An extensive program for capacity development in five African countries has now kicked off. Environment for Development (EfD) and Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development (GMV) at the University of Gothenburg, collaborate in this unique program.
Civil servants from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda will participate in this program which will provide them with insights and tools to work for a transition towards an Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) in their respective countries. In the first phase of the program, five participants per country, 25 people in all, will participate. The first training session will take place online in June 2021.
The EfD Centers in each country have set up teams including the center director, a full-time policy engagement specialist, and a senior researcher. This team will work closely with the participants in the program. In Rwanda, where EfD doesn’t have a center, the program will work directly with the Finance Department.
Perfect timing for Kenya
The team in Kenya consists of Jackson Otieno, senior research fellow, Richard Mulwa, center director, and Helen Hoka, policy engagement specialist.
“The Secretary of Treasury has now selected five senior civil servants that will participate in the program,” says Jackson Otieno.
“The fact that the participants are very high-level officials ensures that they will really be able to implement what they learn. In addition, the Kenyan government works with 5-year planning cycles and the next cycle starts next year. So, this is a perfect time to refocus the next national strategy”, he says.
Positive response
Jackson Otieno was a civil servant prior to his researcher career and is very excited about this program.
“It’s great to meet old colleagues and also to learn that everyone is so positive about this program. People feel honored to be a part of it. And it’s also fantastic that so many researchers are contributing, not only in the participating countries but from many parts of our network.
National review will serve as a baseline
The EfD centers in the program will compile a national policy review which the participants will comment on and improve. These reviews will serve as a starting point for discussions and training.
The term Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) underlines the fact that actions towards a green economy must involve and benefit poor and vulnerable groups. Training sessions will include discussions on how to make policies inclusive and possible to implement.
Making policies inclusive
“We are designing a survey to find out what people in the participating countries think about different policy proposals,” explains Daniel Slunge, at EfD in Gothenburg who is leading this part of the IGE program.
“That will give us information on how policies should be designed to be accepted and possible to implement. We will also make interviews with stakeholders in civil society and business organizations. We hope to be able to present the results of the surveys and interviews by the end of August.”
By: Petra Hansson
Current activities in the program
* Recruitment of participants
* A national review to find the baseline for the work
* A survey in the five countries regarding acceptance for policies