PPDP Inclusive Growth through Decent Work in the Great Rift Valley

The PPDP-project has come to an end. The performance during the entire implementation period (2018-2024) is assessed as highly satisfactory and the cumulative achievements reported correspond to targets, some of which have over achieved. Based on the positive results, a second phase of the project has been approved and is now under implementation. Selected cumulative results for the PPDP-project include: Outcome 1: Decent jobs resulting from relevant and quality skills provided by vocational training centers and other training institutions - Six demand-driven courses (electrical installation, welding, plumbing, food and beverage production, and fashion design technology, and leather) were reviewed and developed in year one and two of the intervention, matching training with the demand nature of skills needed in the local market - at the time being the geothermal energy sector. The review and development of demand-driven courses resulted in increased enrolment in the four partner Vocational Training Centres compared to when the project started in 2018 when enrolments were low. - 1,109 trainees (682M, 427F) against the target of 1,000 secured decent employment during the implementation period (after the inception phase). The rate of employment for women and youth transitioning from partner VTCs to the labour market increased as a result of the increased enrolment and retention rates. - 822 graduates (468M, 354F) from the four partner VTCs, against target of 800, transitioned to self-employment within 12 months after certification (as a result of the revised curriculum and the ILOs Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training programme) Outcome 2: Decent jobs resulting from new and growing businesses created - 875 new businesses were started during the project period (and still sustained 12 months after start-up) as a result of relevant entrepreneurial skills training. These businesses were established in the areas of, e.g: beekeeping and honey, livestock keeping/fattening, general trading, farm tractor services, butcheries, local hotel and Choma zones, beads work production and retail, milk vending kiosks, clothes selling shops. - 1,000 jobs (400 for male and 600 for female entrepreneurs), against a target of 800, were created as a result of these new businesses, including facilitation of access to start-up capital by enhancing the capacity of village saving and lending groups. - The intervention supported 607 entrepreneurs (357M & 250F) to access financial services from both formal and informal sources, including establishing continuous linkages to financial service providers and linking them to procurement opportunities at larger companies. Outcome 3: Improved community participation in lobbying for increased access to public & social services and duty bearers accountability in providing social services - During the project period, the level of awareness among right holders on rights and responsibilities, as well as improved organising and knowledge on strategies for dialogue increased from 27% in Nakuru and 18% in Narok to 40% and 52% respectively - against the target of an average of 40% improvement. - The PPDP project significantly exceeded its stakeholder engagement target, reaching 36,458 individuals (15,744 men and 20,534 women) compared to the targete of 25,000. - The PPDP project successfully engaged 284 duty bearers, surpassing the target of 200. - The PPDP project trained 71 community members on social auditing, surpassing the target of 60. - The communities now demonstrate strong lobbying skills, advocating for their rights, which has improved engagement between duty bearers and rights holders, shifting power relations and increasing responsiveness of county and public institutions to enhance service delivery. - The project targeted having 60% of projects/initiatives identified in the Community Action Plans implemented by various stakeholders. Overall, 81% of the issues and projects identified as priorities by the communities were addressed, and additional issues also emerged. Infrastructure projects were implemented by public and private actors through partnerships, some with seed/catalytic funding from the PPDP intervention - for example the water projects. Additionally, social issues were addressed through grant support from the PPDP project to local organizations. - The implementation of these projects led to improved access to healthcare, water, and education, promoted gender equality and youth participation, and enhanced partnerships between organizations and the government. - The increased confidence among women in leading dialogue forums and engaging with duty bearers was particularly noteworthy. Women and youth became more actively involved in public service delivery, which was crucial for addressing leadership and resource access disparities. The project recorded increased womens participation in decision-making spaces from 36% to 39%, nearly reaching the target of 40%. Women in the Maa community gained significant recognition for leadership roles, with 40% of elected leaders at Suswa Health Dispensary and RapLand Welfare Society being women. Their appointments to key leadership positions at both community and county levels further highlighted the contribution to womens empowerment. - In addition, there was a notable increase in confidence among women leading dialogue forums and engaging with duty bearers. Women and youth became actively involved in prioritizing, implementing, and monitoring public service delivery, addressing disparities in leadership and resource access. Women were appointed to key leadership positions at both community and county levels, further solidifying their roles in decision-making processes. Outcome 4: Strengthened project management & Coordination - Through Letters of Commitments and Memorandums of Understanding, the PPDP successfully established partnerships with 26 project partners namely: *County Governments of Nakuru and Narok; National Government Ministries of Labour & Social Protection, Energy and Education; State Department of Devolution; *Suswa and RapLand Communities; *National Training Authority (NITA),Technical and Vocational Education and Training Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (TVET CDACC), National Government Technical Training Institutes, Ewaso-Ngiro South Development Authority(ENSDA); *Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC,Oserian Ltd, ), Bedi Investment, Equity Foundation, Mara Farming, Akiira, , Transmara Sugar Co. Ltd, Inua Partners in Hope,Ajiry/Centum, , Savannah Honey, Naivasha Water & Sewerage Company, MG Innovation hub and Dummen Orange. *Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Kenya; *Community Based Organisations(CBOs) in Suswa & Raplands; *Strathmore University, *UN Agencies (UNFPA & International Training Centre of ILO) , - A Project Sustainability Committee was established which resulted to the project's ownership and financial contribution from the government and private sector partners of USD 3,790,459, corresponding to 35% of total project budget, against the target of 50%. The lower outcome is mainly due to Covid-19, the prolonged drought and elections in 2022 - periods during which county governments prioritised their spending on emerging needs; and the last extension of the intervention when Swedish funding partly was spent on designing the second phase of the PPDP. Nevertheless, the financial support received from county governments and non-financial contributions from the private sector were instrumental for the project's achievements. Unexpected results include: - A dialogue platform shared with the County Governments was facilitated which, among others, led to the Narok County Government´s commitment to fund a water project of KES 6.3 Million; - In Narok County, the same dialogue platform, together with advocacy, led to the generation of the Narok County Policy on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in 2022, which was enacted by the County Executive Committee and later adopted by the County Government for implemention in April 2025. - Rate of drop outs due to early marriages and pregnancies reduced during the project period as a result of advocacy at community level, which led to flexibilities that allowed post-partum resumption of studies at the VTCs for female learners affected by earlier pregnancies. - The PPDP model has attracted the attention of National & County Governments and other development partners in Kenya, including with requests for expansion/replication elsewhere.

The overarching development objective of the PPDP is "Poverty reduction and improved living conditions through decent work and access to rights-based services among the rural population in the Great Rift Valley". The programme is four years, with the first year being a start-up/inception year (described as outcome 0 in the result framework of the project proposal, annex 1) to make sure the programme is fully operational with a proper and robust organisational set-up, coordination and design. Also that stakeholders are identified and committed to the programme, including cash/in-kind contributions to the budget clearly stated and allocated. The PPDP programme has three main outcomes, 1. Decent jobs resulting from better skills provided by vocational training centres. 2. Decent jobs - and new and growing businesses - resulting from new relevant informal skills, business development services and access to finance. 3. Communities have the capacity to lobby for increased access to public and social services, eg water, education, health, sanitation.