Economic Planning is the process through which the Government sets development priorities, allocates resources, formulates policies, and coordinates public and private sector activities to achieve national economic and social development goals. The main objective of economic planning is to promote sustainable economic growth, reduce poverty and inequalities, create employment, improve living standards, and ensure equitable distribution of resources across the country. Kenya's economic planning framework is anchored on the long-term development blueprint, Kenya Vision 2030, which aims to transform the country into a globally competitive and prosperous middle-income nation with a high quality of life for all citizens. The Vision is implemented through successive five-year Medium-Term Plans (MTPs), which translate the long-term aspirations into actionable policy interventions, programmes, projects.

The State Department for Economic Planning has ensured that all the priorities under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) are fully mainstreamed into the country's development planning framework. Specifically, BETA priorities have been integrated into the Fourth Medium-Term Plan (MTP IV), MDAs Strategic Plans, and County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs), from where they are further cascaded into annual work plans. Through this approach, the Department ensures that national planning remains responsive to BETA priorities while maintaining technical rigor and alignment with broader national development objectives. To facilitate effective implementation, the Department also ensures that BETA programmes are adequately financed by costing and prioritizing interventions within the MTP and strengthening plan-budget alignment in collaboration with the National Treasury and MDAs through the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) process. In addition, the State Department tracks the implementation and outcomes of BETA priorities by embedding key performance indicators within the National Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and reporting systems, thereby ensuring that progress is measured through official indicators and that evidence-based corrective actions can be undertaken where necessary.

The State Department for Economic Planning plays a crucial role within the devolved system of governance, especially since the implementation of the 2010 Constitution, which established the devolved system. The department prepares and issues Guidelines that offer a harmonized and standardized way of developing county development plans across the country.
The plans guide:
a. County Economic Planning by enabling them to identify key sectors for development, set priorities, and allocate resources accordingly;
b. Resource allocation by ensuring that resources are used efficiently and effectively to promote economic growth and development across all counties;
c. Coordination and Integration through facilitating development efforts between the national and county governments, ensuring that development initiatives at the national level are aligned with the priorities of the counties and vice versa. This coordination helps in eliminating duplication of efforts and ensures synergy in development planning and implementation.
d. Data Collection and Analysis; involves collecting and analyzing data on various economic indicators at both the national and county levels. This data-driven approach enables policymakers to make informed decisions and formulate effective strategies for economic development; and
e. Capacity Building at the counties enhances the technical skills and expertise of local government officials involved in planning and development.
Generally, economic planning in the devolved system of governance is essential for promoting inclusive and sustainable development across the country, empowering county governments to take charge of their economic destinies while fostering collaboration with the national government and other stakeholders.

Monitoring is the continuous systematic process of collecting data and information throughout a project so that corrective action can be taken whereas, Evaluation is a systematic and objective process that periodically assesses a project against certain standards of acceptability.

CIMES refers to the County Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation System, a framework for tracking County Performance and Development Results. It is a replica of NIMES at the County level. NIMES is the National Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation System. It is a government-wide structured framework for tracking the implementation of government policies, projects and programmes. It was established to track all Government Programmes, the progress of implementation of the Economic Recovery Strategy and subsequently the Kenya Vision 2030 through its MTPs and to integrate all Monitoring and Evaluation systems in the Public Sector at the National level.

They are methodologies, software, and procedures used to assess the performance and effectiveness of projects, programmes, and policies in ensuring accountability and optimized outcomes. They include the M&E Framework, M&E Guidelines, M&E Plans, Performance Indicators, and Public Expenditure Tracking Survey.

Monitoring is used to determine whether the intended results are being achieved as planned and whether the initiatives positively impact development. Evaluation provides feedback that can be used to improve programming, policy, and strategy and identifies unintended results and consequences of development initiatives.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are goals which were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. At the heart of the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 related targets that address the most important economic, social, environmental and governance challenges of our time.

The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership.
• People – to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and a healthy environment.
• Planet – to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations.
• Prosperity – to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.
• Peace – to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies free from fear and violence. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.
• Partnership – to mobilize the means required to implement this agenda through a revitalized global partnership for sustainable development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all people.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are tracked through a robust, multi-layered monitoring system that operates at both the global and national levels. Progress is measured using a comprehensive set of targets and indicators, and reviewed through dedicated international forums and annual reporting mechanisms. 17 SDGs, 169 Targets and 251 (231 unique) Indicators. The link to the 17 Goals https://sdgs.planning.go.ke/sustainable-development-goals

Africa Agenda 2063 is the African Union's (AU) long-term strategic framework for transforming Africa into a global powerhouse. Adopted in 2015, it sets out a 50-year vision for inclusive and sustainable development across all 55 AU member states, centered on the idea of 'The Africa We Want.'

a. Social Budgeting is a process through which budget as a policy tool for development is initiated and sustained by the people themselves. It focuses on human needs and ensures that people’s right to basic social services like education, health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation are budgeted for.
b. Social Intelligence Reporting: Social Intelligence Reporting (SIR) is a tool for gathering data and information for monitoring the delivery and status of public social services notably; education services in primary schools, health services within facilities, community and school water points, sanitation in schools, nutrition standards and social protection schemes and child protection services. It is the compilation of the Social Intelligence Reports (SIR). SIRs track how budgets are working for children and women at facility/community and devolved levels, and stimulates actions and accountability by duty bearers. This knowledge is used to inform management/actors and for more efficient and effective strategies and policies in the social sectors.
c. Electronic Social Intelligence Reporting (e-SIR) system; Is a system for collecting information in the present economic environment. The revamped e-SIR system has taken advantage of technological advancements to enhance its functionalities.

Participatory Poverty Assessment (PPA) is a mechanism through which identified groups of people give their own definition and understanding of poverty based on their own discourse.

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life; access to knowledge; and a decent standard of living.