February 18 – 20, 2015, Istanbul, Turkey

Dr. Arthur Bainomugisha

Executive Director –ACODE & Lecturer Makerere

University

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH

Structure of presentation

What is ACODE?

Background to Local Government Councils Score Card

Initiative;

Policy Problem;

Theory of Change/Intervention;

The assessment and who is assessed;

Lessons learnt and Conclusion.

About ACODE

• Established in 1999, ACODE is an independent public

policy research and advocacy think tank based in Uganda

but working in East Africa with operations in Southern

Africa.

• Through policy research, ACODE assists regional

Governments and international development agencies

expand the range of policy choices for development and

governance.

The Local Government Councils Score Card

Initiative (LGCSCI)

“People want a form of government that is fully democratic and all embracing in terms of participation and benefit. It should be

one where the leaders put the interests of the people above their own. Such a form should make leaders at every level fully

accountable to the people who elect them”

Report of the Uganda Constitutional Commission, 1992

LGSCI AND DECENTRALIZATION DEFICIT IN UGANDA

Milestones in Decentralization

WHAT IS THE POLICY PROBLEM?

The rationale of decentralization is to improve the

delivery of public goods and services and deepen

democratization by:

Empowering local governments to engage in localized

planning and programme implementation

Creating citizens’ control of government to enhance

accountability through the democratic process

WHAT IS THE POLICY PROBLEM?

While there has been some progress in some areas, the outcomes of the decentralization policy have been mixed

Education enrollment has increased but education quality and performance remain depressing

The PHC infrastructure has expanded but the quality of health care remains dismal

While the roads budget has expanded tremendously, the road infrastructure has become a nightmare for road users

The ENR sector is facing the deepest crisis since the days of Idi Amin with almost no funding for districts;

Allocation of funds to Local Government remains minimal and affecting the quality of service delivery;

Leakages of funds as they move from centre to Local Government.

WHAT IS THE POLICY PROBLEM?

Imbalances in the current power configuration especially between the LG and the CG

Distorted/unclear vertical and horizontal accountability relationships

A disengaged citizenry without the requisite civic competence to demand for quality services and accountability for non-performance;

Mismanagement of public resources/corruption;

Rampant conflicts between Speakers and LC 5s and between the political and technical staff.

WHAT IS THE POLICY PROBLEM?

At ACODE, We are convinced that the problem of poor quality

services can only be improved by complementing the current supply-side

interventions with demand-side solutions

Consequently, the LGCSCI is premised on the demand-side model

theory of change;

Our theory of change is that by monitoring the performance of Local

Leaders on a regular basis and providing timely information about their

performance to the public, citizens will demand for increased

accountability on local political leaders hence triggering a vertical spiral of

demand for accountability from the local to the national level.

The LGCSCI Theory of Change

• Monitoring the performance of Local Councils/Leaders

and providing information about their performance to the

electorate will lead citizens to demand accountability from

their local elected officials.

• This increased citizen demand, which CSOs and local

governments will channel upwards to central government,

will ultimately result in– a more responsive government

– more effective service delivery

– better performing local government officials

– a more engaged citizenry

The LGCSCI Theory of Change

Strategy of the Local Government Council

Score-card Initiative• Research and Scorecard analysis

• Outreach and capacity building

– seeks to identify key factors that inhibit the capacity of district councils to

provide quality services to their electorate

– help design appropriate remedial actions to be taken to improve

performance.

– Councilor’s Diary

– Peer to peer exchanges

• SMS platform

• Intensive dissemination

• Building a local network of research and advocacy CSOs and individuals

(champions)

LGCSCI Research

Methodology

• Regional Balance

• Length of existence

• Model Districts

• Perceived

Marginalization

WHO IS ASSESSED?

District Council;

Chairperson;

Speaker;

Councillors

LGCSCI Methodology

• Score card developed and tested on a regular

basis

• Research Instruments for Data Collection– Structured Interviewer Schedules - Scorecard

– FGD Guide

– Key Informant Interview Guide

– Observation Checklist

– Photography

LGCSCI Methodology Cont’d

– Key Strength

• Robust methodology

• Multi-skilled team

• Triangulation of methods

– Key Limitations

• Possibility of biases

• Risk of bribery

• District Executive Committee not assessed

• Uniform treatment of all councillors regardless of area of coverage

and special interest

ACHIEVEMENTS TODATE

MoU with MoF

Early releases of funds to districts;

Improvement in monitoring of service delivery

Quality of debates in Councils has improved

Increased demand for LGCSI by other districts

Increase from 10, 20, 26, 30 districts.

Capacity building component- training, peer to learning and dairies;

Minutes and Documentation of council deliberations has improved;

Hostility towards the initiative has reduced;

Civic awareness of citizens has increased;

Peer to peer learning between districts- Nwoya- Kabarole; Gulu-Mbarara;

Initiative has become a model for replication in other countries.

Thank You.