• Authority's data sources must be primary, research design and sampling techniques must be independent of political, tribal, religious influence.
• Actual number of unemployed people in Kenya must be established
In May, the government established the National Employment Authority whose functions include advising on the formulation of employment policies and strategies for national and county governments.
It was also meant to advise both levels of government on any policy matter concerning employment, develop methodologies for employment measurement, management and promotion among other functions. How the authority will be governed is what will make it succeed or fail.
In their case, intensive and factual research will be pivotal in producing the envisaged results. Their data sources should be primary and in case any secondary data is necessary, it must be subjected to internal validation procedures. The research design and sampling techniques must be independent of political, tribal, religious or any form of selfish interest.
Any form of influence will render the authority redundant hence defeating the very reason for founding it. The authority must seek to address some critical issues basing their interventions on figures. For instance, the actual number of unemployed people in Kenya must be established.
Creation of employment will require elaborate policies that will, in turn, need accurate data from the current economic dynamics without necessarily relying solely on what other agencies have established. Skills mismatch and overproduction of labour should be addressed if anything is to be achieved in the long term.
In its guidance and counselling role, the authority must lead by example. All employees and board members must be citizens of high integrity. The authority should also coach potential employees on the role of integrity in retaining a job by offering exemplary services to clients.
Research analyst, Meru