Is citizen engagement a game changer for development? Final project artifact

1. ELITES FOR ANTI-ILLITERACY
CAMPAIGN IN LOWER YATTA
DISTRICT; A CATALYST FOR
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Illiteracy has been a long-term incident in Lower yatta
district regardless of the great initiatives that have been
taken before to alleviate it. This has had enormous
adverse effects on the rural development leading to
difficult surroundings forhabituation. The district lies on
the arid part of Kitui County and existence is generally
difficult as even the government has ignored its local
development for long in the view that it has limited
economic resources. This includes not developing schools
authentic for quality learning. This paper explores a 10-
year developmental initiative designed and facilitated by
the local academicians; branding themselves as ‘Elites
steering local development in the Lower yatta district’
http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/3011
The initiative is as outlined below:

2. As framed above, Performance-linked-reward approach
will be the heart of the whole initiative.
PERFORMANCE APPROACHES TO BE EMPLOYED
PERFORMANCE
REWARD
Approaches to improve performance:
Attitude change rallies, revision of the
teaching/learning methodologies,
setting performance targets with the
tutors and learners
Participants: Teachers,
students, pupils, parents,
l9ololo9alocal
administration and othr
How will positive change be
rewarded?
Trophies, financial tips, educational
trips for learners and teachers,
scholarship/bursary award based on
academic merit.

3. This developmental campaign seeks to call the interested
parties into action to explore new and revise
teaching/learning methodologies which have been in use
over long to sharpen them for better outcome. Secondly,
to come up with performance targets while outlining the
reward as per the level of success. Thirdly, to enlighten
the community on the advantages they will get from right
education; such as employment, innovative minds, and
rural-accelerated development. These approaches will be
revised from time to time after evaluation has been
conducted.
For these to work, all teachers will need to willingly get
involved in designing them, first, for them to understand
what they entail, and secondly, to know the best approach
to take to implement them sufficiently.
Teachers/tutors/lecturers will be involved first through
questionnaires which will touch on various metrics of
success, challenges they have witnessed, as well as
proposals for effective solution. Parents will too be
interviewed for their input. Pupils/students will be big
resource in designing the appropriate learning
methodology.
http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/12824
REWARD
Reward will be based on deemed performance as per the
developmental plan. Different stakeholders especially
teachers, tutors, students, and pupils will be appreciated

4. on depicting academic improvement. For example,
students performing above average will be given rewards
provoking a better performance in future. These will
include; academic trips, scholarship, bursary especially for
students from poor families. Teachers will have reward
based on the grades attained in the subjects they teach,
financial incentives, and appreciation certificates and so
on.
http://eap.uonbi.ac.ke/sites/default/files/cees/education/
eap/Deborah%20project.pdf
In conclusion, as per the dissertation paper above (link
given), the level of motivation of the teachers and learners
influences performance to a high level and thus
comprehensive reward system is critical. This explains the
reason for choosing this approach for the anti-illiteracy
campaign.