Chalking up victories on Uganda's Scorecard

• Published in: New African (London. 1978) no. 598; pp. 35 - 37
• Main Authors: Ssemakula, Eugene Gerald, Mbabazi, Jonas
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: London IC Publications Ltd 01.10.2019; IC Publications, Inc
• Subjects: Accountability; Advocacy; Citizen participation; Citizens; Civil society; Councils; Initiatives; Interest groups; Local government; Meetings; Petitions; Political leadership; Public policy; Uganda; Uganda
• ISSN: 0142-9345; 2051-3054

The devolved services for local government include education, healthcare, water, roads, forests and wetlands, probation and welfare, HIV and AIDS, among other areas. [...]the implementation of decentralisation largely depends on the level of interaction between citizens (who give the mandate to the elected leaders); technical officers (who provide services to the citizens); and the elected leaders (who supervise the technical officers). Since 2009, the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) has implemented the Local Government Councils Scorecard Initiative (LGCSCI), a social accountability and capacity building initiative in 35 local governments of Uganda. [...]of this process, citizens in the districts of Arua, Masindi, Apac and Nwoya, implemented 59 strategies (including letters, petitions, community meetings) in the last nine months in an attempt to attract the attention of leaders and local governments to their plight. [...]of the process, classroom blocks have been built, more teachers been posted in schools, roads rehabilitated, more boreholes sunk in communities; women and youth have received farm inputs; measures to reduce absenteeism in schools and health facilities have been put in place in some districts.