print, social, and folk media) to inform the population about poverty graduation (social protection). Community-based communication channels, including vernacular radio stations and theatre groups, will also be used. 8.3. Policy Review This policy will be implemented in a four-year period and subjected to regular review under the leadership of the County Poverty Graduation Steering Committee when need arises. The responsibility for the collection and management of data will remain with the implementing departments of various Poverty Graduation Programmes. 25 Annex 1. County Macro Structure County Government of West Pokot West Pokot County Assembly County Executive Committee Chief Officers Section Heads Sub-County Administration Ward Administration Village Administration 26 Annex 2. County Monitoring & Evaluation System (CIMES) Figure 2: County Integrated Monitoring & Evaluation System Cabinet County Assembly County Budget & County M&E County Budget & Non -State Actors Committees Economic Forum County Monitoring & Evaluation Unit Technical M&E Committees Sub-County M&E Committees Ministry M&E Committees Ward M&E Committees Village M&E Committees 27 Annex 3. M&E Outcome Indicators Table 1: Summary of Key County Development Baseline Indicators Key County Development indicators Baseline Year Baseline/Level Total County Population 2019 621,241 County Poverty level (%) 2015 57.3 Extreme/hard-core poverty (%) 2015 26.3 Enrolment in ECDE (No) 2018 77,000 Transition rates (ECDE to Primary schools) 2018 90% Enrolment in Pry School (No.) 2018 186,708 Completion rate (in primary %) 2018 68 Enrolment in pry education (No.) 2018 156,272 Completion rate (in secondary education) 2018 60% Adult enrolment (No) 2018 2,296 Latrine coverage (%) 2018 46.8 Number of the eligible population tested for HIV 2018 104,538 No. of eligible HIV clients on ARVs 2018 3254 Number of the population tested positive linked to care 2018 3003 % of the clients on treatment virally suppressed 2018 80.6 Proportion of children under one year fully immunized 2018 42.3 # of TB cases identified and put on treatment 2018 1455 Proportion of women of reproductive age accessing family 2018 14.2 planning services th Proportion of pregnant women attending 4 ANC visit 2018 12.8 Proportion of deliveries conducted by skilled attendants 2018 30.3 Proportion of newborns with low birth weights 2018 448 (<2500 gms) % of children under 5’s stunted 2018 39.9 Adolescence birth (%) 2018 28.6 28 References 1948, U. D. (n.d.). Universal Declaration of Human Rights . Retrieved from United Nations: https://www. un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf 2012. (n.d.). Kenya Vision 2030. Retrieved from Vision 2030: https://vision2030.go.ke 2015. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from United Nations: https://www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ 2022. (n.d.). County CIDP. Retrieved from West Pokot County Government: https://www.cog.go.ke/ downloads/category/106-County-integrated-development-plans-2018-2022 2063. (n.d.). African Union Agenda. Retrieved from African Union International: https://au.int/en/ agenda2063 Kenya Constitution, 2. (2010). Union of Kenya Civil Servants. Retrieved from https://ukcs.or.ke/wp-content/ uploads/2018/03/ken127322.pdf Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey, 2. (2016, October 13). Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved from http://statistics.knbs.or.ke/nada/index.php/catalog/88 Vision 2030, S. (n.d.). Kenya National Social Protection Policy. Retrieved from Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development: https://www.socialprotection.or.ke/images/downloads/kenya-national-social- protection- policy.pdf 29 30 Contact Information 31 County Government of West Pokot P.O Box 222-30600,Kapenguria Tel: 0532014000 Email: Info@westpokot.go.ke www.westpokot.go.ke 32