Coaching – The process of equipping the interns with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and opportunities they need to fully develop themselves to be effective in their commitment to themselves, the organization, and work.

Host Institution/organization – A public institution charged with hosting and training interns. Internship – A programme established to provide unemployed graduates with opportunities for hands-on training for skills acquisition to enhance future employability and fulfill the legal requirement for professional registration.

Intern – A student or graduate with relevant qualifications who has entered into a contract with an organization for a period of between three and twelve months with the intent of gaining supervised practical experience for registration with respective professional bodies and/or to increase chances of employability.

Graduate – An individual who has completed a course of training and acquired a degree or diploma.

Line manager – The head of a technical department/unit/section responsible for identifying internship opportunities and deployment of interns.

Agreement/Contract – A binding agreement between an intern and an MDA to participate in an internship programme.

Monitoring and Evaluation – Mechanisms put in place to ensure adherence to quality, standards, cost effectiveness and relevance of an internship programme.

Learnership – A formal programme which includes both structured work (practical) experience and instructional (theoretical) learning.

Mentoring – A system of semi-structured guidance whereby one person shares their knowledge, skills and experience to assist others to progress in their own lives and careers. Mentors need to be readily accessible and prepared to offer help as the need arises

– within agreed bounds.

Mentor – A competent person who imparts appropriate knowledge, attitudes and practical training to the trainee or mentee.

Public Service – The collectivity of all individuals other than state officers, performing a function within a state organ.

Supervisor – An employee under whom an intern is placed for purposes of allocating work to them and overseeing their work performance.

Youth – The collectivity of all individuals in the republic who have attained the age of 18 years but have not attained the age of 35 years.

1. INTRODUCTION

Context and Background

The high rate of unemployment in Kenya has been a source of great concern for policy makers in government and other key sectors. One of the contributing factors to this state of affairs is the lack of practical work-based experience among the graduates.

Every year, thousands of young people graduate from post school institutions and universities with certificates, diplomas and degrees from a wide range of academic and technical disciplines. However, their preparation for after-school work and life is generally low, leading to a sense of frustration and a great feeling of betrayal of the societal contract i.e. growing up, schooling and raising a family and contributing to the country’s growth.

Employment opportunities for the youth marks an important transitional period towards independence, increased responsibility and active participation in national as well as societal development. The converse is also true; left on their own without attendant remedial strategies, they are likely to fall into social ills such as crime, drug and substance abuse, and religious fanaticism.

As one of the largest employers, the public service has a role to play in ensuring that the youth, especially those with relevant qualifications, are offered opportunities to enable them gain practical work experience and/or fulfill the legal requirement for registration by professional bodies. Consequently, the public service Internship Programme (PSIP) has been established as an avenue for the youth to gain work place experience and enable them have a competitive edge in their job search.

Purpose of the Guidelines

These guidelines are meant to provide a one-stop source of information on the management of interns under the Public Service Internship programme (PSIP). The guidelines will shed light on the policies, procedures and practices governing the PSIP. It is also hoped that the guidelines will enhance transparency and ensure a uniform approach in mentoring engaged interns so as to impart them with requisite work place experience as envisaged by the PSIP. The specific aims, therefore, are as follows:

ensure a well-structured and coordinated internship programme;
provide a framework and standards applicable to all interns;
ensure effectiveness and efficiency in implementation and management of internship programme; and
provide a framework for monitoring, evaluating and reporting for improvement and sustainability of internship

Scope of the Guidelines

The internship guidelines shall apply to the Public Service.

2. ELIGIBILITY

The persons eligible for this programme shall:

be unemployed Kenyan graduates from recognized training institutions who have completed their degree courses within the last three years and have not been exposed to work experience related to their area of study;
be graduates of degree and diploma programmes, for whom internship is a requirement for registration by their respective professional bodies;
not have retired or exited from formal employment; and (iv)not have benefited from a similar

3. DECLARATION, RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION OF INTERNS

All Ministries, Departments and Agencies shall declare the positions available for interns within two months of the close of every financial year to the Public Service Commission (PSC). The Commission shall recruit and select suitable interns and match them with the requirements from MDAs within two weeks of the start of the financial year. The selected interns shall then be deployed to respective MDAS by the Commission.

4. DURATION OF INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

The internship period shall be twelve (12) months or the duration prescribed by the institution or professional body that regulates the profession in which the intern is seeking registration.

5. PLACEMENT OF INTERNS

Upon receipt of interns from the Commission,

Ministries, Departments and Agencies shall be responsible for posting of Interns to specific departments, units and institutions in consultation with the Head of Human Resource Management and Development and the line
Placement shall be done in accordance with the academic/professional qualifications of the

6. WORKING HOURS

Interns shall adhere to the normal government working hours as prescribed in the Public Service Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual or as prescribed by the relevant regulatory body.

