News | Mar 21, 2023
Destination Kenya: the first joint country visit of the Practitioners’ Network
From 28-31 March 2023, sixteen PN Member organisations -AFD, AICS, British Council, CPMA, DANIDA, Enabel, Expertise France, FIIAPP, GIZ, Goethe Institut, MFA NL, RoAid, Sida, SlovakAid, SNV and the European Commission- will convene in Kenya for the first joint country visit of the Practitioners’ Network.
The purpose of this visit is to bring together PN Member CEOs, Directors, and team members to, showcase effective examples of joint implementation, visit programmes and projects, leverage key learnings and strengthen relationships with Kenya teams, authorities, partners, and like-minded actors.
The thematic areas covered during the visit include Enhancing Joint Implementation, Climate Adaptation and Mitigation, Energy Transition, Digitalisation, and Green and Inclusive Job Creation.
The visit also provides an unprecedented opportunity to connect core themes discussed under the different PN Working Groups with key activities and practices carried out by Members, their local partners, and teams onsite.
The programme, spanning over four days, consists of onsite project visits, High-Level meetings and learning sessions, making it a perfect forum to showcase effective examples of joint implementation, demonstrate the advantages of pooling resources and creating synergies to improve development effectiveness, as well as foster innovative partnerships.
The visit features the following projects:
Renewable Energy and Adaptation to Climate Technologies Sub-Saharan Africa (REACT SSA)
Challenge Fund (CF) programme implemented by the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), funded by Sida. The objective of the program is to improve access to renewable energy for low-income off-grid households, increase incomes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in eight target countries. The broader outcome is to catalyse private sector investment and innovation in low-cost clean energy and climate change at scale.
Energising Development (EnDev)
A strategic partnership of like-minded donors to promote energy access. In Kenya, the project focuses on households, productive use of energy and access of energy for social institutions and refugees. In addition, four initiatives form an integral part of the EnDev Kenya: Sustainable Energy for Small Holder Farmers (Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda), EnDev Innovation Fund - Promotion of PUE consumer financing through VSLAs, Smart Communities Coalition Innovation Fund (SCCIF) and the African Biodigester Component (ABC).
Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGIS), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the European Union (EU), the ABC intervention in Kenya aims at facilitating a shift of the biodigester market from its pioneering to the expansion phase where more than 20,000 small (0 to 50 m3) and 250 medium (50 to 500 m3) size biodigesters will be installed. The component is implemented by a consortium between GIZ and SNV in cooperation with the Africa Bioenergy Partnership Limited (ABPL - ex-Kenya Biogas Programme).
Integrated & Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralist Economies and Landscapes in Kenya’s ASALs (ICSIAPL)
A partnership initiative implemented by SNV Kenya and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO).
The project aims to stimulate business models around grazing, and forage production and sales in order to provide opportunities for women and youth enterprise development, as well as opportunities for large scale commercial production. ICSIAPL aims to support counties to build on the commercialisation of climate-smart innovations and to develop sustainable landscape management.
Culture and Creative Industries.
The Global Project Culture and Creative Industries, funded by the German Ministry for Economic Collaboration and Development, is mutually implemented by GIZ and Goethe-Institut in 6 different countries. In Kenya, the project focusses on the subsectors of Music and Creative Tech, fostering these sectors through Capacity Building Measures, like Business and Soft Skill Trainings, as well as structural and organisational adjustments within the CCI. T
SOCIEUX+
EU Expertise on Social Protection, Labour and Employment is an on-demand facility for technical cooperation between public and social partner peers established and co-funded by the European Union. The general objective is to expand and improve access to better employment opportunities and inclusive social protection systems. Based on the peer-to-peer exchange model, SOCIEUX+ shares knowledge and experience through the mobilisation of European public experts for short-term technical cooperation activities. The Facility is implemented by a partnership composed by Expertise France (the partnership lead), the Belgian International Cooperation on Social Protection (Belincosoc), Enabel and FIIAPP.
Digitalisation of primary and secondary schools and enhancement of digital skills of teachers in Machakos County
Implemented by SlovakAid, the aim of the project is to decrease the unemployment of youth by improving access to quality education and practical skills. The project will create conditions for digitalized learning process as well as a quality vocational education at 2 schools with regards to the current education reform in Kenya.
D4D Collaboration for the Horn of Africa Initiative on Digital Governance and Cybersecurity
Jointly cofinanced by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It aims to support selected member states of the Horn of Africa region, specifically Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti, to enhance their public sector service delivery through improved and secure digital delivery channels. While the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIIAPP) are leading the effort on e-government, Expertise France (EF) focuses on cybersecurity.
Go Blue
Implemented by Expertise France, the Project aims at developing the blue economy in the 'counties' of the Kenyan coast, including: (1) Development and implementation of a maritime strategy for Kenya (2) Strengthening of the capacities of administrations and maritime agencies, particularly the coast guards (3) Foster cooperation with neighbouring States and the region.
Ending Drought Emergencies - Climate Proofed Infrastructure for Improved Water Supply and Sanitation in Arid and Semi-arid Land Areas programme
Ending Drought Emergencies (EDE) is a strategy that was developed to build on the National Policy for the Sustainable Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands. This policy committed the Government to supporting communities in 23 ASAL counties of Kenya (with an estimated 15 million people) to become more resilient to drought and ending drought emergencies by 2022.
SNV Netherlands Development Organisation provides technical assistance to pilot Public Private Community Partnerships within these 8 ASAL counties while the Water Sector Trust Fund implements works for rehabilitation and extension of medium-sized water supply and sanitation schemes.
Water and Energy for Food (WE4F).
An international initiative by EU, BMZ, SIDA, MFA-NL and USAID that is implemented through regional hubs. WE4F supports local Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to scale their climate-friendly, water- and/ or energy-efficient innovations.