Community Management & Training Services - Nairobi, Kenya

For the last 21 years CMTS-EA has been involved in water and sanitation, health, education, poverty and gender programs in Kenya and several other African countries. CMTS-EA has carried out community training and research both in rural and urban informal settlements. CMTS-EA has been active in policy development and the ongoing water sector reforms, and also in preparation of route maps for various institutions created under the reforms. CMTS-EA has done a number of case studies for public and private sector participation in urban areas of Kenya. In 2000 CMTS-EA undertook a study on willingness and ability to pay for water and sanitation improvements by low-income populations in urban areas of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kakamega. Between 1997 and 2000 CMTS-EA carried out a major study on  

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Drawers of Water in collaboration wit IIED (London), Makerere and Dar es Salaam Universities and published a book and several articles. CMTS-EA served as WHO Short term expert in Poverty and ill health from 1999 to 2000 during which time CMTS-EA produced a position paper and implementation plan for Africa response to the emerging threat to health gains posed by increasing poverty. CMTS-EA has carried out extensive research on health issues: malaria in western Kenya (1997), HIV and AIDS in Tanzania (1992-1997) and Uganda (2006/2007). CMTS-EA has often been consulted on Millennium Development Goals; in 2005, CMTS-EA was Team Leader for consultants tasked with assessment of resources needed to meet the 3 health Millennium Development Goals (goals 4, 5 and 6) and in 2010 carried out study on attainment of MDGs and way forward in Kenya in achieving the MDGs by 2015 for the UNDP and GoK. Dr. CMTS-EA main areas of specialisation and major are presented below.

Professional experience from the subject areas (a) Sociology/anthropology/socio-economic and experience in (b) water and sanitation and in (c) health.

CMTS-EA has carried out several surveys that required sensitivity to local cultural beliefs and values. In conducting research on HIV prevalence in North Western Tanzanian, it was part of the terms of engagement to observe sensitivity in confidential discussions on sexuality analysis and to ask such questions in a manner that respected the values and behavioural norms of the community. Similarly, in Uganda, while carrying out surveys on household based care for people living with HIV and AIDS, it was a requirement by the Local Government that the team maintained respect for traditional values even where it was obvious that families did not live up to the expectations in regard to care.

CMTS-EA has been active in policy development and the ongoing water sector reforms, and also in preparation of route maps for various institutions created under the reforms. CMTS-EA has done a number of case studies for public and private sector participation in urban areas of Kenya and undertook a study on willingness and ability to pay for water and sanitation improvements by low-income populations in urban areas of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kakamega.

CMTS-EA served as WHO Short term expert in Poverty and ill health from 1999 to 2000 during which time CMTS-EA produced a position paper and implementation plan for Africa response to the emerging threat to health gains posed by increasing poverty. CMTS-EA has carried out extensive research on health issues: malaria in western Kenya (1997), HIV and AIDS in Tanzania and Uganda (2006/2007). CMTS-EA has often been consulted by WHO and Unicef on various aspects of health; for instance in 2005, CMTS-EA was Team Leader for consultants tasked with assessment of resources needed to meet the 3 health Millennium Development Goals (goals 4,5 and 6).

Experience in capacity building and institution building.

CMTS-EA has been instrumental in establishing new institutions in the water sector through engaging stakeholder groups to understand their new role in water governance on one hand, and developing the framework for operations of the new institutions, As a consultancy firm, CMTS-EA assisted 5 water companies to identify staff and led the process for electing directors from stakeholders. Under his leadership all the companies completed articles necessary for official registration and developed vision, mission and goals including business plans all necessary for capacity and institution building.

Experience in (a) interaction with rural and urban communities, (b) assessment of sociological/anthropological issues and (c) participatory process.

CMTS-EA has worked with communities living in urban slums/informal settlements, and has undertaken water and sanitation assignments in such places as Mathare and Kibera slums.

CMTS-EA has carried out field surveys covering different ethnic groups with a view to assessing whether ethnicity is a major determinant of how people view development interventions. One such survey covering all ethnic communities was done in Eritrea in 1995 where it was necessary for the international community to understand the attitude, behaviour and practices of different ethnic communities after the war of independence in 1993.

CMTS-EA has long experience with participatory methodologies having been part of a core team trained by a renowned pioneer, Dr, Lyra Srinivasan, of the UNDP/World Bank in 1984. Since then CMTS-EA has trained numerous practitioners and conducted participatory data collection in Africa. In 2001, CMTS-EA trained a national team in participatory research methodologies that prepared the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Kenya.

Years of experience working with rural and urban communities and government authorities at different levels and/or private sector or civil society organisations working in development

For over 21 years CMTS-EA has worked in many rural and urban communities in different parts of Africa. Working to realize these community projects one has to work with government authorities to provide the enabling environment and guarantee consistency with national and local development plans. CMTS-EA has been exploring the relationships between local level structures (rural and peri-urban) formed to run water, health and sanitation projects, and project/donor professionals. Issues of interest are whether communities see sustainability and affordability of these systems and initiatives in the same light as the planners/donors, the role, if any, of indigenous knowledge systems, and human rights issues

Experience in (a) good governance, (b) human rights, (c) gender, (d) environment, (e) vulnerable groups, (f) HIV/AIDS or (g) some other cross-cutting issue theme related to development.
CMTS-EA has conducted training for various Water institutions on corporate good governance. CMTS-EA was earlier involved in the assessment of grass root democratic governance programmes (2000-2001). Aim was to determine to what extent downward accountability applied in Kenya and whether the principles of good governance were observed by both state and non state institutions.

CMTS-EA developed for Unicef the national model for implementation of Children Rights through Children in Special Needs Programme in Kenya. In 2007, CMTS-EA was a member for the GTZ Mission that examined human right to water in the water sector, and prepared recommendation on mainstreaming human right which Kenya has developed. In 2008, Dr. CMTS-EA was part of a panel of experts that worked with the UN Commission for Human Rights in Geneva to align MDGs with human rights.

CMTS-EA was team leader in 2003 for studying that explored the environmental impact from destruction of forest areas in Mt. Kenya, the Aberdare Mountains, areas around the giant Masinga Dam, and the Mau Forest. As a result of the recommendations local catchment area committees have been formed to help in environmental conservation

CMTS-EA has worked with the poor in urban slums; in Mathare Informal Settlement, Nairobi CMTS-EA trained members of a local community in Mathare 4B village on water and sanitation improvements and on potential income generating activities to improve their livelihoods. CMTS-EA led the field teams that collected data and prepared the report on Case Control and Risky Factors for HIV/STD infection in Mwanza region. Developed survey instruments for household level data collection. Study has resulted in international publications. In 2007, CMTS-EA was a member for the GTZ Mission that examined human right to water in the water sector, and prepared recommendation on mainstreaming human right which Kenya has developed. In 2008, CMTS-EA was part of a panel of experts that worked with the UN Commission for Human Rights in Geneva to align MDGs with human rights.