Call for Submission of 2009 Good and Best Practices in the Area of Housing and Human Settlements: Ministry of Housing, Kenya

1.0 Introduction:

The Ministry of Housing being the National focal point on Housing and Human settlements is in the process of identifying, documenting and disseminating Best Practices. This is one among the many programmes the Ministry runs. Best Practices are outstanding contributions/ initiatives or projects which have demonstrated tangible impacts on improving people's quality of life and the living environment. Best Practices that are socially, culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable arise out of effective partnerships between public, private and civil society.

2.o Background:

An international conference on best practices was held in Dubai that adopted the Dubai Declaration and established the Dubai International Award for Best Practices to improve the living environment in 1995. The first call for submissions was made during the second United Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in 1996.

Best practices hav© been recognized through presentation of awards at various levels. At international level they are recognized by Dubai Award, which is hosted biannually in cycles by the Dubai Municipality. At each cycle an independent committee of technical experts identifies good and best practices and selects the winners for the Award. To date, seven cycles have been held with the eighth one scheduled for the year 2010.

The Ministry of Housing organizes national exhibitions which provide individuals and institutions an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn lessons and replicate them in their localities. The information collected forms a database for use in scaling up and informing Government Policies for development in Kenya.

In addition, the Database is useful in recognizing local and national outstanding projects, informing the Dubai International Awards and other Human Settlements award programmes such as Nationai Human Settlements Award and the Habitat Scroll of Honor Award among others.

3.0 Objective:

Best Practices are promoted and used by the United Nations, the International community and National Governments as a means of:

Improving public policy based on what works; Raising awareness of decision-makers at all levels and of the public of potential solutions to common social, economic and environmental problems;

and

Sharing including transferring knowledge, expertise and experience through networking and peer-to-peer learning.

4.0 Eligibility:

The Award is open to:

• Government organizations or agencies, including bilateral aid agencies;
• National Habitat committees or Focal Points;
• Multilateral Agencies (United Nations Agencies, World Bank, etc.)
• Cities, local authorities or their associations;
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs);
• Community-Based Organizations (CBOs);
• Private Sector;
• Research and academic institutions;
  
• Media; and
• Public or Private foundations.

Individuals are eligible for both the National and Dubai International Award provided that they are submitting a specific initiative or project that meets the Best Practice criteria.

5.0: Criteria:

The major criteria for a Best Practice to be considered for the Award are:

(a) Impact: The best practice should demonstrate a positive and tangible impact on improving the living environment of people particularly of the poor and disadvantaged.

(b) Partnership: Best Practices should be based on a partnership between at least two of the actors mentioned under item 4.0 on eligibility.

(c) Sustainability: Best practices should result in lasting changes in at
least one of the areas listed below:-

(i) Legislation, regulatory frameworks, by-laws or standards formally recognizing the issues and problems that have been addressed;

(ii) Social policies and/or sectoral strategies at the (sub) national level that have a potential for replication elsewhere;

(iii) Institutional frameworks and decision-making processes that assign clear roles and responsibilities to various levels and groups of actors, such as central and local governmental organizations and community-based organizations; and

(iv) Efficient, transparent and accountable management systems that make more effective use of human, technical, financial and natural resources.

(d) Additional Criteria

The following criteria will be used by the Technical Advisory Committee and Jury for differentiating between good, best and award winning practices,
(i) Leadership & Community Empowerment

• Leadership in inspiring action and change, including change in public policy;
• Empowerment of people, neighbourhood and communities and incorporation of their contributions;
• Acceptance of and responsiveness to social and cultural diversity;
• Potential for transferability, up-scaling and replication;
• Appropriateness to local conditions and levels of developments.

(ii) Gender Equality & Social Inclusion
Initiatives which accept and respond to social and cultural diversity; promote social equality and equity, for example on the basis of income, gender, age and physical/mental condition; and recognize and value different abilities.

(iii) Innovation within local context & transferability

• How others have learnt or benefited from the initiative;
• Means used for sharing or transferring knowledge, expertise and lessons learnt.
  

6.0 Submission Process:

(i) Best Practices shall be submitted in accordance with the reporting format for the relevant biennium. The reporting format is available in three versions: on-line via the Internet
(www.bestpractices.org/ bp2008) by Email or fax. Paper submissions will also be accepted.

(ii) Submissions shall be made in English.

(iii) Submitters are encouraged to include the following supporting materials:

(a) Articles from newspapers, professional journals, newsletters or other publications;
(b) Beta-Cam or other standard format videos less than 10 minutes in length;
(c) Photographs and/or other graphic material;
(d) Brochures or other promotional material.

7.0 Award:

Successful Entries will be forwarded for consideration for the 8th cycle of the Dubai International Award in 2010 and other awards as stated above.

8.0 Submission Office
Submissions for immediate programmes should be made to the Ministry of Housing on or before Friday 27th February 2009, in both hard and soft copy via the following contact addresses:
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Housing RO. Box 30119-00100, Nairobi Tel. No, +254-20-2718050 Fax No. + 254-20- 2734886 Email: ps @ housing.go.ke

9.0 Reporting format:

A detailed reporting format and information is available on-line via the Internet; at the Ministry of Housing Head office at Ardhi house, 6th floor, Nairobi, Ministry website-www.housing.go.ke and our Provincial Housing Offices whose addresses are as follows:

Provincial Housing Officer Central Province PO. Box 742 Nyeri

Provincial Housing Officer
North Rift
Rift Valley Province
PO. Box 2846 301
Eldoret

Provincial Housing Officer Eastern Province P.O. Box 485 Embu

Provincial Housing Officer Nairobi Province P.O. Box 8930 -00200 NAIROBI

Provincial Housing Officer Nyanza Province P.O. Box 1705 Kisumu

Provincial Housing Officer Coast Province PO. Box 81599 Mombasa

Provincial Housing Officer
South Rift
Rift Valley Province
P.O.Box 913
Nakuru

Provincial Housing Officer Western Province P.O. Box 901 Kakamega

Provincial Housing Officer North Eastern Province P.O.Box 41 Garissa