The client
Our client on this assignment was the Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (MEWNR) in the Republic of Kenya. This Ministry was established by Executive Order No. 2/2013 to undertake protection, conservation, rehabilitation and development of environment and natural resources for sustainable development. Previously, this mandate had been undertaken by the Ministries of Environment and Mineral Resources, Forestry and Wildlife, Water and Irrigation, and Regional Development Authorities as defined in the Presidential circular No.1/2008.
Situation
MEWNR’s mandate was executed through two State Departments, each headed by a Principal Secretary: State Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and State Department of Water. Integrating the these state functions into one required.
Client requirements
Given the vast interest that matters relating to environment, water and natural resources attract across various sectors, the envisaged implications of devolution in the sector as required in the Constitution of Kenya 2010, and in compliance with the Republic’s national values and principles as carried in Article 10 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, MEWNR’s planning process demanded extensive consultation of stakeholders, consensus building, referencing of a wide variety of policy guidelines and the incorporation of key government directives.
The client was therefore looking to work with a competent and adequately experienced consulting firm that understood the workings of government, and that would be able manage the anticipated change process, build consensus and effectively effectively forge a common vision for the new ministry.
Our approach
We structured the assignment around the following:
1. review of alignment of the Ministry’s strategy with reference to the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Kenya Vision 2030, United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the Jubilee government Manifesto.
2. moderation and harmonisation of pre-existing strategic directions of four previous ministries (Ref. Presidential Circular No.1/2008) i.e., Ministries of Environment and Mineral Resources; Water; Forestry and Wildlife and Regional Development Authorities.
3. engagement with MENWR’s leadership, and, in particular, the two Principal Secretaries in the Ministry, Ministry Directors and Senior Management to agree on key strategic directions for the Ministry
4. engagement with key state departments and other stakeholders that would directly impact, or be impacted by, various decisions within the Ministry’s strategic planning process
5. eesign of the Ministry’s strategy implementation and review process for the planning period and its integration with various annual performance contracts within the Ministry
6. support of the Ministry in dissemination of the new strategy and implementation work plans across the Ministry’s implementing agencies.
7. regular reporting to the two Principal Secretaries and to the Cabinet Minister, and moderation of engagements between various stakeholders in connection with the ministry's new strategic direction.
Significant outcomes
The new ministry adopted the new strategic direction much easier. Performance contracts for the two Principal Secretaries, and for the CEOs in the ministry's respective semi-autonomous state agencies (SAGAs), were all based on the outputs of this work, with the implementation matrix, monitoring and evaluation frameworks being used for performance management throuth the next five years.
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