Citizen Voice

and Action
EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES IN KENYA
TO MONITOR SERVICE DELIVERY
 Citizen Voice
and Action
EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES IN KENYA
TO MONITOR SERVICE DELIVERY

(A Hand book for Local Level Advocacy)1

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This hand book has been developed to guide both state and non-state actors in Kenya to understand and apply
Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) approach – currently being appreciated and practiced by communities at the
local level as one of the advocacy approaches. The content put herein results from a review and borrowings from
“Citizen Voice and Action Guidance notes copyright © 2009 World Vision UK, used by permission”; a review and
analysis of various other documents as referenced in the last section of this handbook; and a review and analysis
of CVA documentation from World Vision Kenya’s Integrated Programme Areas. The hand book has been jointly
developed by a team of CVA experts from World Vision Kenya ofice namely; Shem Ochola, Elijah Don Bonyo and
Brezhnev Otieno. This publication has been funded by the Department for International Development (DFID)
through World Vision UK ofice although its content does not represent the views of DFID nor WVUK.
List of Abbreviations
CBOs Community Based Organizations
CDF Constituency Development Fund
CDFC Constituency Development Fund Committee
CHADI Citizen’s Help Advocacy and Development Initiative
CSOs Civil Society Organizations
CVA Citizen Voice and Action
DDC District Development Committee
DFID Department for International Development
ECDE Early Childhood Development and Education
FBOs Faith Based Organizations
IEC Information, Education and Communication
IPA Integrated Program Area
IPAs Integrated Program Areas
KITOCIVA Kisumu Citizen Voice and Action
LATF Local Authority Transfer Fund
LDC Location Development Committee
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MP Member of Parliament
NGOs Non Governmental Organizations
NTA National Tax Payers Association
PMCs Project Management Committees
UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights
WVK World Vision Kenya
WVUK World Vision United Kingdom

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Table of Contents
List of Abbreviations 02

Foreword 06

1.0 Introduction 08

2.0 Kenya’s Constitution as a Basis for Citizen Voice and Action 10

3.0 Why the Rights Based Approach for CVA? 13

4.0 Core Elements of CVA 15

4.1 Information 15

4.2 Voice 15

4.3 Dialogue 16

4.4 Accountability 16

4.5 Public Services 17

5.0 Core Principles of CVA 19

5.1 Policy Focus 19

5.2 Social Accountability Focus 19

5.3 Citizen Focus 19

5.4 Facilitation Focus 19

5.5 Citizen Led Advocacy Focus 19

5.6 Local information Ownership Focus 20

6.0 Key Steps in Citizen Voice and Action 21

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 3

6.1 Organizational Level 21

6.1.1 Step One – Securing “”Buy-in and Commitment 21

6.1.2 Step Two – Alignment of CVA to the Strategic Plan, 21

Mission and Vision of the Organization

6.1.3 Step Three – Fundraising and Resource Mobilization 22

6.1.4 Step Four - Identiication and Capacity Building 22

6.1.5 Step Five – Baseline Survey and Stakeholder Mapping 23

6.1.6 Step Six – Identiication of Service Delivery Standards 23

6.1.7 Step Seven – Training of CVA Facilitators 24

6.2 Community Level 24

6.2.1 Step One – Social Mapping 24

6.2.2 Step Two – Community Gathering 25

6.2.3 Step Three – Training of CVA teams 25

6.2.4 Step Four – Sensitization of Service Providers 27

6.2.5 Step Five – Interface Meeting 27

6.2.6 Step Six - Sensitization of Communities on CVA 28

6.2.7 Step Seven – Social Monitoring 28

6.2.8 Step Eight – Data Analysis and Report Writing 28

6.2.9 Step Nine – Validation Meetings 28

6.2.10 Step Ten – Community Dialogue and Accountability 29

Sessions

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 6.2.11 Step Eleven – Implementation of Commitments for Action 29

7.0 Monitoring and Evaluation of CVA 31

8.0 Sustainability of CVA 34

8.1 Selection of CVA Members 34

8.2 Organizing Communities around Structures 34

8.3 Capacity Building, Fundraising and Resource Mobilization 35

8.4 Building and Maintaining Relationships 35

9.0 Stories from the Field 37

9.1 Winam IPA 37

9.2 Angurai IPA 41

9.3 Bamba IPA 45

9.4 Yatta IPA 49

References for Further Reading 52

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 5

Foreword
The publication of the Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) Handbook comes
at a time when World Vision Kenya’s Policy and Advocacy unit has made
tremendous strides. It underscores the growth of Public Policy and
Advocacy in World Vision Kenya (WVK) from infancy in 2002 when
advocacy was oficially identiied and recognized as an integral part of
WVK’s transformational development and humanitarian intervention work.
In 2007, a new Policy and Advocacy strategy was conceived and developed
and subsequently rolled out in early 2008 in time to coincide with the
beginning of Poverty Reduction and Aid effectiveness Project under whose
auspices CVA has been implemented as a lagship approach. Implementation
of local level advocacy through the CVA approach began with ive pilot IPAs
in 2008, and currently stands at 21 IPAs, with expansion expected to cover
all the 60 IPAs.

Through CVA, WVK envisions an empowered citizens and an active

interconnected advocacy network in its areas of operation. Advocacy is
viewed as an underlying strategy in all programmes and not necessarily as
discrete programmes and projects. Thus, there is a move to ensure that
programmes at the community level use advocacy theory as a way of thinking
and analyzing the context and vulnerability issues causing poverty. In this
way, advocacy is steadily becoming a lens through which to understand
poverty contexts.

The resilience of communities in the face of poverty in Kenya’s development

and political discourse is steadily gaining momentum and some good
degree of political, policy and scholarly attention. Based on WVK’s many
years of development experience, and with a number of programmes being
community based, CVA therefore catalyzes transformational policy change,
accountability, local level advocacy and facilitates community and service
providers to look at the big picture by focusing on the structural and

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systemic causes of poverty. WVK underscores Advocacy, as a ministry of
inluence using persuasion, dialogue and reason to obtain change and works
on two complementary levels: policy inluence and citizen empowerment.

WVK employs CVA strategy as a community empowerment approach that

strengthens and enhances citizen voice and action in monitoring service
delivery. This publication acts as a simple guide for local level advocacy and
provides the means for provision of legitimate spaces for participation in
development.

Girma Begashaw
Girma Begashaw
National Director
World Vision Kenya

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 7

1.0 Introduction
Non state actors including Aid agencies the World over continue to
appreciate the fact that the destiny of communities is in the “hands of
communities themselves” and that citizens (including the poor) have the
right to participate in development at all stages. Citizens have to be involved
in decision making on how they want their society to be governed. If the
citizens are not consulted, then the decisions that are made may be against
their interests and wishes.

Non-state actors, while complementing government’s role in service

provision, should ensure that their interventions not only address immediate
community needs but also the root causes of such problems (poverty).
They have to promote justice, inclusion, inluence public policy processes,
resource allocation & use by government (the duty bearer).

They have a responsibility to empower communities to inluence the

quality, eficiency and accountability with which services are provided by
government & NGOs (as per government deined standards) and also to
support communities to develop progressive attitude and behavior in favour
of the poor and oppressed.

In addition, if citizens are to beneit from having elected a Government into

place, then the government must be seen to be accountable and transparent
as well being responsive to needs and expectations of the citizens including
the provision of timely and quality services. Governments exist for the
welfare of the people and provision of service which forms the basis for
assessing their performance.

