Introduction
The Security Management Institute (SMI) was established in October 2019 by KSG Council to provide training, research, consultancy and advisory services on diverse security issues. SMI therefore seeks to strengthen the capacity of national, county and regional security stakeholders to respond effectively to current and emergent insecurity challenges.

The Institute’s principal objective is to contribute towards shaping Kenya’s National Security Policy and Practice through capacity development, high quality evidence based research, consultancy and advisory services. This is done through think tanks: pooling of leading scholars and practitioners from academia, military, police, intelligence, prisons and other focal stakeholders.

Purpose

The mandate of SMI is provision of research and advisory services, training, capacity building, and consultancy services in the security sector. The Institute also serves as an informed voice on security policy debate; provides fora for exchange of ideas and information between security stakeholders and facilitates the development of communities of practice in the security sector.
The Institute fulfills its mandate through the following functions:

1. Enhancement of skills, competencies and knowledge for policy makers and practitioners
2. Problem solving research and case study development
3. Policy and technical advisory services
4. Expert consultancy services
5. Evidence-based policy making research
6. Community engagement programs

Role of SMI in Security Sector

1. SMI has aligned its activities with the security agenda of Kenya and the Region as interpreted from the UN Charter, Constitutive Act of the African Union, IGAD and EAC. These international and regional protocols capture fundamental security features that guide SMI training, research and advisory work.
2. These include promotion of peace and security; establishment of a connection between security and socio economic development; security and democratic government; advocacy for community participation in programs that enhance security and international cooperation.
3. SMI capacity building initiatives contribute to peace and security which are essential factors of human life. A peaceful and secure environment is critical to development since it affects all aspects of economic and social development and is a necessary sine-qua non to realization of national development.
4. SMI offers relevant and timely capacity building interventions to address the dynamic security challenges in the region and within the country,
5. The Institute, being a delivery organ of the School, contributes to national development through its programs. SMI provides a unique opportunity for security officers from diverse specializations to converge in a shared setting to acquire knowledge, discuss and share experiences in a collective, consultative manner on specific security themes such as violent extremism and terrorism, border management, conflict management and many more.
6. This expands the knowledge and experiential perspectives of officers and fosters a holistic approach to management of dynamic security phenomena. This further enhances coordination, cooperation and complementarities amongst players in this sector.
7. This approach is commonly referred to as Whole- of- Government and supports synergies, creation of networks and all-inclusive problem-solving methodologies.

 Some of the programs offered by SMI include.

• Prevention and Control of Violent Extremism Course for Senior Officers
• Prevention and Control of Violent Extremism Course for Middle Level Officers
• Kenya Coordinated Border Management
• Leading Organizations in Time of Crisis
• Senior Police Officers Management Course
• Senior Police Officers Management Course
• Management Course for Probation Officers
• Transnational Security Course Threats
• Community Service Course
• Conflict Management and Peace Building Course

The Kenya School of Government has over time responded to developmental challenges by designing appropriate curricula and internal institutions to facilitate capacity development in the public sector. One such internal institution established by KSG is the Institute for Devolution Studies which focuses on capacity building for the devolved units. The Kenya School of Government has contributed to the transformation of the public service by operationalizing and deepening devolution between 2013 and 2022 through the following training and capacity-building activities:-

1. Public Financial Management
2. IFMIS Courses
3. Public Finance Management Courses
4. Program Based Budgeting (PBB)
5. Public Procurement
6. Audit and Risk Assurance
7. Financial Accounting, Recording, and Reporting.
8. Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation
9. Project Planning and Management
10. Project Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
11. Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation
12. Human Resource and Performance Management
13. Performance Management
14. Performance Contracting
15. Human Resource Management Advisory Committees
16. Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database
17. Civic Engagement and Public Participation
18. Civic education and public participation
19. Induction Programmes for County Executive Committee Members, County Chief Officers, County Assembly Boards, and County Public Service Boards
20. Environmental and Social Safeguards
21. Environmental Impact Assessment
22. Environmental and Social Safeguards

CONSULTANCIES UNDERTAKEN IN COUNTIES

1. Recruitment Agency services
2. Organizational designs
3. Training Needs Assessment/Competency Gap Assessment
4. Development of Policy and Procedure Manuals

Introduction

The Institute is equipped with ultra-modern information communication technologies that includes an air conditioned and sound proofed video conference facility, multimedia laboratories with high speed internet connectivity and a modern boardroom for group meetings. It is an affiliate of the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), a partnership of over 120 learning institutions that leverage advanced communication technologies to facilitate learning and development. It is also a member of the Association of African Development Learning Centres (AADLC), an association that unifies and coordinates the activities of distance learning centres across the continent. Through these partnerships, it brings into the country a unique regional and global real-time interaction amongst policy makers from many countries, disciplines and sectors, regardless of national boundaries or time zones.

