Innovation and Digital Economy Sector Working Group (SWG) Enhances Capacities through Comprehensive Training on Budgeting, Procurement, and Policy-Making Processes

Naivasha, 17th February, 2024

Innovation and Digital Economy Sector Working Group (SWG) members have undergone capacity building sessions on budgeting, procurement and policy making process by officers drawn from County Finance and Economic Planning Sector, Legal Department and Directorate of Performance Management.

County Chief Officer for Smart Nairobi, Tiras Njoroge, lauded the commitment and dedication of the staff in the betterment of the Sector and county as a whole.
"Most of us were very green when it came to county processes and had not engaged in the processes. We will continue improving the quality of the documentation we are reviewing as time goes by. We should also take note of the supporting sectors who have come in on advisory capacity, listen, and implement their input. We have very good projects to produce and systems to create, incubation hubs to come up with, but we need to understand the county processes properly because that is what we will be questioned about. He said.

He stated that SWG was a very important group and it is part of the staffs' work and not an additional task. "All these being taught by the facilitators, if we do not do them, we will not have a budget to run our sector."
The working retreat saw members sensitized on County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), Annual Development Plan (ADP), Procurement Process, Budget making process and budget cycle, County Planning framework, budget making process, Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), legal process of policy making among others.

The Chairperson for SWG and County Director, Infrastructure, Truphena Ogonda, said the workshop is of great importance for the team members to come together and learn more about the development of sector specific planning documents.

Said Ms. Ogonda "This workshops' focus is to ensure members understand and gain skills in budget planning and by the end of the workshop, we should have learned how to forecast expenditures, priorities projects and align financial resources with strategic goals among others".
Director Economic Planning, Geoffrey Sianga reminded the members of what was expected at the county level when it comes to planning matters. "SWG are expected to be the engine of planning at the sector level but that only happens in close collaboration with the County Planning unit which has a role in providing technical expertise and guidance to all the sectors when it comes to planning matters" he said.

The members were also taken through Public Investment Management, an approach meant to provide a standard approach to project cycle management in project identification and planning. Public Investment Management explains how to identify and plan for projects, pre-feasibility, feasibility, selection and budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, project closure, sustainability, and impact assessment.
County Deputy Head of Budget, James Ngunjiri shared budgetary steps highlighting relevant legislation and key documents required for a successful budgeting exercise.

Said Mr. Ngunjiri "You are not limited only to preparation of the budget, go beyond that, monitor what you are doing and implementing as well,"
County Budget Officer Tiras Kamau guided the members on the Medium Term Budget Formulation and stages of the county budget process.

County Executive for Innovation and Digital Economy, Mike Gumo, in his virtual closing remarks appreciated the members' participation and said that the discussions had been intense and have also been fruitful in bringing the staff together as well as internalizing and understanding County budget process.
Present was County Chief Officer, ICT Infrastructure, John Lintari, County Director, Performance Management, Festus Macharia , Assistant Director Administration, Jane Nderitu, Sectors' Economist, Grace Chabari, Budget Officer Terry Njuguna, Procurement Officer Ruth Chege, Ag. Deputy Director Litigation, Julius Cheruiyot, who also took the staff through their respective presentations.

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