The current governance framework in Kenya creates the arena for

the participation of citizens in decision making at all levels including the
management and utilization of decentralized funds. The challenge though
has been how to facilitate and enable the citizens to take advantage of the
opportunities available for participation.
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Recognizing that it is communities themselves who can inluence the quality
of service delivery by the government and other service providers, either
at the local or other levels, they must be aware of the existing service
standards and their entitlements as well as responsibilities. To be able to
inluence policy and attitudinal changes as regards service delivery, they must
present evidence on their perceived or existing quality of service. Citizens
Voice and Action (CVA) approach, a self empowering process provides the
opportunity for citizen-service providers’ dialogue and engagement.

This document speciically presents a step by step guidance in utilizing

the Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) as a local level advocacy methodology.
Notably, Citizen Voice and Action has been used by World Vision over
the years with documented experiences from Armenia, Albania, Georgia,
Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Senegal, Brazil, Peru Zambia,
Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 9

2.0 Kenya’s Constitution as a Basis
for Citizen Voice and Action
Kenya’s Constitution, lays out the foundation for a pro- citizen participation
Governance structure. It indicates the organs that are necessary for the
pursuit of set goals and aspirations of the people. It details the roles of
the various organs and their interplay. Beyond the foundation function that
is played by the Constitution, it entrusts the leadership of the organs to
certain people. When the leadership is prudent, respectful of the rule of
law, driven by the desire to serve for the welfare of the people, tolerant
of and well-meaning for society, then that Government qualiies to be a
good Government. Its administration can provide favourable environment
for good governance and the well being of all citizens.

Article (4) of Kenya’s Constitution provides that the sovereign power of the
people is exercised at the national level; and the county level. Article 6 (1)
provides that the territory of Kenya is divided into the counties speciied
in the First Schedule. Article 6 (2) provides that the governments at the
national and county levels are distinct and interdependent and shall conduct
their mutual relations on the basis of consultation and cooperation. Article
6 (3) provides that a national State organ shall ensure reasonable access
to its services in all parts of the Republic, so far as it is appropriate to
do so having regard to the nature of the service. The Fourth Schedule of
the Constitution provides for the distribution of functions between the
National Government and County Government.

Article 10 (2) provides for the national values and principles of governance
in Kenya - these include; patriotism, national unity, sharing and devolution
of power, the rule of law, democracy and participation of the people; human
dignity, equity, social justice, inclusiveness, equality, human rights, non-
discrimination and protection of the marginalised; good governance, integrity,
transparency and accountability; and sustainable development. Article 20 (2)
provides that every person shall enjoy the rights and fundamental freedoms
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in the Bill of Rights to the greatest extent consistent with the nature of the
right or fundamental freedom. Article 21 (1) provides that it is a fundamental
duty of the State and every State organ to observe, respect, protect, promote
and fulill the rights and fundamental freedoms in the Bill of Rights; further
in Article 21 (2), the State shall take legislative, policy and other measures,
including the setting of standards, to achieve the progressive realization of
the rights guaranteed under Article 43 of the same constitution.

Kenya’s Constitution; Article 43 - Economic and social

rights
1. Every person has the right
n To the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the
right to health care services, including reproductive health care;
n To accessible and adequate housing, and to reasonable standards of
sanitation;
n To be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable
quality;
n To clean and safe water in adequate quantities;
n To social security; and
n To education.
2. A person shall not be denied emergency medical treatment.
3. The State shall provide appropriate social security to persons who are
unable to support themselves and their dependants.

Among the objects of the devolution of government – under Article 174 are;
to give powers of self-governance to the people and enhance the participation
of the people in the exercise of the powers of the State and in making
decisions affecting them; to recognize the right of communities to manage
their own affairs and to further their development; to protect and promote
the interests and rights of minorities and marginalised communities; to
promote social and economic development and the provision of proximate,
easily accessible services throughout Kenya; and to ensure equitable sharing
of national and local resources throughout Kenya among other objects

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 11

Article 176 provides that there shall be a County Government for each
county, consisting of a County Assembly and a County Executive; and that
every County Government shall decentralise its functions and the provision
of its services to the extent that it is eficient and practicable to do so.

Against this backdrop, communities in Kenya (citizens) should be encouraged

to understand that the constitution provides a framework for engagement
with the state and that the state has an obligation for the progressive
realization of the citizens’ rights. Citizens should further understand that
the constitution requires of the state to respect, protect and fulill human
rights; demonstrate and practice good governance, integrity, transparency
and accountability in service provision and create an enabling environment
for participation of the people in development. It is thus imperative that non-
state development agencies should work towards empowering communities
to demand from the state their Economic and Social rights as outlined in
Article 43 among other rights under the Bill of Rights.

At the local level (county government level), communities need to understand

that the constitution puts the powers of self-governance in their hands and
they therefore must participate in the exercise of the powers of the State and
in making decisions affecting them; this includes the right of communities to
manage their own affairs and to further their own development. But how
can communities do this effectively? Citizen Voice and Action –
a local level advocacy methodology – provides the solution.

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3.0 Why the Rights Based
Approach for CVA?
An integral component of development efforts should be to build the
capacity of “duty bearers” to meet their obligations and “rights holders”
to claim their rights. Although all human beings are equal in dignity, not all
persons are treated equally and hence do not have equal opportunity. Even
though the poor and oppressed persons have the same rights as others, they
are often excluded from, or do not have the opportunity to realize their
human rights.

A human rights-based approach highlights the human rights entitlements

of citizens and the corresponding obligations of governments, and
encourages empowerment, participation and capacity building of local
communities (citizens) to hold their governments to account. It enables
better development outcomes by analyzing and addressing the causes of
inequalities, discriminatory practices and unjust power relations which often
obstruct human development. It involves identifying root causes of poverty,
empowering rights-holders to claim their rights and enabling duty-bearers
to meet their obligations.

A rights-based approach acknowledges that poverty is a human rights

violation, and that poverty in itself is a root cause of a number of human
rights violations; and that the overall responsibility for meeting human rights
obligations rests with the state. This responsibility includes all the organs of
the state both at the National Government and County Government.

In a rights-based approach, emphasizes that people are not passive

beneiciaries or charity seekers of the state or government. The state’s
political and moral responsibility is to guarantee all human rights to all human
beings; particularly the right to live with dignity. Hence people have a right
to demand that the state ensures equitable social change and distributive

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 13

justice. Citizens are the owners of the state; hence, the state should be
transparent and accountable to citizens.

This approach ensures that rights are secured in ways which are empowering,
strengthen peoples’ ability to negotiate with the powerful, build dignity, and
increase freedom and choice to imagine and pursue the lives, futures and
rights that people would value. It is not just about securing rights but it is
also paying attention to how those rights are secured.

It should further be noted that service delivery by governments must be an

integral part of a rights-based approach. Services when needed and demanded
by rights holders should be delivered only as a means or as enabling strategy,
not as an end in itself. Even in emergency situations, where the right to
humanitarian relief is a human right, services should be delivered through
empowering and enabling strategies that both address and go beyond the
immediate conditions of poverty.

Service delivery by Non-state agencies should only be undertaken when

the state has no capability to provide those services, and never provided in
any manner that will allow the state to abscond responsibilities as a primary
duty holder, or will allow it to divert resources away from basic rights. In
other words; not to duplicate, displace or replace the state, but (only) to
supplement when necessary.

