Commission on Administrative Justice strategic plan 2019 - 2023

Abstract

Overview: Successive National Development Plans, i.e., National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (2001); the Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS, 2003-2007); the Kenya Vision 2030 and its Medium-Term Plans; and now the Big-Four (4) National Development Agenda; all emphasize the importance of administrative justice in facilitating effective service delivery and good governance in the public sector. Key international policy and strategic blue-prints such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) covering the period 2000-2015 and its successor, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) covering the period 2016-2030; the Africa Union (AU)’s Agenda 2063; and the East Africa Community (EAC)’s Vision 2050; equally recognise that administrative justice is imperative for both economic growth and development that then defines international development cooperation. The Commission previously had a Strategic Plan covering the period 2013 – 2016, whose term came to a close. Based on fundamental changes and emerging issues in the operating environment, plus shifts in macro-level planning cycle; it was necessary to review the implementation status of the preceding CAJ Strategic Plan and utilise the same to inform the development of a new Strategic Plan covering the period 2019-2023. This Strategic Plan has been prepared through a participatory process involving the CAJ Commissioners; Management; and Staff, while recognising and putting in place initiatives that will effectively respond to the needs and expectations of its diverse stakeholder segments. Lessons Learnt: Several key lessons have been learnt which informed development and implementation of strategies and activities during the period of this Strategic Plan. These key lessons are: (i) Staffing level- Need to attract and retain competent technical staff to facilitate effective delivery of the Commission’s mandate; (ii) Resource Mobilization- Need to develop and implement a comprehensive resource mobilization strategy; (iii) Target Setting- Need to set clear performance targets to facilitate effective performance management and monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the implementation status of the Strategic Plan; (iv) Accountability Centers - Responsibility needs to be assigned to specific functions to enhance accountability for performance and eliminate duplicity of effort; and (v) Stakeholder Engagement and Visibility- Need for enhanced stakeholder engagement and visibility of the Commission to enhance the corporate image. Emerging Issues: The key emerging issues in the operational environment that the Commission needs to respond to moving forward include: (i) Enactment of the Access to Information Act, 2016; (ii) Emergence of multi-agency team to fight corruption; (iii) Establishment of the County Regional Economic Blocs; (iv) The impetus to enforce rule of law by the DPP and the DCI offices; (v) Need for benchmarking with global-best practices in administrative justice; and (vi) Use of alternative dispute resolution methods and systems in resolution of complaints. Key Success Factors: The imperatives which the Commission must do right moving into the future in order to fulfil its mandate and justify its existence include: (i) Capacity building; (ii) Alignment of organizational culture to strategic direction; (iii) Automation of processes and process re-engineering; (iv) Visibility and branding; (v) Advocacy; (vi) Effective performance management; (vii) Effective resource mobilization and prudent utilization; (viii) Amendment of the legal framework; (ix) Effective change management; and (x) Effective decentralization of services.