Citizens’ Participation Critical to Realization of Uganda’s Vision 2040
Under the strengthening oversight functions for accountable service delivery supported by United Nations Development Program(UNDP), The Uganda National NGO Forum in partnership with the National Planning Authority undertook a citizens survey on Uganda Vision 2040 from 8th -13th September 2014 in 34 districts through its sub National SPAN Infrastructure.
Using a team of 170 researchers, the survey made an outreach to 8000 households, 271 NGOs and over 30 local government staff at both technical and political level. The key sectors surveyed include education and literacy, agriculture, Oil and gas, Health, nutrition and sanitation, water resources, energy, tourism, cooperatives and groups, environment and natural resources, population, transport services, transparency and accountability.
During the survey process, citizens believed that the Vision 2040 could be achieved only if corruption was addressed since it has hampered service delivery. They also challenged government to popularize the Vision for all the citizens to embrace it and work towards achieving it as a nation. Citizens stressed that government needs to invest in offering subsidized inputs especially for agriculture so that people engage in commercial farming. The youth stressed that they are unable to contribute to Vision 2040 with the current unemployment rate
“How do we, as young people, contribute to Vision 2040 when the elderly do not want to retire and offer jobs to us! How are we going to sustain what they have done?” echoed a young man in Kiboga.
The survey findings will be disseminated to various stakeholders including National Planning Authority, Civil Society Organizations, Local Governments, media and citizens to inform the policy processes in the NDP II formulation and implementation phases.
The overall objective of the survey is to deepen citizen’s voice and participation in the realization of the Vision 2040 and specifically undertake a citizen’s satisfaction survey on NDP investments in selected sectors. The survey will identify citizens’ priorities for the subsequent National Development Plan 2016-2021, analyze the relationship between citizen priorities and Vision 2040 priorities and, identify and promote the role of citizens in achieving the development. The survey was undertaken at the conclusion of NDP1 that commenced in 2009, to partially assess the contribution of the NDP1 to the realization of the Vision 2040 as well as identify priorities that the government should lay emphasis on in the subsequent NDPs specifically NDPII.
Vision 2040 envisages “A Transformed Ugandan Society from a Peasant to a Modern and Prosperous Country within 30 years”. Experience shows that lack of citizen-led popular debate over national development policies and implementation poses severe constraints on motivation for high productivity. Citizens should be encouraged to participate not only in forging a shared vision for the country but also in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the development process.