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4.0 Core Elements of CVA
4.1 Information
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that
every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right
includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive
and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers. Article 35 (1) of Kenya’s Constitution further provides that every
citizen has the right of access to information held by the State; and information
held by another person and required for the exercise or protection of any
right or fundamental freedom.The right to information is essential for active
citizen participation in governance. Effective access to information requires
that it should be clear and easily understood (transparent) as well as freely
available to the public by the authorities.

Citizen Voice and Action aims to increase both the transparency and
accessibility of information for use by citizens. It seeks to provide
opportunities for citizens to use such information to inform action about
improving basic services. Through CVA citizens also bring together and
produce their own information about the delivery of basic services, based on
their experiences. This information is shared with all relevant stakeholders
involved with a particular service.

4.2 Voice
Voice refers to both the capacity of people to express their views and the
ways in which they do so through a variety of formal and informal channels
and mechanisms. Referring primarily to the efforts of the poor to have their
views heard by more powerful decision-makers, voice can include complaint,
organized protest, lobbying and participation in decision making, service
delivery or policy implementation. Voice is an essential building block for
accountability; it is only by speaking up – directly or through channels such
as organized groups – which the poor have a chance to see their preferences,
opinions and views relected in government priorities and policies and to
CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 15
ensure that these are implemented. Further the exercise of voice, and the
conversations that result, plays an important role in enabling communities
to arrive collectively at the standards – the values and norms of justice and
morality – against which the actions of power-holders will be judged.

CVA aims to facilitate the education and empowerment of ordinary citizens

to look critically at the performance of public services delivery and make
sure that the standards of service their government has pledged are being
adhered to and to seek reforms, whenever necessary, to improve the service.
Through the process of education and empowerment, citizens’ voices will
be strengthened and increased. CVA aims to increase the opportunity and
capacity of citizens to amplify their voices to inluence government processes
and services. It aims to increase citizens’ capacity to hold power holders
accountable.

4.3 Dialogue
CVA aims to provide opportunity for different stakeholders, especially service
users and service providers, to share their views about the delivery of basic
services. Through dialogue, mutual understanding between stakeholders
should be gained and effective partnerships should be established.
Relationships within the community are both repaired and strengthened.
Through dialogue, it is hoped that citizens, together with service providers
and other stakeholders, can identify ways to improve service delivery.
Dialogue provides the opportunity for the citizen to provide feedback to
service providers within a non threatening environment.

4.4 Accountability
Accountability focuses on of the need for those in power to take responsibility
for their actions or lack of action. Accountability is essentially about taking
responsibility and building relationships in ways that challenge and beneit all
those involved. CVA aims to increase and strengthen these relationships, which
are reciprocal.

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Through effective accountability, a number of different relationships are
strengthened:
n Accountability of government to citizens
n Accountability of citizens to government
n Accountability of citizens to themselves

Strengthened accountability supports trust, cooperation, coordination and

working together. Responsible citizenship and good governance play an
important contribution in providing quality public services. Accountability
also involves the process of communication between power holders and
citizens.
n Power holders need to be answerable - they must give answers
n Power holders need to be responsible – they must do what they
have agreed or promised to do;
n Power holders need to remedy – they must put right anything they
did wrong and restore any human rights which have been ignored.

Access of citizens to information about the delivery of public services

provides the basis for them to voice their views and opinions on these
services. Their views and opinions will be expressed as individuals, as
a community, as well as in dialogue with those in power (service
providers and government oficials) in order to demand and obtain
accountability from them.

4.5 Public Services

Public Services often include a range of services provided (ought to be
provided) by a government to its citizens. CVA focuses on basic public
services and the quality, eficiency and accountability by which these are
delivered to communities. It aims to improve service delivery through a
process where community members are encouraged to assess together
the quality of the public services they receive, and identify possible ways
to improve their delivery. Stakeholders are invited to participate, including
community members who use the services (service users), service

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 17

providers (government staff) and government oficials (both administrative
and political), who have responsibility for, or can inluence, decisions that
affect the quality of service delivery. CVA can either focus on public services
that have a physical structure such as health centers or schools, and also on
social services which don’t, such as agricultural extension work, policing etc.

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5.0 Core Principles of CVA
5.1 Policy Focus (NOT project/program focus):
Government (public) policies and strategies that deine basic service delivery
provide the framework for CVA. Activities are planned and focused on
ensuring there are effective policies in place, and that quality services are
provided to communities.

5.2 Social Accountability Focus (NOT project/program focus)

CVA seeks to strengthen existing systems and structures to address poverty.
Strengthening citizens’ engagement in monitoring implementation of public
policies (including management and use of public resources) and practices of
government will often help to improve service delivery.

5.3 Citizen Focus (NOT beneiciary focus)

The approach regards ordinary individuals, often described as ‘the
community’, as citizens of nation states. Citizens have a primary relationship
to their governments.They have a right to access quality services.This is not
welfare, nor a handout but a right. Active citizenship and engagement with
government, encourages the latter to work effectively and to provide quality
services.

5.4 Facilitation Focus (NOT implementation focus)

CVA describes a process of facilitation in which educated, mobilised and
empowered citizens take action themselves, together with other stakeholders
in the community including service providers and government staff.

5.5 Citizen Led Advocacy Focus (NOT directive focus)

Citizens themselves decide what action they want, and need to take, based
on their own experiences, information and hopes for the future. Advocacy
responses are not directed by external organizations or ‘experts’.

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 19

5.6 Local Information Ownership Focus (NOT extractive
focus)
Citizens generate the information themselves. Together they analyze this
information and use it to provide feedback to service providers so as to
improve the delivery of government services. They maintain ownership of
the information.

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6.1 Key Steps in Citizen Voice
and Action
6.1 Organizational Level
The successful introduction and implementation of CVA as an advocacy
methodology in an organization will depend on several factors among them
the capacity of staff and the organization itself to undertake advocacy and
governance related interventions and ‘buy – in’ and commitment from the
leadership as well as the availability of inancial resources for implementation.
To be compliant and prepare the ground for the introduction and
implementation of CVA, a seven- point step by step process is recommended.
This however can be adapted and amended based on the needs of the
organization.

6.1.1 Step One – Securing “Buy-in” and Commitment from

Leadership Team
To be able to introduce and implement CVA without hitches, sabotage and
minimal support, it is important that the organization’s leadership team
fully understands what CVA entails. This requires an introductory meeting
with the leadership team to present and discuss the rationale, objectives,
principles, elements and focus of CVA. This can be done with the help of
experts (internal or external) who are familiar with and have practical
experience on CVA implementation

6.1.2 Step Two – Alignment of CVA to the Strategic Plan,

Mission and Vision of the Organization
The strategic plan, mission and vision provide direction and guidance on
an organization’s area of interest, priorities, values and expected outcomes;
short, medium and long term. Before a decision is made on the introduction
and implementation of CVA, it is important that the person(s) leading the
process is aware and able to resonate with the organization’s strategic plan
so as to be able to clearly identify areas of convergence between CVA and

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 21

the former. This will ensure that there is a clear focus as to what will be
done, (CVA should not implemented outside the strategic framework of an
organization) and also does contribute to the sustainability of CVA.

6.1.3 Step Three – Fundraising and Resource Mobilization

for CVA Activities
It would certainly be dificult to implement CVA activities without adequate
resources. It is important that the organization has in place a clear fundraising
and resource mobilization strategy. A good start will be an analysis of
the resources (both inancial and human) within the organization against
the required needs. The support of the organization’s leadership and the
presence of strong and committed individuals with experience in fundraising
for advocacy interventions will be a great asset to the organization.

