[{"bbox": [97, 154, 1135, 238], "category": "Text", "text": "areas like water resource management, waste collection and recycling – thereby promoting the implementation of the Green Deal Team Europe Initiative. County governments and their associated services are drivers of use of ITC work modalities, of relevance to the Team Europe Initiative on a Human-Centred Digitalisation."}, {"bbox": [97, 251, 1135, 535], "category": "Text", "text": "The SKeD Action aims at reinforcing devolution as a key process to consolidating democracy, good governance and service delivery at the local level, while addressing regional disparities in access to resources and services. It will specifically strengthen the core governance systems at county level for delivery of devolved services and will provide support for own source revenue (OSR) mobilisation, including the automation of revenue collection systems. The action is also aimed at supporting efforts to address marginalization including unlocking the Equalisation Fund and supporting engagements with various stakeholders on key capacity gaps at the county level with the view to making devolution respond to citizens’ needs for improved service delivery and citizens engagement in a gender sensitive and inclusive manner. By improving local governance at the county level and revenue collection, this action will be complementary to the EU-Kenya Green and Digital partnership under the Global Gateway."}, {"bbox": [97, 550, 1135, 657], "category": "Text", "text": "To augment the interventions, the Action will be implemented through working with the relevant intergovernmental institutions pivotal to linking the two levels of government to better deliver the devolution promise. The Action will also strengthen capacities of legislative arms of County Governments to improve their oversight roles over the executive for improved accountability and service delivery."}, {"bbox": [97, 668, 1135, 803], "category": "Text", "text": "Regional Development is one of the EU's core competencies. Through its regional and cohesion policy, the EU has been supporting regions and cities in the European Union to create jobs, improve business competitiveness, promote economic growth, undertake sustainable development and improve citizens' quality of life. Drawing from experiences at the European level on reducing gaps between regions, the EU is in a strategic position to provide support for regional development in Kenya where serious development disparities among Counties exist."}, {"bbox": [97, 814, 1135, 1159], "category": "Text", "text": "Devolution being a political as well as governance process, which has an effect on the social and economic sectors of the country, has attracted a fair share of Development Partners (DP). Most support by DPs has targeted delivery of devolved functions and services as well as actions aimed at promoting an accountable relationship between duty bearers and rights holders. Currently, the UK government through the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) is funding the Kenya Devolution Programme (KDP) which targets to strengthen the effectiveness of Kenya's devolution by supporting county governments to better plan, deliver and monitor the delivery of public services in key sectors including agriculture, climate change, education, health, water and urban services. The World Bank is also supporting devolution through the Kenya Accountable Devolution Programme (KADP) a multi-donor trust fund which aims at addressing performance barriers in National and County institutions that hinder the delivery of devolved services. The United Nations (UN) through The Integrated Support Program to the Devolution Process in Kenya, a multi donor funded programme implemented by UNDP, UN Women and UNICEF has been supporting a number of counties and national government institutions to coordinate better for gender sensitive, inclusive and sustainable delivery of devolved service."}, {"bbox": [97, 1170, 1135, 1251], "category": "Text", "text": "The first 10 years of devolution in Kenya focused on setting up the necessary systems and structures to implement devolution and the next phase should ideally focus on anchoring devolution and emphasis should be on service delivery and accountability in the delivery of devolved services."}, {"bbox": [97, 1262, 1135, 1369], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will contribute to the realisation of the EU Gender Action Plan 2021-2025 GAP III², in particular to its thematic area of engagement “Promoting economic and social rights and empowering girls and women” and “Addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities offered by the green transition and the digital transformation Digitalisation, Climate change and environment”."}, {"bbox": [85, 1411, 323, 1443], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [85, 1476, 235, 1503], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [97, 1521, 1135, 1602], "category": "Text", "text": "Kenyans approved a Constitution in August 2010 that changed the country's governance system from a centralised state to a devolved one. The Constitution established the system of devolved governance at two levels: the National Government and the 47 County Governments that are distinct, interdependent, and are expected to work in"}, {"bbox": [85, 1635, 653, 1661], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_2184"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1682, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 24"}]