“Community-based monitoring system (CBMS) is an organized process of data collection and
processing at the local level for use in local planning, program implementation and impactmonitoring
by the local government, national government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and civil society. It is a system that promotes evidence-based policy-making and program implementation while empowering communities to participate in the process. It is intended for improved governance and greater transparency and accountability in resource allocation” . The objectives of the study were: to determine the local specific causes of poverty in Tana River district; to establish the relationship between ethnic conflict and drought on poverty in the district; to determine the effects of poverty on the ability of households to access social services such as health, education and safe drinking water; to establish a process through which communities characterize and identify the poorest among
them for support; to assess poverty reduction initiatives already in place and their viability and
to assess the capacity of the communities to implement a LPMS. The study was carried out in
Bura, Galole and Garsen divisions of Tana River district. The study was conducted in three
phases. The first phase was a qualitative study that informed the questionnaire for the
household census. The second phase was to conduct a census in the three sub-locations (Meti,
Hola & Tarasaa). The third phase was the implementation of the revised LPMS design in Bura
division, Tana River district.