6.1.4 Step Four - Identiication and Capacity Building of

CVA Focal Point Person
The identiication of an experienced and qualiied focal person to lead the
CVA implementation process is a very important exercise. Depending on
how it is done, it can either break or make the CVA process. The person
can be sought from within the organization (internal) or from without
(external). The former can only be useful if the organization has previously
and over time implemented advocacy projects, the assumption being that
it has capacity in house and experienced staff, able to competently lead
the process. Given that the person has institutional memory about the
organizational strategies, values and other important features he/she will
take very minimal time in jump starting the process. The organization might
however fall into the danger of resistance to change particular if the available
staff is not willing to embrace change and the CVA model for that matter.
Sourcing the focal person externally then becomes another option as he/she
will bring new ideas/outlook and will be able to midwife change of attitudes,
perception and the way things are done in the organization. Which ever
approach the organization decides to undertake, it is important that the
organization invests in mentoring and capacity building in CVA methodology.

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6.1.5 Step Five – Baseline Survey and Mapping of
Stakeholders/Organizations Implementing Similar
Interventions
Before embarking on the introduction and even implementation, it is
important that the organization is aware of any other similar initiatives
being implemented by partners/stakeholders. This reduces the risk of
duplicity and re-invention of the wheel. It also promotes cross learning so
that the organization is able to beneit from the experiences of partners/
stakeholders implementing a similar programme. With the mapping exercise
the organization is able to identify challenges, existing gaps and potential
partners/stakeholders to work with in the course of implementation of
CVA. The Mapping report should thereafter be presented and discussed in
a stakeholders meeting bringing together government agencies, CSOs and
community leaders. This will allow for a ‘buy in’ of the initiative by the lead
actors in governance & development in the community. Another important
task would be that of collecting base line data which will guide in the
development of a theory of change.

6.1.6 Step Six – Identiication of Service Delivery Standards

for Key Sectors and Related Policies
As intimated earlier, the major thrust of CVA is to ensure that the government
is accountable to the citizenry in terms of service delivery. But without
knowledge about the quality and standards of services that citizens should
expect from the government and other public entities, it might be very
dificult to measure the same. Most of the government ministries in Kenya
have developed service delivery standards, clearly indicating the services
on offer and the expectation of the consumers as well as the responsibility
of staff in ensuring adherence to these standards. The organization that
intends to implement CVA must identify the sectors (e.g. education, water,
health, sanitation) and deliverables that relate to the interventions that it is
undertaking. This will inform the basis and benchmark for the community
empowerment, development of tools for monitoring and reporting on
service delivery by communities to service providers.

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 23

6.1.7 Step Seven – Training of CVA facilitators
CVA essentially implies the communities taking action by themselves;
however this requires a lead team of trainers to guide the communities
through the process and to conduct various prerequisite trainings for
communities before they get into action. Through the CVA focal point
person in an organization, some staff members (or volunteers) should be
selected for capacity building sessions on CVA. Upon training (in house or
otherwise), this group of persons (CVA facilitators) would then be charged
with the responsibility of facilitating various aspects of CVA at the community
level as guided by the Eleven Key steps outline below.

6.2 Community Level

The following ELEVEN KEY STEPS are recommended for effective utilization
of Citizen Voice and Action as a local level advocacy methodology in Kenya.

6.2.1 Step One – Social Mapping

The CVA facilitators should begin by carrying out a mapping exercise at
community (constituency level) to build a picture of the relevant existing
structures and key actors at the community level. The actors at this level
could be categorized as Government institutions and agencies, Political
groups, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, youth groups, selected speciic key individuals
in the community, the private sector among others. The output at this
stage should be a mapping report. The mapping report should also have a
component of a brief assessment that captures;
n What community members already know;
n What community members already do; how groups and individuals are
already taking action;
n What community members think is important, their needs, hopes and
dreams for the future;
n Community awareness of policies;
n Government staff awareness and understanding of their obligations;
n Community awareness of rights and responsibilities;

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n Community awareness of opportunities for citizen participation;
n Other agencies or organizations doing similar work;
n Complementary processes or systems that are in line with CVA in the
community;
n Groups or organizations that may take the lead in facilitating CVA in
the community;

6.2.2 Step Two – Community Gathering

At this stage, all those organizations and individuals whose details shall have
been documented in the mapping report should be invited to a community
/ stakeholders gathering where those in attendance are taken through an
overview of Citizen Voice and Action as a local level advocacy methodology.
During this meeting participants should also be taken through proposed criteria
to guide the process of selecting / electing community representatives to form
part of the CVA team at the community level.

The gathering will then decide how best they would identify CVA team
members for direct engagement in the subsequent steps. Utmost care
should be taken to ensure that at least every village has two representatives
in the CVA team. An output of this stage should be a good awareness and/
or understanding of CVA as a methodology among the participants in the
community gathering and a list of CVA team members to be trained. Issues
of gender equity and representation, other marginalized group, for instance
persons living with disability, should also be taken into consideration at this
stage.

6.2.3 Step Three – Training of CVA teams (Demand side of

governance)
The CVA facilitators will organize a community level training for the CVA
team members. The training should consist of the following phases;

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 25

Phase one;
The training at this level should be guided by the following content areas;
n An Overview of Kenya’s Constitution, Governance structures and
some selected legal frameworks
n An understanding of public policy processes (including review and
analysis of public policies)
n Service Delivery Standards
n An understanding of the National budget process

Phase two;
The training at this level should be guided by the following content areas;
n An introduction to Advocacy
n Local level advocacy / community level advocacy

The output of phase one and phase two trainings’ should be an Action plan
detailing how the CVA team members would carry out public education (or
sensitization exercise) on public services , be focused on & related public
polices thereof (as shall have been so determined by the trainees by the
end of the training)

Phase three;
The training at this level should be guided by the following content areas;
n An understanding of Social Accountability / social monitoring
n Developing social monitoring tools and pre-testing the tools
n Data analysis and report writing
n Communication skills

The output of phase three training should be an Action plan detailing Social
Accountability /Social monitoring activities to be undertaken by the CVA
team.

26
6.2.4 Step Four – Sensitization of Service Providers
(Supply side of governance)
CVA facilitators have to establish and strengthen relationships, connections,
partnerships and trust with government agencies and institutions in the
community under focus. This should lead into a buy in by service providers
to engage in the CVA process with demonstrated interest expressed and
commitments made by government oficials, including politicians, local
government staff and line ministry in the CVA processes.

Demand for good governance should also be linked to the other side of
the equation; with efforts to improve the supply of good governance, such
as government reforms, internal accountabilities and improved skill levels of
government representatives and staff.

The sensitization exercise should entail a detailed overview of CVA as a local

level advocacy methodology; Discussions around government programmes,
plans and budgets targeted at the community under focus and the roles of
community members in ensuring that public services are effectively delivered.

6.2.5 Step Five – Interface Meeting

This meeting brings together government oficials, CVA team and other
stakeholders charged with the responsibility of service delivery in the
community under focus. During this meeting the CVA facilitator should lead
discussions of relevant public policy documents including speciic strategies
and government standards for delivering service to the people. The CVA
team members on the other hand should share their social accountability
objectives, tools and schedule with the service providers. It is expected that
the service providers will be able to make inputs to the monitoring tools
and schedules. The output of this meeting will be an agreed road map for
monitoring service delivery in the community under focus and provision of
feedback to stakeholders.

