Figure 1-3 – SUED Principles

A site visit and face-to-face discussions with various stakeholders were undertaken between 22nd and 23rd September 2021. Sectoral SWOTS were discussed during these meetings, plus the identification of future growth opportunities and constraints. After this, business consultations were conducted from 12th to 15th October 2021 followed by another workshop to gather feedback from the PSG and associated stakeholders on the initial findings in the diagnostics assessment from 27th to 29th December 2021. A visioning exercise was undertaken in a subsequent workshop, which provided the foundation of the emerging development concept and the development framework, setting the scene for the final UEP.

Business consultations were initiated to better understand how businesses operate in Wote Municipality. The business consultations were composed of one-to-one interviews with 74 businesses, many of whom were small businesses or independent workers, given the nature of the local economic climate, helping to establish Wote Municipality’s key sectoral activities.

The Gender and Social Inclusion (GeSI) study involved a literature review and primary research, covering interviews with key project informants and focus groups. This helped identify socially excluded groups, establishing how their exclusion is manifested and the local processes that perpetuate their exclusion; all of which helped in the development of gender and social inclusion interventions proposed in this UEP.

1.4 SUED Principles

The development of the UEP and identification and prioritisation of proposed projects are grounded on key principles that support the Programme’s aim to create market driven growth and build resilience. The Atkins SUED Team has defined these principles as:

Figure 1-3 – SUED Principles

Resilient Shifts in the economy Adaptive infrastructure to climate change Smart solutions Resource E cient Circular economy and zero water Water and energy management Rural - urban images

Socially inclusive Socio-economic trends Vulnerable groups Immigration/migration

Source: Atkins, 2022

Sustainable Low carbon development Green energy Green infrastructure

Sustainable: The UEP promotes sustainable infrastructure that supports the development of Wote Municipality, while minimising the environmental impacts of increased population and economic activity in the future as well as protecting the abundant water resources within the County.

Socially Inclusive: The UEP is socially inclusive building on the thorough analysis of the status of social inclusion within Wote Municipality through stakeholder meetings and focus group discussions. The identified excluded groups of PWDs and Youths are included in the UEP development process, the VCs and infrastructure projects to ensure that their impacts will equitably benefit all members of the community.

Resilience: The prioritised projects will have to be resilient against shifts in the economy, both for domestic and international markets, to remain competitive. They will also need to be adaptive to the climate change impacts specific to the area such as more variable rainfalls and higher temperatures, while ensuring technological advancement through smart solutions can be introduced where possible.

Resource Efficiency: To preserve the environmental assets and agricultural land, the UEP directs economic growth towards resource efficiency, by integrating the VCs to establish a circular economy promoting minimisation of waste and optimising water and energy use, whilst aiming to promote rural - urban linkages.. At its core the UEP seeks to create employment opportunities that are accessible to all and set out economic measures and supporting actions and projects that can help directly or indirectly lift the local population out of poverty whilst supporting crucial livelihoods such as the informal sector. All proposed projects (VCs and infrastructure projects) contained within the UEP have been screened and refined for their contribution to improving livelihoods by considering availability; accessibility; affordability; acceptability; and adaptability, across special interest groups as well as low-income groups, the urban poor and the informal sector. The aim is to minimise inequalities and improve access to job opportunities for optimum benefits to the community.

Persons with Disability (PWDs) and Youth in Wote Municipality face challenges that are either caused by or lead to exclusion, and recommendations for their inclusion are fully integrated in the UEP. People who are excluded are not ‘just like’ the rest of the poor, only poorer. They are also disadvantaged by who they are or where they live, and as a result they are locked out of the benefits of development.