Strategic Engagement Workshop Comes To An End

The three day Strategic Engagement Workshop has come to an end today 19/12/25 after intense discussions between the State Department for Economic Planning (SDEP)Top Management, Semi Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) and Heads of Central Planning Projects Management Directorates (CPPMDs).

The workshop deliberated on issues such as how to: build shared understanding of the State Department’s renewed Strategic direction; align the restructured institutional architecture; enhance cross-directorate synergies and strengthen coordination with SAGAs and CPPMDs; identify reforms required to operationarize the new organisational structure.

Emphasis was also given on how to position the State Department as a high-impact, knowledge driven economic planning institution serving both National and County Governments.

The workshop sought to answer the questions raised by the Principal Secretary during the official opening and issues raised including: weak linkage between the State Department and CPPMDs, limited capacity, overlapping mandate between Public Investment Management in SDEP and State Department Public Investment Assets Management among others.

Subsequently, the team came up with a number of action points that include: having a team to work on collaboration between SDEP and SAGAs, strengthening of CPPMDs, anchoring Economic Planning in Law, strengthening the link between Planning and Budgeting, strengthening the Monitoring and Evaluation function, capacity building of Economists, Communicating policy information and results, Harmonization of mandates across entities and professionalisation of the Economist Cadre.

While Officially closing the workshop Economic Planning Director General, Masini Ichwara emphasized on the importance of establishing linkages with key government agencies such as the Government Delivery Unit, and always confirming accuracy of reports before releasing them.

Present during the closing ceremony were Ag. Kenya National Bureau Statistics Director General Dr. MacDonald Obudho, Kenya Institute of Public Policy and Research Analysis Executive Director Dr. Elda Onsomu, Ag. Economic Planning Secretaries Timothy Gakuu, James Maina and Evelyn Anupi.