Information Technology, the Complexity of Joint Action, and Child Protection Policy Implementation in Kenya

The role of information technology in public administration has received substantial attention in recent years. Major discussions revolve around how technology can promote efficiency, accountability, democracy, and participation of traditionally excluded populations such as women, the poor, and persons with disabilities. However, little attention has been paid to understanding the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in dealing with the complexity of joint action as a perennial problem of public policy implementation. Today, the challenge of coordinating contributions of various players to the implementation process not only relates to different government departments but also to interactions between the government, private sector, and civil society organisations. The findings here show that child protection policy failure in some African policy contexts might partly be attributable to a lack of coordination among various players. This chapter analyses the attendant Child Protection Information Management System, Kenya, and the orphans and vulnerable children case management process employed as policy instruments to reduce the problem of joint action in Child Policy. It explicitly demonstrates the role of ICTs in promoting policy collaborations among various implementing agencies.