CHASP Advisory

Our March newsletter is out. This edition explores Kenya’s cash transfer landscape, highlighting key and complementary programmes, our engagements for the month, and curated publications and podcasts while unpacking how cash transfers are supporting dignity, resilience, and livelihoods. Read here: chasp.co.ke/wp-content/upl… #CHASPNewsletter #SocialProtection #CashTransfers #CHASPAdvisory

Building systems is only half the work. Ensuring people can use them with confidence is where real impact begins. Following the successful development and UAT of the Kaduna UPG MIS, we trained ICT teams, programme officers, LGA coordinators & mentors, turning the system into a practical tool for everyday delivery. From adoption → impact. #UPG #MIS #CapacityBuilding

In Turkana, Kuza Jamii participants didn’t just speak about change; they showed it. The @DSD_Kenya, with Kuza Jamii consortium partners led by BOMA.ngo, hosted @Eduarda Gray and David Kinyua from @FCDOGovUK for a donor visit to showcase programme impact. From Lodwar to Kalemnyang’, participants including Ekanyarit VSLA shared how savings groups and small businesses are helping them move beyond extreme poverty. The visit highlighted how VSLAs are strengthening resilience, improving incomes, and advancing inclusion at the community level. We also demonstrated how systems strengthening is working through community resource persons and stronger linkages to government. #KuzaJamii #EconomicInclusion #EndExtremePoverty #CHASPAdvisory

Delegates from @KADSIPA visited Kenya for a learning exchange on scaling the Ultra-Poor Graduation approach with Village Enterprise, @gatesfoundation, and @ChaspKe. They met entrepreneurs and savings groups in West Pokot and Busia. #EconomicInclusion #GraduationApproach

What does inclusive economic empowerment look like on the ground? Last week, Kuza Jamii partners conducted a joint GESI field monitoring in Mandera, Isiolo, Tana River, Garissa, and Marsabit counties. The aim was to explore how inclusive economic opportunities are taking shape at the community level. Insights from this visit will inform stronger implementation, deeper county collaboration, and more responsive economic inclusion efforts.

Behind every effective social protection programme is a simple goal: reaching the right people, at the right time, with the right support. Yet fragmented data systems, siloed programmes, and weak coordination often make this difficult. Integrated Management Information Systems (MIS) help solve this by bringing data into one platform, improving coordination and enabling decisions based on real-time information. In this edition of our newsletter, we share research, publications, and our work on MIS showing how strong data systems can turn policy into measurable impact. Read it here: bit.ly/4bBPOZx

We recently took time to reflect on our business model during a Transformation Studio designed to help us serve our clients better and create more value through our work. The session was guided by @StanfordGSB as part of the Seed Transform Program, helping us rethink our work through the lens of our clients and the impact we seek to achieve. Together, we walked through our business model and value proposition canvas, asking ourselves important questions: What do our clients truly need? How can our work solve real problems? How do we become more customer-centered in everything we do? These reflections helped us see our work through our clients' eyes and reminded us that impact begins with understanding. The session reminded us that learning is not a one-time event but a commitment. And we are committed to learning so we can continue improving and creating deeper, more lasting impact through the work we do. #BusinessModelInnovation #SeedTransformProgram #StanfordSeed #CHASPAdvisory

Kuza Jamii II Programme consortium partners, together with National and County Departments of Social Development and members of the County EIP Committees, undertook joint three-day monitoring visits in Turkana, Wajir, and Samburu counties to assess implementation progress and reinforce Government of Kenya leadership in the EIP. These engagements showed layered interventions in livelihood diversification, financial inclusion through VSLA loans, market linkages, and GESI integration, demonstrating how combined approaches are strengthening household resilience. Asset verification exercises across the sub-counties reinforced accountability and alignment with KSEIP II systems. The visits concluded with County EIP Committee debriefs at the county headquarters in Maralal, Lodwar, and Wajir town. The teams reviewed action points, analyzed monitoring findings, and identified corrective measures. The visits reaffirmed Kuza Jamii’s role as a bridge toward institutionalized, government-led economic inclusion. #KuzaJamii #EconomicInclusion #SocialProtection #CHASPAdvisory