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 27

6.2.6 Step Six - Sensitization of Communities on CVA,
Public Policies and Standards of Service Delivery
This CVA team members should organize a series of sensitization activities
(awareness creation activities) in their communities with an objective
of ensuring that a large population in the community develop a good
understanding of what CVA is all about, relevant public policies, various
service delivery standards and the purpose as to why the CVA team have to
lead a process of social monitoring in the community. The CVA team should
consider carrying out the sensitization exercise in with government oficials
(service providers)

6.2.7 Step Seven – Social Monitoring

Based on the agreed road map during the Interface meeting, the CVA team
members will embark on the monitoring exercise, speciic to services as shall
have been prioritized. It is important to ensure that the CVA team members
(service users) monitor those services / facilities in their neighbourhoods
– for instance – there could be at least 2 persons leading the monitoring
exercise in their own villages. The monitoring exercise will be continuous
and could take a period of at least 3 months before a report is produced.
At least 4 quarterly monitoring periods and reports would sufice per year.

6.2.8 Step Eight – Data Analysis and Report writing

With data analysis and report writing skills already acquired by the CVA
team members during the training; the team should be able to analyze
data collected from the monitoring exercise, present the indings and
recommendations in a simple, easy to read and meaningful report. These
reports should be produced in the draft forms for an initial validation
exercise by community members on one hand and service providers on the
other hand.

6.2.9 Step Nine – Validation Meetings

With the draft monitoring reports produced by the CVA teams, the teams
should organize for a validation meeting bringing together service providers
in the sector or facility under focus and selected service users.The outcome
28
of the validation exercise should be a inal monitoring report.The inal reports
could be produced in the form of IEC materials e.g. posters, brochures etc.

6.2.10 Step Ten – Community Dialogue and Accountability

Sessions
The CVA team members in collaboration with service providers should
organize for a community dialogue and accountability session for the
purpose of sharing the monitoring reports with a wider group of
community members. During this meeting talking and listening between
service users and service providers is encouraged with a view to reaching
shared understanding, repairing and strengthening relationships and creating
understanding and collaborative partnerships, particularly with those in
power at this level. Without effective and open dialogue to share views,
improving service delivery could be a big challenge. Dialogue and mutual
understanding are important to improve performance of service providers
in the community. It is hoped that citizens, together with service providers
and other stakeholders, can identify ways to improve service delivery. It is
further expected that meeting will result into strengthened accountability,
trust, cooperation, coordination and working together of all actors in
the community. By the end of the dialogue and accountability meeting,
commitments for action should be made to improve the delivery of the
public services, inclusive of responsibilities and timelines. Given the fact that
the CVA teams would produce quarterly monitoring reports, it is expected
that the dialogue and accountability sessions should be held quarterly (after
every three months).

6.2.11 Step Eleven – Implementation of Commitments for

Action
Commitments for action made during the dialogue and accountability
sessions become the part of the tasks to be performed in the community
in the subsequent days. This includes those activities to be undertaken by
service providers and those to be undertaken by service users. The CVA
team at this level should consider focusing on monitoring the implementation
of such commitments too.
CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 29
Speciic attention should be made to isolate those items that require high
level or national level advocacy and strategies developed to move the isolate
agenda thereof to the National arena.

Since social monitoring reports are expected at the end of every quarter,
commitment to actions should also be expected every quarter while at the
same time a review of progress made in implementing previous commitments
should also be shared with all stakeholders every quarter.

30
7.0 Monitoring and Evaluation of CVA
CVA M&E plan should be developed from the onset when rolling out the
CVA activities and should have clear objectives and indicators that will enable
CVA facilitators and partners to track progress. CVA M & E is critical so as;
n to assess to what extent the methodology is working / successful –
and to adapt it accordingly
n to be able to respond to unpredictable events
n to provide regular opportunities for communication, working together
by all actors and share experience & build relationships
n to document the process in order to be able to learn from experience
to improve future CVA work
n to demonstrate results to communities, CSOs, government agencies
and Non-state aid agencies

M & E for CVA essentially should focus on the following

information:
Internal issues: How well are the CVA facilitators working? How well
are CVA activities being implemented?

External issues: Are there key changes in the external environment

that might affect the results of the CVA work? What are other actors in
governance doing in the community?
Collaborative issues: How well are the CVA practitioners working
with partners, coalitions, networks?
Progress: What progress is being made towards the ultimate goals and
objectives of CVA in the community under focus?

Some proposed questions to guide CVA M & E exercise

n How many community groups; government oficials and/or institutions;
CSOs in the area; are aware of and appreciate CVA?
n What are the speciic CVA activities and process being carried out in
the community?

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 31

n Has there been any signiicant change in the community resulting
from CVA as a methodology? Any evidence for such changes? (Beliefs,
attitudes, social norms). Have these changes resulted into intended
outcomes (improved service delivery, effective resource management)
n How about impact? (Improved livelihoods among children, youth,
women, elderly persons, persons with special needs, other groups etc;
and on what speciic aspects – water, sanitation, health, education, food
security etc?)

Some examples of Indicators for CVA M & E exercise

Activity Indicators
n Number of CVA team members and meetings held
n Number of public facilities / services monitored
n Number and types of reports / documents/ publications produced for
decision-makers and those that inluence them
n Number of meetings/lobbies/presentations held with decision-makers
and inluencers in the community

Progress Indicators
n The Number of community forums (dialogue and accountability
forums) held bringing together communities, CSOs and government
oficials and the number of times key service delivery issues has been
consistently discussed
n The number of political statements been made by opinion leaders
and decision makers in favaour of key service delivery issues in the
community
n Number of commitments to review and improve service delivery made
by government oficials
n The number of favorable articles about the issue appearing in the local
media

32
Outcome Indicators
n Government agencies /institution changes service delivery policies for
the better
n Service delivery policy change has positive impact on the community’s/
peoples livelihoods
n Government strengthens local mechanisms to ensure community
participation in monitoring implementation of service delivery policies
n Government strengthens accountability framework to citizens and
government oficials themselves
n Development partners make statements indicating their support to
local level advocacy initiatives (Citizen Voice and Action)
n CSOs demonstrate more efforts in empowering communities

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 33

8.0 Sustainability of CVA
The sustainability of local level advocacy initiatives is indeed a challenge and
the CVA process is not an exemption. One of the objectives of CVA as
highlighted previously is to build relationship between citizens on one hand
and service providers on the other. The anticipated scenario is that dialogue
and engagement will continue between the two entities even after the
sponsoring organizations exits or the project is completed. It is important
that in the course of implementation, sustainability becomes part of the
strategy.There are several things that can be done well in advance to ensure
sustainability as enumerated below.

8.1 Selection of CVA members

Experience and lessons in other local level advocacy initiatives have shown
that if the selection (and mobilization) of community members is not properly
done, the process is bound to fail or have hitches let alone going beyond the
project implementation period. CVA is not exemption as the selection of
monitors is key to its sustainability. When facilitating communities to select/
elect their representatives, it is important to guide them so as to avoid
situation where people who are not ordinarily residents of the target area
becoming part of the CVA team. The CVA team needs to have people who
are grounded in the community; live and derive their livelihoods within the
area.This will prevent elite capture of the CVA processes and will also ensure
that a critical mass of CVA team is retained within the community. Members
of the CVA team so elected/selected must be taken through trainings and
mentoring processes so that they are able to gather skills on information
gathering, documentation, negotiation, dialogue and communication.

