How Building Capacity of Local Leaders is Driving Change in Uganda
Posted on: 2023-09-13 00:00:00
In one inspiring story that demonstrates the impact of our project on local government political leaders from Wakiso and Mbarara districts, two former Councillors were successfully elected as Members of the National Assembly in the 2021 general elections.
Hon. Betty Naluyima (Woman MP, Wakiso District) and Hon. Basil Bataringaya (MP Kashari North Constituency, Mbarara District) are two politicians who attribute their success in Parliament to the capacity-building training they received from ACODE while serving as Councillors in their respective District Councils. Their stories illustrate the importance of training and continuous learning for elected officials, especially in a country where minimal resources are allocated towards the training and induction of new local leaders by the Ministry of Local Government.
Hon. Naluyima's journey from a District Council Member to a high-performing Member of Parliament has been shaped by her experiences with the ACODE Local Government Councils Scorecard Initiative (LGCSCI). Despite the challenges faced in allocating resources towards the training and induction of Councillors by the Ministry of Local Government, Hon. Naluyima credits her success to the capacity-building training and assessments she received from ACODE while serving in the Wakiso District Council.
Read MoreEmpowering Local Communities Boosts Service Delivery and Accountability in Uganda
Posted on: 2023-09-13 00:00:00
In an era where transparency and accountability in public finance management had mainly focused on the supply-side, ACODE championed a transformative approach to building the demand-side of accountability. Recognizing the critical role of citizen participation in fostering effective governance, ACODE designed strategies that empowered communities to actively engage their leaders and demand efficiency in the delivery of public goods and services.
With the introduction of Civic Engagement Meetings (CEMs) and Citizen Engagement Action Plans (CEAPs) methodologies in local communities, citizens have been empowered to strengthen the demand-side of accountability, especially at the local level. These approaches were designed to enhance citizens' capacity to effectively participate in public affairs that affect their livelihoods. By providing communities with the necessary knowledge and skills, these approaches have helped citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes and hold their leaders accountable.
For decades, one of the major contributing factors to weaknesses in public service delivery in Uganda had been attributed to limited citizen engagement in public affairs. ACODE identified the need to address this gap by developing citizen-driven demand for service delivery and accountability, enabling communities to utilize the available tools for engagement and hold duty-bearers accountable.
Read MoreThe “One Government” Approach Sets the Foundation for Implementing the 10-Year Roadmap for Government of Uganda's Health Supply Chain Self-reliance
Posted on: 2023-04-26 00:00:00
January 20, 2022, saw the unveiling of the 10-Year Roadmap for Government of Uganda’s Health Supply Chain Self- Reliance, which aims to strengthen the government’s capacity to effectively plan, finance, and manage national health supply chain priority needs independent of donor support. This is in line with Government of Uganda’s Vision 2040 and National Development Plan III that seek to make Uganda more self-reliant and progress to a middle-income country status. The roadmap describes the short-, medium- and long-term investment needs of Uganda’s health supply chain system over the next decade.
The roadmap development process brought together Government of Uganda’s ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) that have a critical role to play in the health supply chain as a single entity to achieve a common goal. This “one government” approach to developing and implementing the 10-year health supply chain roadmap seeks to maximize the use of existing resources, competencies, and capacities within MDAs to act on Uganda's health supply chain priorities in the next 10 years as shown in the illustration below. The approach further strengthens inter-sectoral collaboration, leadership, and ownership since the roadmap’s successful implementation requires multisectoral planning and programming.
During the roadmap development process, a robust stakeholder mapping, analysis, and plan for engagement identified stakeholders’ diverse interests and their potential influence on the supply chain. The appropriate mode of engagement was also established with guidance from the Inter-Ministerial Task Force of the national health commodities supply chain. This Task Force is a government-led working group bringing together line ministries and donors such as USAID, UNICEF, Global Fund, and UK Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office, with SSCS as the secretariat, to plan Uganda’s future health supply chain. Through the Task Force, the different government ministries, civil society organizations, private sector actors, and health development partners whose interests aligned with the roadmap’s aspirations, were identified and engaged throughout the development process.
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