The Umanyi Centre is an initiative of the County Government of Makueni also referred to as a Center of Research and Knowledge Management. The knowledge hub is a replica or digital form of the physical center located at MAP established with a purpose to support knowledge-driven governance and improved service delivery. It provides a centralized platform for collecting, organizing and sharing information on departmental performance, with the goal of fostering learning, promoting best practices and informing decision-making.
In advancing it’s mandate, the center not only fosters a culture of continuous documentation,learning, collaboration and innovation in public service but also promotes success stories emerging from various departments for use at the domestic, inter-county, national and global levels. The Center is hosted at the Department of Devolution ,Public Participation, County Administration and Social Programs and is managed through a multi agency approach that attracts knowledge management champions or focal person from every department. The Department of ICT, Education and Internship plays a critical role in digitization process.
In addition to serving as a digital repository of innovations, lessons learned and key documents, the portal also facilitates peer-to-peer learning and structured interdepartmental engagement. These physical and collaborative exchanges promote cross-pollination of ideas, uptake of innovations and adaptive problem-solving across the County Government. The Knowledge Management function is guided by a systematic model that includes:
1. Knowledge identification & capturing – systematic documentation of relevant information and practices;
2. Packaging – transforming knowledge into accessible formats such as short stories, photos and videos;
3. Sharing – through digital platforms, media, conferences and peer learning forums;
4. Monitoring benefits of sharing – assessing the value and impact of knowledge use;
5. Adoption – integrating effective approaches into operations; and
6. Piloting, scaling and peer reviews – facilitating learning loops and continuous improvement.