ACTADE  PROGRAMMES

ACTADE currently has three fully fledged programmes and these are the Budget Analysis and Information Programme (BAIP), A National Trade Policy Advocacy Programme (Putting Trade on Uganda's Development Agenda) and the Internship Programme for young Professionals interested in development issues. Below ACTADE presents its Programmes: 
 

1.0 BUDGET ANALYSIS AND INFORMATION PROGRAMME (BAIP)

Introduction

A number of challenges still face Ugandans in effectively participating and benefiting from national budget. These challenges include, inter alia:
 

1. Effective participation of stakeholders in the budget and planning processes to-date is still very low due to lack of appreciation and understanding of the implications of the budget on Uganda’s development.
2. The budget process and development planning issues are complex, and often times are left to the government and its technical people yet they affect all stakeholders concerned with Development issues. 
3. De-linking the political process from budget implementation process, and increasing the involvement of stakeholders at budget formulation stage.
4. There is limited public awareness about the budget processes. 
5. Uganda Civil society lacks human, technical and financial resources to effectively engage in the Macro economic issues and the budget and government expenditure issues. Most Public Policy Research organizations, Think Tanks, NGOs and other CSO are engaged mainly in HIV/AIDS campaigns, elections, Political  party issues,  Human Rights, Relief and Disaster management, and have paid less attention to [Economic] development parameters and the role of the budget in resource allocation and poverty reduction

Effective training and budget education can greatly enhance the level of public debate about the budget. It is important to infuse the budget debate with serious, technical analysis of the budget policy and to train journalists’ government officials, and civil Society to engage in their own analysis in order to raise the level of the debate.  It is also important that ACTADE provinces publications designed to increase understanding of the budget process in Uganda.

In Uganda in which there is often a highly politicized debate over the budget, ACTADE is attempting to introduce serious technical analysis of the budget policy and to train government officials/MPs, journalists and CSOs to engage in the budget process and analysis. Because simple and easy to read budget information has not been readily available to civil society in the past, ACTADE’s plan is  to concentrate on getting as much information on the budget as possible to people and providing assistance in understanding what the implication of the budget policies actually are. Equally important, given the extremely short time the parliament has to debate and agree upon the budget, ACTADE has recognized the need to assist members of parliament with analysis of the budget preparation for the debate.

Also, ACTADE's BAIP programme   focuses on transparency and accountability in the budget process and establishing meaningful indicators by which to assess public spending. In a country struggling with the problem of corruption in government, ACTADE provides independent analysis of important economic issues in order to educate citizens, members of parliament and government of the implications of alternative policies being considered and to improve fiscal transparency and accountability in public sector institutions.

Principles proposed by the BAIP

The key to successful budgeting is adherence to sound principles that embrace foundations for institutional organization in the utilization of public resources in a country. Therefore in this programme, we propose the following principles as underlying the budget management;
 

• Implement regulation that ensures equal opportunities access to essential services and contribution in economic development through better legislation, strong and independent institutions and less government in private sector business.
• Introduce fiscal discipline that is characterized by efficient public expenditure management and responsible borrowing.
• Link fiscal strategy to the poverty and inequality diagnosis  in the PEAP;
• Promote policies that enhance private sector growth; and
• Commit to increased development expenditure as a proportion of total government revenues.

Programme Purpose 

The overall objective of this programme is to empower government officials /MPS, Journalists or the media, civil society, academia and other stakeholders  through well-targeted research and  policy analysis, policy advocacy, information generation and dissemination, dialogue,  and capacity-building  - to enable them take informed positions, and proactively engage, in relevant national policymaking processes related to the budget, poverty  and economic development.  Effective training and budget education can greatly enhance the level of public debate about the budget. It is important to infuse the budget debate with serious, technical analysis of the budget policy and to train journalists’ government officials, and civil Society to engage in their own analysis in order to raise the level of the debate.