8.2 Organizing Communities around Structures

The sustainability of CVA initiatives does depend on how well communities
are mobilized and organized. There is a tendency by many external
development actors to mobilize and organize communities around new

34
structures, totally oblivious of those in existence. The result is a plethora
of structures that lack ownership by the community members as well as
legitimacy and which are formed just for the sake of project implementation,
but quickly wilt away once the external actor phases out. The best outit
to midwife, localize and even sustain CVA initiatives in the community are
those that have support from the community and have over time received
acceptance and legitimacy from the community. It is even more beneicial to
partner with those community organizations or similar structures that are
already engaged in other interventions apart from CVA as they are able to
continue with the processes, particularly if they are facilitated to integrate
CVA into their interventions. All in all it is better to work with local entities
with legal recognition as opposed to anomic and illegitimate groups with
unclear mandates.

8.3 Capacity Building, Fundraising and Resource

Mobilization
Capacity building, particularly in resource mobilization is another key
determinant of sustainability for CVA interventions. If the sponsoring
organizations phases out and measures are not put in place to build the
capacity of communities and provide linkages to fundraise, locally and
externally, there is a likelihood that the CVA initiatives will equally fade out.
A phasing out plan or strategy must be put in place at the onset of CVA
implementation which must be shared by the communities so that they
appreciate that in the interim they will be supported but in the long term
they need to put in place strategies to raise funds.

8.4 Building and Maintaining Relationships

CVA is all about creating linkages as well as dialogue and accountability
between the supply and demand side of governance with particular emphasis
on service delivery. The relationship created between the two entities will
be key in determining how they engage and provide/accept feedback on
service delivery. CVA is a continuous process where reports are produced

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 35

and shared periodically.The communities must have skills on how to tactfully
engage and dialogue with service providers. They need to engage them at
every process of CVA, providing all relevant documentation and feedback.
Communities should be encouraged not to use the information gathered
from the CVA process to undermine service providers.

36
9.0 Stories from the Field
9.1 Winam Integrated Programme Area
Winam IPA is located in Kisumu Town East Constituency, Kisumu County.
CVA was introduced in Winam IPA in the year 2008.

The CVA team in Winam initially referred to itself as Kisumu Citizen Voice
and Action (KITOCIVA) but faced a lot of challenges with the government
agencies on the ground while pursuing their registration. This forced the
team to reconsider and adopt another name – Jiamulie (A Kiswahili word
– meaning ‘’the people making decisions for themselves by themselves”) to
enable them be registered as a legal entity.This group is now a fully registered
CBO focusing on local level governance. Jiamulie aims at reducing citizens’
apathy towards public oficials as well as working to improve citizens’ trust
to service providers and improve avenues through which their voices can be

CVA team in Winam consulting with the MP Kisumu Town East Constituency,
Hon. Shakeel A. Shabbir

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 37

heard on a continuous and sustained basis. Jiamulie pursues an appreciative
inquiry approach in its working with communities and public agencies
and has over the last two years focused on community sensitization on
decentralized funds and social audit of Constituency Development Fund
(CDF) supported projects in Health and Education sectors.

During the community mobilization exercises conducted by Jiamulie in

Winam IPA in the initial stages after the CVA approach was rolled out, it was
evident that community members were aware of the existence of CDF but
were not aware of the legal framework under which it is administered. This
includes various guidelines to be followed at the constituency level. A large
section of community members in Winam thought that the allocation of CDF
to the constituents was at the Member of Parliament’s (MP’s) discretion and
were further aware of the existence of various projects in different parts of
the constituency but they hardly knew the amount of resources allocated to
such projects from the CDF kitty. In fact, compared to other decentralized
funds, CDF was widely known and appreciated by the community. The fact
that the community were not aware of CDF guidelines contributed to their
minimal participation in the management and monitoring of CDF supported
projects.

In their effort to ensure that communities effectively participate in governance

and monitor service delivery; Jiamulie carried out an intensive exercise of
community sensitization in Winam IPA on decentralized funds and the need
for communities to monitor service delivery. This was followed by interface
meetings between the CVA teams and CDF committees where action plans
for a social audit exercise of CDF projects in Winam was agreed on. The
CDF ofice in Kisumu Town East Constituency was very supportive to the
team and indeed the ofice provided adequate information regarding CDF
allocation to the constituency and which projects have been supported.
Jiamulie’s task was therefore to visit the projects and hold interviews and
Focus Group discussions with various Project Management Committees
and project beneiciaries.

38
The key indings of the social audit of various selected projects included
the fact that whilst the Project Management Committees were aware of
the need and importance of involving the project beneiciaries (community
members) at appropriate stages of projects’ implementation, they hardly
created avenues or opportunities for the same. Secondly, tendering for
project items occurred to be a ‘closed process’ – not open to the public
(the procurement process as per the Public Procurement and Dsposal Act
was never being adhered to. In addition detailed project budget information
was never being shared with the beneiciaries– this led to various cases of
misappropriation of project funds. The composition of project committees
was never gender balanced (in many projects, the management committee
members were all men). Whereas education and health sectors received
much of the funding from CDF, the Early Childhood Development and
Education (ECDE) centers were ignored and many of the children below 6
years old were learning in poor conditions. Worse still is that the voice of
children were lacking in the cycle of managing CDF supported projects.

By the second year of their engagement in monitoring service delivery, Jiamulie

had put more focus on providing regular feedback to the communities and
constituency leadership on the indings of their monitoring work; for the
purpose of dialogue and generating consensus on strategies for improving
service delivery in Winam. This is done through community forums
organized locally bringing together various PMCs, project beneiciaries and
the local leadership. The relationship between Jiamulie and local chiefs and
assistant chiefs is equally encouraging and in the recent past, the team has
been instrumental in rallying their communities to support progressive
development and accountability initiatives being led by local chiefs and
councillors.

Having positioned themselves strategically to monitor public service delivery

within Winam Integrated Programmme Area, Jiamulie is now reaching out to
the wider community in Kisumu Town East Constituency and encouraging
the residents to be part of the governance process, speciically with a lot of

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 39

interest in management and use of public resources. Additionally, in terms of
monitoring, the CVA team has broadened their work to include monitoring
of services both being delivered by government agencies / institutions and
also those being provided by Non-governmental organizations like World
Vision Kenya.

Jiamulie also has a focus on the National Budget process. A case in point
includes participation in the Municipal Council of Kisumu Town Annual
Budget day. For instance, in 2010, Jiamulie, upon listening and analysing the
Municipal Council of Kisumu Town’s budget, they observed an improvement
in the allocations of the Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF) to community
projects but noticed an inadequate allocation to community health facilities.
The team further observed that the Council did not provide resources
to support the ECDE teachers as was expected by communities, since
the national government does not support their salaries – the council
therefore left this at the hands of local poor communities. Jiamulie raised
these concerns with local leadership and government agencies, with various
commitments s being made by the local leadership and government agencies
for improvement. These commitments act as points of follow up and
monitoring by the CVA team.