7. STIPEND AND SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE

Each intern will be entitled to:

a monthly stipend; and
subsistence allowance when out of station

The rates shall be determined and communicated through circulars to be issued by the Commission from time to time.

The Commission shall make budgetary provisions for the stipends while Ministries, Departments and Agencies shall budget for subsistence allowance every financial year. State agencies who can support the internship programme through payment of stipend are encouraged to do so.

8. PAID EMPLOYMENT

In case an intern receives and accepts an offer of employment before the expiry of the agreed internship period, the intern shall be expected to give a two weeks’ notice to the Commission through the respective MDA before taking up the opportunity.

9. POST INTERNSHIP GAINS

The experience gained during Internship may be considered as an added advantage while seeking formal employment in the public service. The Commission shall maintain

a database of all beneficiaries of the programme and keep track of their progress.

10. INSURANCE

The government shall endeavor to include the interns under the Workman Injury Benefits Act

11. MEDICAL COVER

Interns shall be required to have a valid personal medical insurance cover by NHIF or other reputable medical insurance firm for the duration of the internship.

12.NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY FUND

Interns shall be required to register with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF)for purposes of social security and shall be deducted the contributions to the fund.

12. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING/WORKING TOOLS

MDAs shall provide interns with relevant working tools/equipment and protective gear where applicable. Interns shall account for tools and equipment issued to them at the end of internship period.

13. SECURITY/VETTING

Interns shall be vetted and sign a security declaration form during engagement. They shall provide a valid certificate of good conduct, bio-data and copies of National Identity card or Passport, PIN and Two (2) coloured passport size photographs at the time of engagement. Interns shall not divulge any information acquired in the course of duty to unauthorized persons.

14. TRAINING

The Public Service Commission shall organize an initial induction programme for all newly engaged interns before deploying them to the MDAs. In addition, line managers in MDAs shall identify coaches and mentors who shall ensure the intern is exposed to different functional areas of the department/unit and gains the competencies required to execute functions.

Every endeavor shall be made to ensure that the internship programme offers experiential learning activities and hands-on learning experience for the interns, including participation in seminars and workshops.

Coaching and Mentoring

Coaching and mentoring processes will be employed to ensure interns achieve their full potential.

15. LEAVE

An intern shall:

earn 25 days per month, translating to 15 working days per annum;
be eligible to benefit from accrued leave days after 3 months of continuous service;
be granted upto 30 days’ paid sick Any period of sick leave beyond 30 days shall not be considered for the stipend; and
be granted a compassionate leave of up to 5 working

Other types of leave or permission to be away from work such as for purposes of examinations shall count as part of the annual leave.

Maternity/Paternity leave

For purposes of the Internship program, those who take maternity/paternity leave shall be considered for deferment of the program until such time they resume duty. On resumption, the Interns will be expected to complete the twelve months internship period.

Entitlements

An intern will be entitled to the following:

sick leave as applicable in the prevailing regulations;
annual leave;
compassionate leave;
stipend; and
subsistence allowance when out of station at a rate to be determined by the Commission from time to

17.0 Discontinuation/Termination of Internship

The internship contract may be terminated at one month’s notice by either party. The termination notice shall be forwarded to the Public Service Commission by the respective MDA within one week of such a notice.

An intern may be discontinued from a programme on any of the following grounds:
- absence from the hosting institution without permission or reasonable cause for a period exceeding 24 hours;
- reports to a hosting institution under the influence of alcohol; (iii)performance is not satisfactory and not in line with public service ethos; (iv)involvement in fighting at the hosting institution;

(v) charged in a court of law with a criminal offence; (vi)willfully destroys the property of the hosting institution;

if at any time a hosting institution sustains a loss that is attributable to the neglect or fault of the intern; and
refuses to obey lawful
An intern may terminate the contract by:
- submitting a written letter of resignation/termination of the contract to the Authorised officer or Chief Executive Officer (CEO) through the supervisor by giving a one month’s
- giving a two weeks’ notice before taking up employment offered to him/her before the expiry of the agreed internship
An MDA reserves the right to terminate a contract with an intern at any point during the specified period. Notice for the termination of the contract will be as per the requirements set out in the

The Commission shall be informed of the termination and a documented report of the reasons thereof shall be submitted to the Commission without undue delay.

