The Ajira Digital Program through its implementing partner Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), today hosted a conference to demonstrate how the digitization of the public sector can help improve efficiency in service delivery while creating work opportunities for young people in Kenya. Guided by the Judiciary Digitization Pilot Program that has been outsourcing digital talents in transcription, data entry, and scanning services, Ajira Digital had adequate insights to share with the present government ministries, departments, and agencies that could be used as a blueprint for digitizing their various fields of service. Ranging from digital outsourcing as a strategy for process optimization, the need for public-private partnerships, and the creation of work opportunities for young people, to the emerging digital skills and talents required in the public sector.

Gracing the occasion was the representative of the Permanent Secretary State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, Jane Otoko, who is currently the Deputy Director. Representing KEPSA was Dr. Ehud Gachugu, Director of Youths and Jobs at KEPSA. In addition to the Ajira Digital partners, the conference saw the attendance of diverse ministries, departments, and agencies including housing, lands, tourism, roads, higher education, and research, social protection, health, transport, shipping and maritime, gender, and affirmation, among others.

The conference discussed the successes, challenges, lessons, and mitigation in outsourcing, global digital best practices, and technological breakthroughs in public digitization, fostering inter-departmental collaborations as well as the sustainability and scalability of digital adoption and creation of work.

Here are key insights drawn from the conference.

“The government has used performance contracting framework as a key tool in improving efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery in the public service. It is for this purpose that the indicator – digitalization of government services - was introduced in the 20^th cycle of performance contract for the financial year 2023-24. With Kenya being a regional leader in the digital economy, the Ministry will collaborate with all other government MDAs, the private sector players, and developmental partners among others in tapping into this distinction to bring together diverse perspectives, experiences, and resources in an inclusive, sustainable, and thriving digital economy.” – in a speech by John Tanui, the Permanent Secretary, State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, that was read by Jane Otoko, Deputy Director State Department of ICT and Digital Economy.

“Being the first program of its kind in Africa, the Judiciary digitization pilot program was testing if the public sector can be a demand provider where it can create a significant amount of work for young people while using digital transformation to improve its processes and service delivery. It has been a learning curve with specific milestones including digitization of over 400 court stations, direct job creation to over 2000 young people offering data entry and scanning services and transcription, and advising the public sector draft outsourcing blueprint. This pilot allowed for a public-private partnership where there was engagement of a Business Process Outsourcing as a service provider to manage the quality and filling issues as well as the human capital. This is proof of the significant potential that the public sector has in offering digital work through outsourcing of digital talents.” - Dr. Ehud Gachugu – Director of Youths and Jobs at KEPSA

“The kind of earnings that the young people are getting from digital work is very promising as a solution in providing them an opportunity for a dignified livelihood. This will take them away from social vices such as drug abuse and crimes to being productive for the good of themselves, their communities, and the nation at large. Already the government through the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Digital Economy is establishing 1,450 digital hubs in all the wards and constituencies which will accelerate digital and digitally-enabled work in the country. Within these wards where the digital hubs will be there will definitely be public institutions or bodies that can consume the digital services and solutions offered in these hubs. Hence this conversation is very crucial as we explore how the public sector can be consumers of digital services and at the same time help in creating work opportunities for the young people.” - Madam Priscilla Maina, Assistant Director State Department of ICT and Digital Economy.

“The best lesson in all this has been to never take for granted the importance of partnerships and collaborations. Being in government, private sector, developmental partners, and playing our different roles while collaborating has shown that we are all part of the ecosystem. The digitization pilot program resulted in efficiency in the production of court proceedings, improved turnaround time in the preparation of records of appeals as well as institutionalization of the transcription services in the Judiciary where it has set up a National Transcription Center. On the other hand, the young people involved in offering these digital services have become marketable in the digital space where they are able to access international and local transcription work opportunities.” - Judiciary ICT Deputy Director – Josphat Karanja

“Through Ajira Digital, we have learnt that it is possible to provide both digital skills for young people and create jobs both locally and globally. The pilot program has shown that the government can both digitize its operations and be able to create work opportunities. Additionally, part of the reason why the pilot judiciary digitization process was successful is the intentional recruitment of competent and driven young Kenyan talent to expedite the process. To date, over 350,000 young Kenyans have gone through the Ajira digital curriculum training in various modules including transcription and data entry. A talent pool sufficient to serve the digitization agenda for all the Kenyan MDA’s represented here today, and by doing so actively participate in the creation of the much-needed dignified employment for the Kenyan Youth.” - Ken Mwenda, Managing Director, eMobilis

“As a business process outsourcing company, we have appreciated the great opportunities within the public sector that the institutions can outsource. They can access services including data and image annotation services, transcription and captioning, data management services, digital skills training, and e-learning materials, among others. Outsourcing of the back-office functions by any institution or department helps in managing and reducing unnecessary costs, and improves the productivity of the in-house staff as they concentrate on core functions, and access to specialized skills and expertise. To crown it all, it a chance to distribute work opportunities to different young people who are tech-savvy and very talented.” – Mercy Mugure, CEO Adept Technologies

The conference concluded with a call to action on the need to collaborate and work together which will then help explore solutions in adopting digital transformation and grow public-private partnership opportunities. This will also create great value for young people who are heavily hit with unemployment challenges as well as promote other important aspects such as inclusivity of even the marginalized groups.