On Tuesday 6th July 2010, Jiamulie held a community open dialogue

forum under a tree in Kolwa East Location. This Meeting was attended
by the local Assistant Chief, village elders, Men, Women and Youth in the
community. The purpose of the meeting was to give feedback to the
community on the team’s social audit exercise targeting development
projects supported by CDF. Interestingly, the local councillor did not
attend this meeting. Upon presentation of the CVA team’s report,
the community held a question and answer session, discussions and
brainstorming on various actions to be taken in order to improve
the management of public resources and effective implementation of
development projects in the area. One major resolution was to seek
audience with the local leadership. Two days later – on Thursday 8th

40
 July 2010, The local area councillor convened a meeting under the same
tree where the CVA team had done the same two days earlier. The
Councillor’s intention was to make elaborate clariications on various
matters raised by the community during the CVA team’s driven meeting.
One major concern by the community was “The lack of involvement
in identiication and design of projects”. Jiamulie reports a success in
the sense that the Councillor had to move with speed to “correct
the wrongs” and openly declared a new journey of ensuring that the
community members – from various villages in Winam - are involved
in all stages of project management especially through the use of public
funds (something that had never been heard before Jiamulie’s
initiative).

9.2 Angurai Integrated Programme Area

Angurai IPA is located in Amagoro Constituency in Busia County. CVA
was introduced in Angurai in May 2010 with an identiication process of
community members for training on public policy, social accountability and
advocacy. These trainings were followed with an interface meeting with
local councilors, assistant chiefs, chiefs and Constituency Development
Fund Committee (CDFC) representatives. The Community representatives
upon having the interface meeting organized a series of community level
sensitization activities in schools, churches and local barazas with a focus
on informing the masses on various decentralized funds and the role of
communities in monitoring service delivery.

Angurai IPA has been receiving feedback from the CVA members on
the progress of their efforts on the ground. Among these includes “the
realization that some Location Development Committee (LDC) members did not
know what projects were being supported by CDF; A clear indication that the LDC
members were not aware of their roles (or were simply not playing their roles)
as persons in-charge of spearheading their location’s development efforts”. Other

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 41

Angurai CVA team members with Kakapel Primary School SMC executive monitoring
KESSP funded project worth Kshs 300,000.00.

revelations were “the existence of ‘ghost’ projects in the community (projects that
exist on records at the CDF ofice; as having been funded by CDF but cannot be
traced on the ground)”. For instance there is a school where “records indicate that
18 latrines were constructed while there are only 5 on the ground”. In another
incident, the CVA team secretary reports that “they decided to ind out why a
bore-hole project had stalled in their area; their inding was that suficient funds
had been allocated by CDF and had been misused by the Project Management
Committee (PMC) – they demanded from the PMC that this project be completed
and indeed the project was completed – they wonder where the extra money
came from? – meaning, had they not put pressure on the PMC the bore-hole would
be incomplete to date”. In another case “records at the CDF ofice indicate that
some money was allocated for electricity for a market centre while the community
members, including the location CDF representatives were not aware of the status
of the project”.

The CVA team in Angurai has developed an innovative approach to

conducting social audit where the monitoring exercise is complemented
with sensitization activities at the same time. This implies that whenever
they are interviewing community members or PMCs and they realize some

42
low awareness levels (or lack of awareness all together) on speciic public
policy information, they immediately share with their respondent’s the
relevant information and documents to enhance the communities informed
participation in monitoring service delivery.

The CVA team also reports an increased level of access to basic public
policy information among the community members – resulting from their
sensitization exercise. For instance, despite the introduction of Free Primary
Education in Kenya eight years ago, it is just recently that one parent whose
child is enjoying free education got to know how much the government pays
for her child; she had this to say; “I never knew before yesterday how much the
government is paying for my child in school, Now I am glad I know”. The CVA
team also came across “someone selling Constituency Bursary forms at Kshs.
200 each; – forms that should otherwise be issued to the community for free and
the community members were indeed buying due to lack of information about
Constituency bursary forms and the process of selecting beneiciaries”; through
the efforts of CVA teams, the community is now fully aware and no one is
paying anything for the forms.

The CVA team in Angurai moved from a loose network of to a more

organized group thereby pursuing a registration as a CBO. Today the team
is known as Ang’icun (a local term in Teso language who’s
meaning in English is a Research & Monitoring team)

To be able to ensure that a critical mass of the community members in Teso

have the necessary skills and knowledge to monitor service delivery and
demand accountability from the government,Ang’icun CBO has embarked on
a strategy of training their own community members on local level advocacy
skills and approaches. They have been targeting other local CBOs, youth
groups, self help groups among others. Their strategy is aimed at ensuring
that in at least every village, there would exists a sizable number of men and
women (the youth included) who can act as community oversight teams
in as far as management and use of public resources for service delivery is
concerned.
CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 43
Recognizing that the implementation of Kenya’s new constitution has
just began, Ang’icun CBO has been deliberate to ensure that they get
to understand the provisions of the constitution by themselves and get
conversant with the provisions and opportunities that require their
direct involvement. However, the team still faces enormous challenges
around understanding and interpreting the constitution and has taken
it upon themselves to reach out to some constitutional experts in the
region to help.

The Teso North District Development Ofice also recognizes and

appreciates the work being undertaken by Ang’icun CBO in monitoring
service delivery using the CVA methodology. Ang’icun has developed good
working relationship with the government oficers in Teso to an extent that
some of their capacity building sessions are facilitated by oficers from the
District Development Ofice. A milestone in this regard is the fact the team
now has a slot in the District Development Committee (DDC) where the
Chairperson of Ang’icun represents the CBO and the community voices in
the DDC meetings. The DDC therefore provides a direct opportunity for
Ang’icun to present their indings and challenges to a government led meeting,
bringing together all departmental heads in the districts, representatives of
other Civil Society Organizations and the political leadership.

Ang’icun has also established a working relationship with the National Tax
Payer’s Association (NTA) members in Amagoro constituency. Given that
NTA has been keen in carrying out social audit of various decentralized
funds in Kenya over the years, this becomes a critical partner for Ang’icun
CBO. Ang’icun is nurturing this relationship with the hope that they would
attract other likeminded Civil society organizations in the area and form a
strong network or coalition of organizations for strong local level advocacy
work in Amagoro constituency.

44
9.3 Bamba Integrated Programme Area
Bamba IPA is located in Ganze constituency - one of the poorest constituencies
in Kilii County. Majority of the residents live below the poverty line and
service delivery has been a challenge in the area.This is manifested by the poor
road network, incessant water unavailability, inadequate health facilities and
personnel as well as falling education standards. The participation of citizens
in governance and decision making processes has also been limited at best
and non-existent in some areas at worst. There is inadequate information
available to the citizens, as to how government works, budgetary allocations
to the constituency and their utilization as well as their entitlements as
regards service delivery, all which have combined effectively to disenfranchise
them from mainstream development and policy initiatives. This is in addition
to the lack of a recognizable structure able to facilitate the effective and
informed participation of citizens in decision making processes

World Vision has been implementing projects in Bamba in one of the

Divisions in Ganze constituency since 2006. The Citizen’s Voice and Action

CHADI members discussing with community members on the opinion about the
implementation of CDF projects in their locality.

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 45

approach was introduced into the IPA with a view to empowering community
members to be able to engage with service providers on issues of service
delivery as well as ensure that advocacy is mainstreamed into IPAs programs.

The introduction of the CVA approach in Ganze constituency has not been
an easy task. Previous social accountability initiatives have often been the
preserve of CSOs external to Ganze who often collect data on the use of
Constituency Development Funds (CDF) which is analyzed and released at
press conferences. Local leaders often learn of the indings of such initiatives
though the media and they have disowned them. Because of this experience,
the local leadership was apprehensive of the CVA process as it was seen in
the light of previous social accountability processes and CVA did not see the
light of day in the initial phase of implementation.