16. SUPERVISION

Host organizations or departments shall monitor the performance of Interns. Each intern shall be assigned a supervisor and or a coach/mentor to set targets, assign working tools, oversee the day to day work performance, and appraise him/her within the existing performance management framework and or Assessment guidelines as issued

by the relevant regulatory body.

The Interns shall be assigned specific areas of responsibility in writing

17. CONDUCT

Interns shall conduct themselves in line with established codes of conduct, rules and regulations of the public service, host organization and regulatory body.

18. DISCIPLINE

Disciplinary proceedings shall conform to relevant instruments such as the Employment Act, Public Service Commission regulations and policies of host organizations.

In case of gross misconduct, the services of an intern shall be terminated without
Upon termination, an intern shall not be entitled to the
In case of a charge for a criminal offence, an intern shall be discontinued from the internship programme

20. COMPLETION OF INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

Upon completion of internship an intern shall be:

required to present a report/paper to the Public Service Commission through the respective MDA;
provided with a letter of completion of internship by the respective MDA; (iii)issued with a certificate of completion by the Public Service Commission; and (iv)registered by the relevant professional body where

21. INTERN’S LIABILITY AND LOSS OF PROPERTY

Any loss occasioned by an intern shall be promptly reported to the Commission with recommendations to withhold the intern’s stipend and certificate of
At the end of the programme, or upon termination of internship, records of the intern shall be checked for any debts or loss of returnable supplies of host

22. PROGRAMME CO-ORDINATION

The overall program shall be coordinated by the Public Service Commission. However, all MDAs shall be in-charge of placement of interns, assignment of coaches/mentors, on- the-job training and payment of subsistence allowance whenever required.

23. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The roles and responsibilities of various actors in the internship programme shall be as follows:

The Public Service Commission

The Commission shall:

Issue policies and guidelines;
Coordinate the Public Service Internship programme; (iii)Budget for the Public Service Internship programme;

Recruit, select and deploy interns to Ministries, Departments and Agencies;
Pay stipend to the engaged interns; and
Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Public Service Internship

Regulatory Bodies

Regulatory bodies shall:

develop programmes consistent with the fulfillment of the learning objectives of the internship programme;
set and review the duration of internship programme;
develop norms, standards and evaluation criteria for the internship programme;
accredit internship institutions;
register and license professionals after successful completion of internship; and
disseminate code of professional conduct

The National Treasury

Provide budgetary allocation for Public Service Internship Programmes to the Public Service Commission and MDAs.

Ministries, Departments and Agencies

The Ministries, Departments and Agencies shall:

adhere to statutory guidelines with regard to engagement of interns;
declare internship positions/ vacancies to the PSC on an annual basis; (iii)conduct regular induction programmes for supervisors, coaches/ mentors and

line managers involved with internship programmes;

provide the necessary facilities to enable interns to acquire the required skills and knowledge;
appoint supervisors and trainers/mentors for the interns;
ensure that interns are properly engaged in relevant work assignments;
monitor and evaluate the progress of internship programmes in their organizations; and
report to the Public Service Commission, on a quarterly and annual basis, on internship programmes undertaken in their organizations and any challenges

Head of Human Resource Management and Development

The Head of Human Resource Management and Development shall:

facilitate and coordinate internship programmes across the organization;
Place the interns based on qualifications and area of specialty; (iii)administer performance management systems that involve the intern, mentor (iv)and manager;

liaise with other departmental heads in setting criteria for selection of coaches/mentors and supervisors;
develop capacity for mentoring and supervision of interns, and management programmes for internship activities;
facilitate payment of the subsistence allowance when applicable to interns in accordance with the guidelines;
coordinate the monitoring, assessment and evaluation of the performance of interns; and
compile and disseminate quarterly and annual reports on progress and challenges of internship

Line Manager

The line manager shall be responsible for:

identifying available internship opportunities/vacancies in the department/unit and forwarding them to the head of HRM&D for processing;
receipt and placement/deployment of interns within the department/unit; (iii)developing a structured training programme for interns;

ensuring that interns are provided with the necessary facilities and work space for effective performance of assigned tasks;
nominating mentors within the department/unit in accordance with set criteria;
supervising internship and mentorship programmes; and
reporting on implementation of internship and mentorship

Supervisor

The Supervisor shall be responsible for:

assigning work to the intern;
overseeing the day to day work performance; (iii)setting performance targets with the intern; (iv)providing experiential learning activities to the intern;

(v) assigning tools/equipment to the intern; and (vi)appraising the intern.

