Participatory ward development planning in dryland Kenya

In the past, pastoralists’ limited participation in government planning processes led to misguided development interventions that undermined livelihoods and increase vulnerability. The brief “Participatory planning in Kenya’ drylands: the Ward Development Planning model” (2023, 12pp) by Claire Bedelian et al of the Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) programme, describes a bottom-up approach to development planning that benefits from the knowledge, input and support of local dryland communities.

The brief draws on research by Mercy Corps in Garissa, Isiolo and Turkana Counties in late 2021 in wards where the Ward Development Planning (WDP) model is being implemented. The findings show that the WDP model deepens Kenya’s devolution to the ward level and addresses the chronic political and economic marginalisation characteristic of dryland regions; empowers communities to engage directly in development planning; allows effective representation and accountable decision-making through inclusive public selection processes of Ward Planning Committees; and prioritises locally appropriate development action according to community-identified needs.

The WDP model can be scaled across Kenya and beyond for locally legitimate development and climate-change adaptation. Upscaling the approach requires adaptation to the local institutional context. It is important to focus on the quality of participation, the process of selecting representatives and inclusivity.

A one-page summary of the brief can be found here, and more information about SPARC research can be found here.

Posted on 21 July 2023 in Pastoral Research & Innovation, Pastoralism & Natural Resources, Pastoralism & Services, Pastoralism, Policy & Power