Based on the reception elicited both from within and without, the advocacy
team met the Ganze Member of Parliament , Honorable Francis Baya with
a view to unpack what CVA entails and the beneits it would bring to the
constituency. The projects being implemented by the IPA formed the basis
for our engagement with the MP. Based on the work that World Vision has
done in Bamba (igures and facts speak for themselves) the MP was able to
give us an audience and we were able to secure his support for the CVA
work.The process of engaging the area MP was initiated by the IPA manager.
He made use of the networks and also the development work that the IPA
has undertaken opened a window of opportunity for discussion with the MP.

The next process after successful discussion with the MP was the facilitation
of the formation of a structure through which the CVA work could be
implemented. The IPA facilitated community members to identify and select
their representatives who would be trained as community monitors. The
irst training for community members in Bamba was very successful and the
2nd was oficially opened by Ganze constituency MP, Hon. Francis Baya on
the week of 12th – 16th July 2010. The community members were trained
on policy making and budgeting, procurement, project planning, social

46
accountability, advocacy and communication and decentralized funds.

The interface meeting was also attended by all the councilors in Ganze
constituency. The participation of the local leaders was important in that
it enabled a direct engagement between the community members and the
service providers. At the training, the MP pointed out that most projects
undertaken by development actors are done outside the district planning
process and as result duplication of projects has often occurred.

During the interface meeting the local leaders were able to appreciate
the fact that some of funds have been channeled to the local levels, have
been mismanaged. They pointed that this is due to limited participation by
communities in the monitoring the allocation and use of these funds. They
pointed out the importance of informed participation by the citizenry and
opened up the space for community monitors to evaluate CDF projects in
relation to service delivery. The community members were able to engage
the local leaders on the falling standards of service delivery and how they
should be improved.

The community monitors took advantage of the goodwill of the local leaders
and monitored more 30 CDF projects. They were able to analyze the data
and produced an interim report on the state of project implementation and
their impacts, which was shared with the MP and councilors, who provided
very useful feedback.

The positive reception from the community members and local leadership
has made the work of the community monitors very easy. In January 2011,
they noted that it was very dificult to operate as an amorphous entity
and decided to seek legal recognition. They are in the process of being
registered as a community based organization with the Department of
Social Services they will be referred to as Citizen’s Help Advocacy
and Development Initiative (CHADI). The mandate of CHADI will
include creating awareness to community members and other stakeholders

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 47

in Ganze Constituency on government policies, service charters and citizen
entitlements, rights and responsibilities as regard service delivery.

CHADI’s current area of focus is the health sector and the members of the
group were recently trained on key policy documents in the health sector.
These include child survival and development strategy, health service delivery
standards and health annual operation planning. The CHADI team was also
able to have an interface meeting with service providers who included
heads of all the health facilities in Ganze constituency.The two groups noted
several issues which hinder the effective delivery of health services which
include dysfunctional health management committees, non display of service
charter by service providers, poor health seeking behaviour and inadequate
information on rights and responsibilities and entitlements of citizens as
well as obligations of service providers.What was noticeable at the interface
meeting was the ‘imbalance’ between the community members and the
health personnel regarding the health policy and working documents. The
health staff looked surprised that the communities could have so much
information on government policies while they ‘lacked access’ to such vital
information (for instance some have no idea of what the health service
charter entails).

The CHADI team has planned to create awareness to fellow community

members on the health delivery service standards in preparation for dialogue
with service providers at selected health facilities. At the dialogue meeting
both the service providers and communities assess service delivery and
agree on a reform plan and the community will then monitor implementation
of the plan.They will be expected to report back to the service providers on
their indings and discuss the same.

48
9.4 Yatta Integrated Programme Area
The effective participation of citizens in development and policy initiatives
in Yatta Constituency in Machakos County has been a challenge; limited
and at times uninformed and this is attributable to inadequate access to
information about policies and service standards, lack of a platform for
mobilization and participation of citizens in decision making processes as
well as the conlictual nature of the relationship between citizens on one
hand and non-responsive leaders and service providers on the other.

In 2008, an advocacy initiative, Citizen Voice and Action approach was

introduced in Yatta Constituency through Yatta IPA, with an objective to
strengthen the relationship and dialogue between citizens
and service providers, by educating and empowering communities to
talk and provide feedback to government oficials and non-governmental
entities on their performance on delivery of basic services. This is done
through the capacity building of citizens to enable them understand how

Yatta CVA team members interviewing members of a water project management

committee funded by CDF.

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 49

government, relevant policy documents, works as well as service standards
that guide the delivery of services. Service providers are also informed of
their obligations and the need to accept positive criticism from service
consumers.

The process in Yatta began with the selection of community representatives.

They were selected from Ndalani and Matuu locations (World Vision Yatta
IPA coverage areas) and the community representatives were identiied from
partner CBOs within the locations through a transparent process, guided by
the local leadership and World Vision.The representatives together with the
IPA staff were then taken through an intensive two weeks training and focus
was on public policy, planning and budgeting in government, decentralization
and decentralized funds, procurement, project management, advocacy and
communication and social accountability.

This was followed by an interface meeting/training for the community

representatives (CVA team) and service providers. In the meeting, the
need for continuous dialogue and engagement was pointed out as key
to improvement in service delivery. The local leaders and the community
monitors were able to identify some of factors contributing to poor
service delivery and agreed on the need to jointly address the same. The
community monitors were given the go ahead to monitor service delivery
in the constituency and report back to service providers, speciically the
Constituency Devolved Fund (CDF) committee.

Taking advantage of the window of opportunity opened up by the local

leadership, the community members were able to monitor 36 CDF projects
with focus on water (dams, water tanks), education (classrooms for primary
and polytechnics and health facilities. The emphasis was on their relevance,
level of community participation and effectiveness.The product of their work
was an interim report, which was shared with local leaders on 24th August
2010. At the sharing meeting the CDF team accepted that the report was a
true relection of the situation of the ground but absolved itself by stating

50
that the project management committees (PMCs) are the ones responsible
for the mismanagement and non completion of projects. To date the CDF
committee has completed some of the projects which were identiied by the
CVA team as incomplete.

CITIZEN VOICE AND ACTION 51

References for Further Reading
1. Actionaid Kenya & Community Development Services Centre –
Kilii, (2008) Building Partnerships In Local Governance; A Manual for
Facilitators of Citizen Report Card and Community Score card processes

2. Institute of Development Studies, (2010) Review of Impact and

Effectiveness of Transparency and Accountability Initiatives – A review of
Evidence to date

3. O’Neill,T., Foresti, M. and Hudson, A. (2007) Evaluation of Citizens’ Voice

and Accountability: Review of the Literature and Donor Approaches.
London: DFID.

4. World Vision UK. (2009) Citizen Voice and Action; Guidance Notes

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For further information, contact;
World Vision Kenya
Karen Road, Off Ngong Road,
P.O. Box 50816 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 388 3652 - 66, Fax: +254 20 388 3669/70/71
Email: wvkenya@wvi.org
Website: www.wvafrica.org

Shem Ochola: shem_ochola@wvi.org

Elijah Don Bonyo: elijah_bonyo@wvi.org
Brezhnev Otieno: brezhnev_otieno@wvi.org