National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) in Nyandarua have been trained on grassroots data management to enhance the collection of reliable information for evidence-based planning and policy formulation.
The training is part of Phase II of a programme by the State Department for Economic Planning (SDEP) targeting officers and other stakeholders involved in grassroots data management in 25 counties.
The three-day training is being undertaken in collaboration with the Konza Technopolis Development Authority, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), and the State Department for Interior.
Speaking during the training, Nyandarua Central Deputy County Commissioner Kenneth Kiptoo said the government was keen to equip NGAO officers with the necessary skills to collect, manage, and report grassroots data.
“We have 293 NGAO officers who are involved in data collection and management for community development,” said Kiptoo.
He said most of the officers had basic computer skills, adding that the training would enable them to undertake data collection more effectively and promote a coordinated approach to research and reporting.
Caleb Muinde, an economist at the State Department for Economic Planning, said the programme was designed to equip NGAO officers with skills to collect data directly from communities and transmit it to designated data analysis centers.
Muinde said the first phase of the programme covered 11 counties and served as a pilot, while the second phase is targeting 25 counties.
“The next phase will cover the remaining counties. We want to ensure that we can collect nationwide data that will inform policy planning,” he said.
He said reliable grassroots data was particularly important as the country approaches the end of the Vision 2030 period, noting that the information would help the government assess the country’s progress, identify gaps, and formulate appropriate policies and plans.
Muinde said the training had received good attendance and expressed optimism that the three-day programme would adequately prepare the officers for grassroots data collection.
He identified skewed data resulting from inadequate data collection as one of the major challenges affecting planning, saying improved capacity at the grassroots would help address the challenge.
Under the programme, NGAO officers, including Assistant Chiefs, will collect data from communities and transmit it to designated data analysis centers for processing and use in government planning.
Assistant Chief for Gikingi Sub-location, Mirriam Ngotho, said the training had equipped grassroots administrators with skills to properly manage information collected from communities.
“We are ready to collect data. We have been trained on proper data management because we are stewards and custodians of data,” said Ngotho.
She said reliable community data was important in identifying vulnerable groups and implementing government programmes, including Inua Jamii.
Ngotho added that the information collected at the grassroots was forwarded to the government to support planning and service delivery.
“With this training, we are now ready for proper data management,” she said.
The State Department for Economic Planning is expected to roll out the training to other counties as it seeks to establish a coordinated grassroots data management system to support evidence-based national and local development planning.
By Antony Mwangi