The Kuza Jamii II Programme convened stakeholders last week for a workshop to review and strengthen M&E tools in the Community Development Management Information System (CDMIS), as the government prepares to transition to KSEIP II. We supported the sessions to align the CDMIS reporting with Economic Inclusion Programmes (EIP) indicators and refined key tools, including the EIP eligibility tool, the EIP baseline tool, and the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) formations monitoring tool. The work strengthened the use of digital systems to support evidence-based decision-making and improve the delivery of economic inclusion interventions. #KuzaJamii #EconomicInclusion #SocialProtection #CHASPAdvisory

Under the Kuza Jamii II Programme, we worked with the State Department for Social Development (DSD) to deliver a two-day training for County Social Development officers on the National Mentors Training Curriculum. The training brought together regional coordinators, county officers, and national DSD staff as part of preparations for the programme’s transition into the Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Programme (KSEIP II), ensuring counties were ready to support households more effectively as Government scales economic inclusion efforts. The training strengthened officers’ skills to guide and support mentors working directly with vulnerable households. Participants learned how to use the mentorship curriculum, uphold safeguarding and ethical standards, and apply practical tools such as business assessments, VSLA analysis, grievance handling, and referral systems. It also clarified the role of mentors as coaches helping households improve livelihoods, manage finances, and grow sustainable businesses. This milestone strengthened counties’ capacity to deliver high-quality mentorship and support households to move out of extreme poverty through the Economic Inclusion Programme. It reinforced Kuza Jamii II’s goal of building strong government systems that empower communities, improve service delivery, and help families achieve lasting economic independence. #EconomicInclusion #KuzaJamii #KuzaJamiiII #CapacityStrengthening #GraduationApproach #CommunityTransformation

This week, Kuza Jamii II implementing counties and partners met for a two-day Pause and Reflect workshop led by the State Department for Social Protection with support from CHASP Advisory, BOMA, Smart Regional Consultants, and Echo Network Africa Foundation. The focus was to reflect on lessons and share early experiences as the programme transitions to government-led implementation under Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Programme (KSEIP II). We discussed what is working across ASAL contexts, common challenges, and practical ways to improve efficiency, manage risks, and scale innovations that strengthen economic inclusion results. Participants also reviewed performance under drought and other shocks and agreed on key adaptations to improve impact during the transition. The discussions reaffirmed the importance of learning together, using evidence to guide decisions, and working through coordinated systems to deliver inclusive and resilient social protection. #KuzaJamii #EconomicInclusion #SocialProtection #CHASPAdvisory

The Government of Kenya, with support from CHASP Advisory through the Kuza Jamii Programme, held an orientation for Community Resource Persons (CRPs) and a large community awareness meeting on the Economic Inclusion Program (EIP). The sessions helped communities understand what EIP is about, what support it offers, and how it helps families grow their livelihoods. CRPs were also trained on their roles so they can better support households, follow up on progress, and help address any challenges or complaints at the community level. Economic Inclusion Programs are an important part of Kenya’s social protection system. They support vulnerable households to start and grow businesses, increase income, and eventually move out of poverty. Strong community coordination is key to making these programs work well. Through this orientation and sensitization, community members gained practical knowledge on how EIP works and how different actors work together. The activity strengthened community oversight, improved coordination, and helped ensure the program is accountable and responsive to people’s needs. #KuzaJamii #EconomicInclusion #SocialProtection #CHASPAdvisory

