Two members from the Navarra Center for International Development (NCID), research fellow Alex Armand and research assistant Paul Atwell, taught a workshop on accountability and transparency in the management of natural resource extraction in Kenya.

The event was organized jointly with Strathmore University and is part of the research project "Transparency and Accountability," which is funded by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie).

According to Alex Armand, the purpose of the workshop was to bring together Kenyan experts and politicians from other areas "to discuss issues related to the development of the extractive sector in Kenya, as well as issues relating to accountability and transparency."

Nine speaks participated and, among them, included: Vancel James, Director of the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics; Elizabeth Mueni, director of the National Economic and Social Council; and Monica Gichuhi, former CEO of Kenya Chamber of Mines.

"The seminars," as Armand commented, "resulted in a deeper understanding of key issues and policies that have a large impact on the lives of the communities affected by high levels of extraction".

Besides participating in the seminars, Alex Armand and Paul Atwell attended several meetings with local agents and potential project partners. The 3ie grant is a first step to developing a larger project.

"We will work on the preparation of a comprehensive project for evaluating impact to be submitted to 3ie in late April," as Alex Armand explained. Throughout the summer, the institution will select the projects to be carried out next year.

The Navarra Center for International Development is one of eight research projects within the Institute for Culture and Society, the humanities and social sciences research center at the University of Navarra.