Public-private development partnerships for inclusive decent employment and productive livelihoods

Our Story

Phase I (2018–2024) was born when Swedish development agency-Sida invited ILO and ForumCiv to address poverty, unemployment and gender exclusion in communities near a planned geothermal plant in the Rift Valley. The PPDP model brought together public institutions, private enterprises and communities to co-create employment and
skills pathways.

Phase II (2024 - 2028)

Building on the achievements of phase 1, phase 2 aims to accelerate economic impact
and extend successful interventions across Narok, Nakuru, and Kajiado counties.
Phase 2 applies a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to identify high-growth opportunities, address market barriers, and promote inclusive economic growth through strengthened partnerships, skills development, enterprise support, and equitable access to opportunities.

The second phase will integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by addressing gaps related to gender, ethnicity, disability, and age. Through partnerships with various partners from public and private sectors, the project will develop inclusive strategies to ensure equitable access to resources, services, and benefits.

Enhanced collaboration with public and private sectors will further anchor the project’s interventions in local systems, supporting skills development, lifelong learning, and community participation. This strategic, inclusive framework aims to create sustainable livelihoods and foster resilient communities across the target counties.

Why Phase II?

• The Challenge Remains
• Youth still struggle to secure decent employment despite training gains in PPDP Phase I
• Gender inequality persists; women remain locked out of high-value roles in tourism and fodder sectors.
• Climate vulnerability is rising — drought, food insecurity, livestock losses SMEs lack market linkages, skills base & access to finance.

Partners driving change

Through the Public-Private Development Partnerships for Inclusive Decent Employment and Productive Livelihoods (PPDP) Phase II, the ILO is working to create better jobs and stronger livelihoods in Kenya's fodder and tourism sectors. The project follows a market systems approach: rather than supporting businesses one by one, it works alongside county governments, private companies, financial institutions, training providers and community groups to fix what holds entire sectors back. This work is organised into a set of intervention models, each led by local partners.

In the fodder sector, these models focus on incubating fodder enterprises, raising quality standards, improving aggregation and storage, widening access to finance and building skills.

In tourism, they support community-based tourism products and market linkages, finance for small tourism businesses, circular economy and green livelihoods, tourism skills and county-led destination promotion.

Across Narok, Kajiado and Nakuru counties, the models aim to make markets work better for everyone and to open new opportunities for women, young people and persons living with disabilities who face barriers to decent work.