Specifically, it aims at:

• To spread the understanding of the budget process in Uganda and empower the citizens so that they can engage in the budget process at both the national and local authority level. 
• Empowering Ugandan government officials /MPS, Journalists and civil society to engage effectively in relevant budget processes – and to mainstream budget into their advocacy strategies.
• To demystify economic decision-making in general and budgets in particular by engaging in economic literacy campaigns and creating awareness. 
• To collaborate with other partners in carrying out relevant research and to disseminate such research findings and other budget information to all stakeholders and the public to achieve our goals. 
• To build the technical capacity of government officials /MPS, Journalists and civil society and other stakeholders to effectively participate in the Budget processes. 
• Promoting the development of balanced and integrated policy recommendations supportive to sustainable development in Uganda – mainly through facilitating workshops and seminars where participants with different backgrounds come together to learn about, and discuss, key issues at the intersection of  the budget  and development.
• Helping to facilitate a smooth but efficient and proactive consultative process in Uganda, especially by CSOs by supporting the members through needs-specific research and its dissemination. 
• Backstopping and building capacity of Ugandan policymakers at national level about key issues at the intersection of economic governance and development.
• To mobilize and gather stakeholders views to input into national budget process. 
• To advocate for transparency, inclusiveness and effective participation in budget and planning process. 
• To provide independent analysis of the important economic issues in order to educate citizens, members of parliament and government as well as civil society of the implications of alternative policies being considered and to improve fiscal transparency and accountability in the public sector institutions.

2.0 NATIONAL TRADE POLICY AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMME : Putting Trade on Uganda's Development Agenda

Introduction

Uganda lacks a national trade policy to effectively steer production, marketing and trade, and there is no policy on internal trade at hand.  Apparently, the MTTI is one of those under-funded ministries since - although political oratory emphasises the key role trade is playing in eradicating poverty - Government does not consider the MTTI a core or key ministry. Relatively to the role it should play, the MTTI is disadvantaged and has significant capacity problems, as it is not in a position to effectively provide the necessary trade-related support to small-scale producers and farmers in Uganda.

Moreover, Uganda's national poverty reduction strategies and related plans, such as the PEAP and the PMA, do not fully respond to the production-, trade- and marketing-related needs of Ugandan small-scale producers and consumers, and do not appropriately take account of supra-national dynamics – i.e. at the WTO and regional level - as they impact on production and trade in Uganda.

At district level, where there should be information to be given to the grassroots, there is hardly any information dissemination and support to those engaged in farming, livestock and fishing. The MTTI and its trade promotion agencies (UIA, UEPB) do not help build capacity for the producers in the villages, and most of them do not even have a representative in the Districts. District commercial officers - where ever they exist - do not get timely information from their line ministry (the MTTI). As a result, they do not disseminate information to those requiring it. Above that, few commercial officers who have accessed some trade policy literature are complaining that trade is a complicated subject. The provision of necessary trade-related information and advice to the farmers and other producer in Uganda therefore remains wanting . 

Civil society organisations (CSOs) and community based organisations (CBOs) both at the national and district level lack knowledge and comprehension of trade issues, and have thus not taken trade policy and trade issues as priority issues in their core programmes, activities and advocacy work. They lack the infrastructure, and expertise to engage in trade policy advocacy, and if they do so most of them can only employ defensive overall strategies. What civil society largely fails to do – due to the lacking awareness and capacity – is to proactively and critically engage in the national debate around sketching out and establishing a comprehensive and integrated trade policy, by voicing and advocating for its specific needs, interests and fears.

 Programme Purpose

The overall objective of this programme is to empower disadvantaged Ugandan stakeholders at national and district level - including policymakers, civil society, small-scale farmers and producers, as well as academia - through policy advocacy, information generation and dissemination, dialogue, capacity-building and well-targeted research, to take informed positions, and proactively engage, in relevant national trade policymaking processes so that these generate pro-poor pro-sustainable development results. Specifically, it aims at:

? Sensitising Ugandan stakeholders in trade policy about the relevance of Ugandan trade policymaking for their livelihoods, food security, and development.
? Empowering Ugandan civil society as well as small-scale farmers and producers to engage effectively in relevant trade policymaking processes – and to mainstream trade into their advocacy strategies.
? Promoting the development of balanced and integrated policy recommendations supportive to sustainable development in Uganda – mainly through facilitating workshops and seminars where participants with different backgrounds come together to learn about, and discuss, key issues at the intersection of trade and development.
? Helping to facilitate a smooth but efficient and proactive consultative process at the Inter-Institutional Trade Committee (IITC) by supporting its members through needs-specific research and its dissemination. 
? Building capacity of District Commercial Officers and strengthening their understanding of relevant trade issues – for example, on the WTO, the 'Doha Development Agenda' (DDA), the East African Customs Union or the Cotonou Agreement - so that they are capable of giving quality advice to farmers and producers in their Districts.
? Backstopping and building capacity of Ugandan trade policymakers at national level about key issues at the intersection of trade and development, enabling them to provide appropriate services to Ugandans.
 

