1 EXECUTIVE SI-IMMARY
As part of the restructuring process of the Ministry, the Department of Planning and Information became functional on 3'd March 2003. The Department was created so as to enable the Ministry to carry out the functions of planning, monitoring, policy analysis and coordination of programmes in the energy and water sectors' The following are the functions of the Department:

• Undertaking socio-economic analyses of energy and water projects and programmes.
• Monitoring, evaluating and assessing the performance of the energy and water sectors in relation to established sector objectives and strategies and resources committed'
• Coordinating the preparation of energy and water development programmes and budget for the Ministry.Establishing and maintaining an effective and efficient management and information system for the development, management and utilization of the energy and water fesources.

• Addressing environmental issues related to project preparation, monitoring and implementation.

• Undertaking gender analysis and designing appropriate sub-programmes to ensure effective participation of women so that they contribute to the development of the energy and water sectors.
• Facilitating Iiaisons with c ooperating partners and non-governmental o rganizations on energy and water development programmes.The following are the objectives of the Department:
• To update and integrate the existing energy and water databases into an efficient and effective information management system for planning and decision-making.
• To effectively coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the national energy and water policies in order to ensure attainment of policy objectives.
• To provide and disseminate up to date information on Energy and Water resources for effective planning, development, management and utilization.
• To undertake and coordinate the planning, monitoring and evaluation of ministerial projects and programs in order to ensure their effective implementation.

Since its establishment in March 2003, the Department has been operating with three sections namely water, energyandinformationsection

Water Section - augments the planning function so that all programmes and projects are consolidated and are in conformity with the National Water Policy
 Energy Section - deals with all aspects of energy planning and policy formulation and to guide developments in the supply and demand of the various energy resources in the
country
Information Section - this section was created so as to serve as the central point for the compilation and dissemination of all relevant information to user Deparbments within
the Ministrv as well as to stakeholders' The Department is engaged in a number of activities in carrying out its given mandate as stipulated in the Ministerial Strategic Plan. The operations of the Department can be classified into 6 core areas namely:

• Monitoring and Evaluation of Energy and water Projects
• Information and Database Management
• Coordination of Key Ministerial Programs
• Gender Studies
• External Resource Mobilization
• General Administration