Overarching HRM frameworks

Local citizens can more readily and effectively reach the county executives and their members of County Assemblies (MCAs) to demand performance and accountability. County government employees in service delivery centers are under continuous local pressure to improve their performance. However, the performance of service delivery staff in many counties is suboptimal for several reasons, as described below.

Low morale from poor HRM. In many counties, HRM has been poor, contributing to low morale. The failure to observe principles of meritocracy in staff appointment and deployment affects staff morale and performance at service delivery centers. In some counties, there is a perception of considerable politicization and patronage in deciding who gets promoted, who gets deployed where, who receives training opportunities, and so on. These decisions affect staff morale, discipline, and performance in the workplace.

Inadequate supervision. The absence of an intercounty transfer framework exacerbates the HRM issues. County staff often complain that their service delivery roles are unclear. Poor management of the county to subcounty to frontline relationship leads to centralization of management at the county headquarters level and unclear management responsibilities. County HRM has also been deficient in performance management (for example, regular appraisal) and career development management (such as staff development, career progression, and succession management schemes).

Poor coordination. County management of staff has been hampered by the fragmentation of county staffing across different types and classes of employees, which has undermined incentives and morale among staff and compounded the challenge of establishing sound HRM systems. Without any generalized crosscounty process to create a harmonized structure for county staffing, county governments have a fractured staffing structure, typically consisting of five distinct employee categories, each of which has distinct terms and conditions of service (table 5.1).

County governments also lack effective control of terms and conditions of service for employees inherited from defunct local governments and those seconded from the national government. Legacy collective bargaining agreements confer superior employment benefits to employees inherited from the defunct local government councils.

OVERARCHING HRM FRAMEWORKS

Getting staffing and HRM right implies the need for some overarching institutional frameworks and the availability of support to use them properly. On this, Kenya’s postdevolution track record has been uneven.

National structures, mandates, and support

An institutional framework for recruitment and oversight within counties has been established. The County Governments Act 2012 established County Public Service Boards (CPSBs) and County Assembly Service Boards (CASBs) in the executive and legislative arms of county government, respectively, with the mandates to establish and abolish offices, recruit and appoint staff, and enforce discipline of staff. The CPSBs and CASBs have been able to successfully recruit significant numbers of staff to the county public service.