The sub-component will provide financial assistance to policy, advocacy and research in support of arid lands development.

Policy work will follow up on the agenda highlighted by the Pastoral Thematic Working Group (PTG) of the PRSP to ensure that the particular concerns and requirements of the arid lands are adequately addressed in national and sectoral policy initiatives.

In addition, the sub-component will finance consultations and analytical work to lead to the development of a Pastoral Policy in Kenya. A particular focus of policy intervention will be on the elaboration of pastoral gender issues to be incorporated into the National Gender Policy.

The project will continue the activities of the first phase in advocating for the interests of the arid lands to complement these policy initiatives. The component will support local and national advocacy groups to allow them to present their interests more effectively in the right fora.

The project will also finance visits of national policy makers to the arid lands to enable them to develop a first hand appreciation of the particular challenges in the project area. Funds are set aside to finance research work to analyze and develop appropriate responses to specific technical and social challenges in the arid lands, including innovative responses to risk through drought.

The project will also assist local government in the local government reform process by training clerks and councilors to prepare them for their greater responsibilities in shaping the local development agenda and assisting with selected feasibility studies for local authority projects.