KSG, OUK to jointly offer training programmes for public officers

Yobesh Onwong’a -MyGov

The Kenya School of Government (KSG) has signed a strategic partnership with the Open University of Kenya (OUK) to jointly develop and deliver innovative online training programmes aimed at advancing the competencies of public officers.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by KSG’s Director General, Prof. Nura Mohamed and the Deputy Vice Chancellor of OUK, Prof. Carolyne Omulando on behalf of the Vice Chancellor Elijah Omwenga prioritizing areas of collaboration that will be of benefit to the Public Service in Kenya, the region and beyond.

Speaking at KSG Lower Kabete Campus, Prof Mohamed said the two institutions are exploring a collaboration that will focus on co-creating impactful, accessible and future-oriented learning solutions tailored to the evolving needs of the public service.

“We will partner on joint research and consultancy initiatives, as well as policy dialogues, with a strong focus on governance and public administration. This partnership seeks to generate evidence-based insights, inform policy reforms, and support institutional development within the public sector,” the Director General said.

Prof. Mohamed disclosed that through shared organization of workshops and conferences on specific themes, KSG and OUK will foster knowledge exchange, stimulate policy discussions, and strengthen capacity in key areas of governance and public service delivery.

“Staff capacity building will be prioritized to strengthen institutional capabilities, enhance professional competencies, and promote a culture of continuous learning and innovation,” he said.

On her part, Prof Omulando disclosed that the training will cover leadership, management, governance, public service ethics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity among other emerging trends in public service management.

“We will offer joint research and consultancy project activities on issues related to governance, ICT trends, patterns, perception, risks, actors and their modus operandi on applied research targeting emerging national challenges to shared knowledge hub for government and academic research data,” said the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in-charge of Academic Affairs.

Prof Omulando noted that the two institutions will co-host policy dialogues focused on governance and public administration to inform reviews of existing policies, generate white papers, and develop policy briefs. Also, engage policy actors in translating research findings into actionable policy recommendations.

Apart from co-publication of research articles and other research works through relevant publication channels; Prof Omulando observed that the institutions will share library resources, leveraging the Open University of Kenya’s digital library infrastructure and the Kenya School of Government’s physical and digital library facilities to enhance access to learning and research materials for staff and learners from both institutions. 

She noted that they will implement collaborative capacity building initiatives for library, academic, and administrative staff from both institutions to strengthen competencies in resource management, digital literacy, digital pedagogy, and academic support services.

Prof Omulando disclosed that the two institutions will assess the effectiveness of training programmes and partnership activities by providing comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) services.

“This will be achieved through well-structured and inter-linked processes and procedures, drawing on the combined technical and policy expertise of both institutions to ensure continuous improvement and impact-driven collaboration,” the Deputy Vice-Chancellor said.