Mandate of the Institute

As a global knowledge-sharing institution, eLDI is mandated to leverage Information and Communication Technology (ICT) addressing knowledge and competency gaps among practitioners seeking to resolve twenty-first century challenges that hinder excellent service delivery. It does this through provision of:

1. Quality capacity development programs in eLearning, ICT and knowledge management delivered using state-of-the-art technological platforms
2. Innovative research to tackle practical problems
3. Policy and technical advisories
4. Transformative consultancy services

Themes

eLDi capacity building initiatives are guided by the following themes:

1. Digital transformation and ICT competencies
2. ICT for development
3. Digital infrastructure 
4. Information security and privacy
5. Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
6. Data Protection
7. eLearning

Role of the eLearning and Development Institute

1. The Institute contributes to national development through aligning its programs with the National Digital Master Plan, National ICT Policy and the regulatory framework that champion digital integration in the country
2. The Institute enhances successful delivery of e-government services through capacity building programs such as Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS), Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD), Electronic Records Management (ERM), which provides necessary skills for public officers to use the applications efficaciously.
3. The Institute improves ICT literacy by reducing the digital divide among citizens and fosters digital inclusion by giving them greater access to public services. 
4. It leverages on professional networks to connect experts using video conference facilities who deliver sessions during programs affordably. It also allows professionals to hold knowledge exchange forums conveniently across different time zones.
5. The Institute champions good practices in the design and implementation of eLearning. In this regard, it: Builds capacity of its faculty and the public service in eLearning design, development and implementation; Develops eLearning programs to address the needs in the public service; Supports organization in design, development and implementation of eLearning by providing technical assistance; Hosts and maintains eLearning systems for organizations
6. The Institute plays an important role in guiding the school in regard to adopting and embracing new technologies. The School is currently implementing a number of systems developed in-house as well as off-the-shelf systems such as the ERP.

Digitisation of Programs

Development in technology to support training and learning has seen institutions globally embrace eLearning as a mode of delivery. eLearning has been defined as the use of computer and internet technologies to deliver a broad array of solutions to enable learning and improve performance. Instruction is delivered electronically, in part or whole and learning is designed to provide close interaction with instructors while allowing greater flexibility to serve participants’ needs. Among the benefits of eLearning to an institution are larger audience outreach leading to increased revenue, reduced long-term costs of production and delivery, maintaining a competitive edge, enhanced image, use of presentations and multimedia elements of high quality and well trained staff.

The Institute had been set up to offer online from inception. However, it faced a number of challenges in implementation because of the following:

1. Inadequate human resource capacity in eLearning design, development and implementation.
2. Unstable Learning Management System (LMS) 
3. Lack of eLearning authoring tools
4. Limited capacity of the ICT infrastructure to support eLearning across the School, e.g. video conference facilities were available only at the premises in Lower Kabete

This necessitated the revitalization of eLearning at the School in order to achieve the following outcomes;

1. Use of sound learning design based on established educational good practice and research in eLearning programs
2. Use of technology and innovation to enrich the participants learning experience.
3. Facilitate effective coordination of e-Learning programs in the design, development and implementation.
4. Diversity of approaches to teaching, learning and assessment to ensure inclusion of different learning styles, learner preferences and access by Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs).
5. Institutionalize Learner support to ensure maximum the use of technology in learning and engagement.
6. Facilitate participant’s engagement before, during and after the programs.
7. Design e-Learning in the most cost-effective approaches, without compromising the quality.

The Institute therefore invested in aggressive capacity building of its staff, both locally and internationally, in world class programs. It also designed and developed a Learning Management System (LMS) in Moodle as well as upgraded its video conferencing facilities. It further upgraded its internet connectivity from satellite to fibre optic that provided greater speeds and stability in connectivity. An additional video conference facility was also put up in KSG Mombasa This has allowed it to reach a wider clientele, enhance efficiency of business processes and delivery of its programs.

1. Knowledge management
2. South-south knowledge exchange