FORD FOUNDATION TRAIN NANDI YOUTH ON PUBLIC EXPENDITURE TRACKING SURVEYS
Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys (PETS) have a proven track record of identifying leakages in the flow of public resources and catalyzing improvements in financial management and utilization.
In a bid to develop PETS capacity among the youths in Nandi and to scale up their research efforts, the county government of Nandi through the department of Sports, Youth affairs and Arts in partnership with Ford Foundation is undertaking a two days PETS training.
The training is meant to amplify the voice of the youths and user-citizens by giving them an empirical tool to demand, on behalf of end-users, improvements in governance, management, and delivery of services, at least from the standpoint of resource provision and the reduction of financial waste.
One way of improving service delivery, by keeping both governments and service providers accountable, is through the monitoring of budgets and efficiencies in public spending.
PETS, when used, offer an opportunity to carefully monitor specific programs or public spending in targeted regions. This brand of accountability strengthens the voice of citizens and focuses the discussion on problems that may be micro-level in nature, or specific to a particular region of a county.
Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys are tools in a methodology used to track the flow of public resources (including human, financial, or in kind) from the highest levels of government to frontline service providers. PETS first identify a research objective, and then employ an extensive mapping exercise in order to understand the flow of funds through the different levels of government. Once the resource flows are mapped, budget data are collected and analyzed, and often complemented with a facilities survey and qualitative research.
PETS – derived lessons can help the youth build credibility through knowledge-based constructive engagement with governments and seek feasible changes on the local level.
The training is being undertaken by Ford Foundation in the three youth-led and women-led counties in Kenya: – Nandi, Kirinyaga, Kitui, Bomet. Nandi elected the youngest governor in the country.
Present during the training exercise was the Programme Coordinator Steve Kiprop.