This week, we participated in a five-day Joint Management Information Systems (MIS) Training & Handover Workshop hosted by Village Enterprise from 2nd to 6th February, with county teams from Makueni, Taita Taveta, and West Pokot, to strengthen the delivery and management of the Ultra Poor Graduation (UPG) program. The training focused on onboarding staff to the UPG MIS and preparing for its handover to the county governments of West Pokot, Makueni, and Taita Taveta. The first part of the week focused on the tools that support effective implementation, including transect walks, participatory community mapping, village introductory meetings, household eligibility surveys, and the poverty probability index. From midweek, we trained participants on the UPG Management Information System (MIS), developed by CHASP Advisory, guiding them through the system, different user roles, and hands-on simulations across its core functions. The workshop marked a key step in preparing for the handover of the system to county governments. As the system moves into county hands, the focus now turns to how it will be used: to guide decisions, track progress, and improve how graduation programs reach households. The training closed with the county teams not just trained but better positioned to manage their own data and translate it into action on the ground. #UPGMIS #SystemStrengthening #SocialProtection #CHASPAdvisory

Progress is never built in isolation. It is shaped by people, strengthened through partnerships, and guided by purpose. In the first edition of our newsletter dubbed 2026 Unwrapped, we reflect on the past year, one shaped by resilience, strengthened through collaboration, and driven by a shared commitment to impact. This edition brings together the moments that shaped our growth, the partnerships that carried us forward, and the people who turned vision into action across communities, institutions, and borders. You will also get a preview of some of the projects we plan to launch in 2026, and we can’t wait to share more about them with you as the year unfolds. Read it here: bit.ly/4kjysU9 #CHASPNewsletter #ImpactInAction #SocialProtection #CHASPAdvisory

CHASP Advisory led a sensitization and dissemination forum on the new Shock-Responsive Economic Inclusion Programme (EIP) guidelines for the Samburu County Steering Group (CSG). The session brought together Kuza Jamii II consortium partners and multisectoral stakeholders from both national and county government to strengthen coordination and understanding of the guidelines. The CSG members welcomed the guidelines as practical tools for building adaptive programmes and strengthening county-level capacity for shock response. The Samburu County Secretary, in his closing remarks, commended the collaborative effort to reinforce institutional systems for responding to shocks. The session also featured progress updates on ongoing programme activities, highlighting collective achievements under Kuza Jamii II. These guidelines were developed in close collaboration with the State Department of Social Protection – Directorate of Social Development. #ShockResponsive #CapacityBuilding #KuzaJamii #SocialProtection #CHASPAdvisory

Kuza Jamii II partners carried out a joint field monitoring visit in Mandera County to assess the progress of beneficiaries under the Economic Inclusion Programmes (EIP). The visit focused on understanding how savings, lending, and small businesses are improving household incomes and identifying areas needing further support. At Amana VSLA, members demonstrated how they save and lend to one another, sharing how the group has strengthened women’s business confidence and access to financial support. Their experience showed how simple, well-structured savings systems are transforming livelihoods. The team also visited Gurmad Business Group and Fartun Shop Business Group, where growing enterprises highlighted the impact of business training and collective effort in building stable incomes. National and county government teams, including the Directorate of Social Development (DSD) and County EIP Multisectoral Committees, joined the visit to align progress with government priorities. Key lessons from the field will help strengthen accountability and improve programme delivery under Kuza Jamii II. #KuzaJamii #EconomicInclusion #SocialProtection #CHASPAdvisory

The Kuza Jamii II Programme, recently hosted a successful Farmers' Field Day in Garissa County. The event brought together over 3,000 farmers from six sub-counties, including Dadaab, Balambala, Lagdera, Fafi, Garissa Township, and Ijara, to promote climate-smart agriculture, improved nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods. Governor Nathif Jama graced the occasion, emphasizing the importance of sustainable livelihoods, stating, "Sustainable livelihoods are critical to improving nutrition, resilience, and the overall well-being of our communities". The event featured exhibitions showcasing local cooperatives and their products, highlighting Kuza Jamii's integrated approach to economic livelihood and social protection. #EconomicInclusion #GraduationApproach #Mentorship #KuzaJamii #CHASPAdvisory