HERAF

The project is supported by European Commission and is implemented by Health Rights Advocacy Forum (HERAF), a partner of Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).The project sites are Nyeri North District in Central, Mbeere District in  Eastern province and Kwale District in Coast Province.

In the last year, the EC project was very instrumental in creating awareness and educating the communities in Mbeere, Nyeri North and Kwale Districts on the link between the health sector budget making process and the national budget making process under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).This was achieved through organising and facilitating three training workshops for representatives of Health Facility Committees, District Health Management Teams and Civil society organizations working in the three target districts. During the training workshops, the participant's knowledge on the budget process and the link between the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the annual operation plans (AOP) was enhanced.

In order to reach out to a wider audience with information on the budget process and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, the action developed and distributed 1,000 fact sheets on MTEF including the budget calendar. These fact sheets were distributed during training workshops and partnerships and collaborative meetings such as the District Health Stakeholders Forum held in the three target districts.Through the fact sheets, HERAF has been able to reach a wider audience with information on the budget process under MTEF, and there has been increased demand for more copies of the fact sheets from the communities in the target areas for distribution to other members of the communities.

"This is very important information that I thought was inaccessible to the citizens at the grassroots level. In fact, I thought that I didn't have a right to know how the government operates while planning for its resources but thanks to HERAF I have accessed this information in a simple and easy to understand language. I wish to share the information with my fellow community members so that they are also enlightened on the same and don't just think that the budget process is a one day affair for when the finance minister tables the budget in parliament." - Participant, Kwale District

b) Health sector budget making process

HERAF organised and held three training workshops targeting representatives of health facility committees, DHMT and MOH staff working at dispensaries, health centres, civil society organisations and the general public. The trainings made the participants aware about the health sector budget making processes, especially the national budget making process - the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Facility/District Annual Operational Plans.

"Most of us here don't even know how to go about with the development of facility annual plans. When asked to develop the plans, all we do is copy and paste the former annual plans. We thank HERAF for the opportunity to learn more about the annual operation plans and we hope to be able to come up with more meaningful plans in future." Facility in charge, Mbeere District

It was also evident that most community members didn't have an idea about the national budget process and thought of the budget as a very complicated thing that only senior government officials at the national level should understand and also that they should only hear about the same during the budget reading by the Minister of Finance.

"I am glad that I now know what happens before and after the Minister of Finance reads the national budget. I thought the budget process was such a complicated thing that I wasn't supposed to understand. I am happy that today I know even how I can participate in the national budget making process right at my level at the health centre." Participant, Nyeri North District

c) Health Facility and District Annual Operation Plans

HERAF supported six meetings towards the development of facility and district annual operation plans in both Nyeri North and Mbeere Districts. During the process, there was the realization that many committee members and facilities staff had little or no knowledge on how to come up with a realistic annual operation plans. In fact, as was evident during the development of the annual operation plans, the facility committee members did not participate in the development of the plans but instead left it to the facility in charges to prepare the facility annual operation plans which they endorsed without really understanding its contents. As a result, there was no representation of the community interests in the plans.

"I used to develop the facility annual operation plan all by myself, I looked at it as my work and since I didn't know how to do it, I copied and pasted the former AOPs just to make sure that I presented something to the DHMT. With this kind of support from HERAF, I now know how to develop a more realistic AOP for my health facility and my committee has also been part of the same." Participant, Mbeere District

d) Transparency and accountability of devolved health funds

Through the EC project HERAF organised and facilitated one training workshop in Kwale Districts to empower Facility Management Committee members, community members and facility staff to comprehend devolved health sector funds - Health Sector Services Fund (HSSF), the fund governance, roles and responsibilities of community members in ensuring there is transparency and accountability in its management and governance.

Most of the participants had participated in prior trainings on the HSSF but the training by HERAF gave them an opportunity to gain more insight into the fund and how they can work to ensure transparency and accountability of the fund. It was evident that majority has a vague understanding on how the fund was going to operate and the trainings came in handy to clarify and increase their understanding of the fund.

"In most of the trainings that are organised, it is either the secretary, treasurer or the chairperson of the committee who attends while my committee has a membership of up to about 9. I would really wish if all the members of the committee were trained especially with regards to the health sector services fund so that we as members of a committee all have knowledge on the how to manage the fund and thus make our work efficient." Participant

Compiled by HERAF Staff.