Coach/ Mentor

Coaches/ mentors shall possess qualifications and experience in the areas that skills- transfer coaching is expected. The role of coaches and mentors shall include:

Facilitating the exploration of needs, motivations, desires, skills and thought processes to assist the intern in making real, lasting change;
Using questioning techniques to facilitate interns own thought processes in order to identify solutions and actions rather than takes a wholly directive approach;
Supporting the intern in setting appropriate goals and methods of assessing progress in relation to these goals;

Observe, listen and ask questions to understand the intern’s situation;
Creatively apply tools and techniques which may include one-to-one training, facilitating, counselling and networking;
Encourage a commitment to action and the development of lasting personal growth and change;
Maintain unconditional positive regard for the intern, which means that the coach is at all times supportive and non-judgemental of the intern, their views, lifestyle and aspirations;
Ensure that interns develop personal competencies and do not develop unhealthy dependencies on the coaching or mentoring relationship;
Evaluate the outcomes of the process, using objective measures wherever possible to ensure the relationship is successful and the intern is achieving their personal goals;
Encourage interns to continually improve competencies and to develop new developmental alliances where necessary to achieve their goals; and
Work within their area of personal

Intern

The intern shall be required to:

abide by rules, regulations and protocols of the units and the organization;
demonstrate commitment and willingness to fully and actively participate in the learning experiences of the internship programme;
be ready to be deployed to any relevant office/work station where there may be an internship vacancy;
make effort to acquire relevant skills in the area of specialization;
complete assignments given by the mentor and/or supervisor;
complete the internship programme as per guidelines provided by the regulatory body;
provide regular feedback to the line manager through the supervisor on the progress he/she is making and any challenges thereto with regard to the internship programme;
observe confidentiality of information and security of tools/equipment that are placed in their possession in the course of the programme;

hand over all materials and equipment/tools belonging to the organization at the end of the internship period;
submit a copy of the report on internship experience to the line manager; and
clear with relevant authorities before leaving the internship

The Internship training plan includes the following information:

Host employer (MDA/organization)
Internship supervisor and/or mentor name
Intern’s title/role and tasks to be performed
Schedule, including number of working hours per week and overall duration Internship goals and learning objectives
Space for feedback received from employer during evaluation sessions The monitoring and evaluation framework will ensure:
Clear guidelines for ad-hoc audits and quarterly submission of Internship reports;
Guidelines on mentoring criteria for imparting appropriate skills to the Interns;
Regular research to establish reasons on MDAs failure to create reasonable Internship opportunities and why some do not declare opportunities through the Commission;
Guidelines on transit of Interns into the job market; and
Visits to monitor the progress of youth placed in internships as frequently as possible, given staffing and time These visits can be used to gather feedback on the interns’ performance and verify that their assigned tasks are in compliance with the employers’ commitments.

At the end of the internship, both interns and employers should provide feedback through standard evaluation forms.

24. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

Monitoring and evaluation will ensure control and provide information needed for improvement and sustainability of the programme. Evaluation will further establish the extent to which the interns and MDAs have benefited from the programme. The internship programme in the Public Service, therefore, will be carefully managed and

coordinated for sustainability, consensus and shared ownership by all stakeholders in order to realize the internship programme goals and targets.

Monitoring and evaluation of the programmes shall be undertaken through the following mechanisms:

monitoring of internship uptake trends and patterns for forecasting and planning purposes;
determining the total number of interns who successfully complete the programme, obtain a letter of completion and secure employment after the completion of the programme;
ascertaining the degree to which management of MDAs are satisfied with the value of and contribution made by the interns;
preparing annual reports on the Internship Programmes; and
reviewing the overall programme for purposes of improvements and alignment with both national and MDAs’ strategic

Framework for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Public Service Internship Programme

M&E framework will be designed to ensure adoption of a participatory approach in the implementation of the internship programme in the Public Service. Focus shall be on the following:

definition of the main objectives and targets;
selection of indicators to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the internship activities;
identification of lessons learnt and the reapplication of best practices; and (iv)involvement of MDAs and stakeholders in the monitoring and evaluation of the internship programme.

By Editorial Team

The Education News Hub Editorial Team is made up of vibrant and experienced editors. Brian Yano is an accomplished longtime Digital Media Journalist at Educationnewshub.co.ke with a great passion for research and fact-checking. He delivers engaging content across diverse topics, with a special interest in Education matters. On her part, Yvonne Kemunto is a journalist, dedicated to unraveling stories that matter. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she brings a fresh perspective to the world of media. Her commitment to detail and excellence shines through in every piece she crafts. Our newest member of the Editorial Team is Jennifer Mumbo. She is a Seasoned Multimedia Journalist with several years' experience; dating back to 2018. Jennifer has a passion for education, sports, tech, politics and entertainment. You can reach the editors at educationnewshub3@gmail.com.