WTO issues and Market access
“International trade can play a major role in the promotion of economic development and the alleviation of poverty” DOHA Declaration on WTO 2001

While the WTO has several issues and agreements of concern to Uganda and the EAC, ACTADE will concentrate on the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) and General Agreement on Trade in services (GATS). 

Agreement on Agriculture (AoA)
Under this agreement, the major concern of Uganda is that developed countries are subsidizing their (rich) farmers yet Ugandan farmers are not supported. This is causing unfair competition in the world under the WTO. Related to agriculture is market access for agricultural products and Non agriculture Market Access (NAMA) 

General Agreement on Trade in services (GATS)
Uganda earns a lot from remittances from its people who offer their services abroad. Trade in services is therefore important to Ugandan economy.
 

“We confirm that technical cooperation and capacity building are core elements of the development dimension of the multilateral trading system” DOHA Declaration on WTO 2001

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and Market access
      Democratizing and Domesticating International Trade Debate on EPAS and WTO

Uganda faces a challenge of linking international trade negotiations with the local and national level trade and development agenda. Uganda has been involved in trade negotiations at different levels – regional, bilateral and multilateral- with no systems in place to ensure that what is negotiated at the international level reflects the requirements at the local level. Emphasis has been placed on international markets, ignoring internal trade/market issues. Uganda has no domestic trade policy and has no comprehensive trade policy. Most of the trade reforms took place without a National Trade Policy to guide the nation. This has led to trade negotiations at the international level not taking into account local and national developments concerns. These challenges have also been compounded by the limited/low participation by key stakeholders in trade processes at both local and international levels.
 

Trade and Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) in Uganda 

The main strategic objectives of ACTADE under this thematic area include establishing the link between trade and poverty reduction in Uganda; explain role of trade in fighting poverty; and disseminating information on trade.
Uganda under the PEAP has identified as an important component of poverty reduction. ACTADE believes that Aid cannot eliminate poverty – without production and trade. Therefore, ACTADE wants the government to put emphasis on the importance of domestic trade issue – apparently the government of Uganda has no domestic (internal) trade policy. The government will have to reduce the supply side constraints in order to boost production. 
 

The East African Cooperation (EAC) and The EAC Customs Union

The Treaty establishing the East African Cooperation was signed in Arusha on 30 November 1999 -between Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya- and the cooperation came into force on 7 July 2000.  The new EAC aims to be private sector driven, internationally competitive and people-centred.
 

“With improved policies and institutions,…. Africa has the potential to achieve the growth necessary for rapid, sustained poverty reduction” World Bank Development Report 2003: Sustainable Development in a Dynamic world.

The Protocol that established the EAC Customs Union was signed in March 2004 and came into force on 1st January 2005. The aims of the Customs Union are to widening and deepen co-operation among the member states through policies and programmes for their mutual benefit in the political, economic, social and cultural fields, research and technology, defence, security, legal and judicial affairs. In the economic sphere, the EAC focus is on the regional integration of trade and investment policy, monetary and fiscal policy, and labour and capital markets. The log term goal for the EAC is to eventually become a Common Market, a Monetary Union, and finally a Political Federation. The trade policy agenda of the EAC aims at turning the three partner states into a single investment and trade area, and to increase the volume of trade among themselves and with the rest of the world.
 
 

3.0  INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

“Understanding of Policymaking and implementation process is the first step to Poverty elimination”

Background 

Uganda has undergone a number of changes since the economic and market liberalization reforms that took place since the 1980s. As a result, our market is more open and competitive than it was before these reforms. However, Uganda still has a long way to go towards achieving the type of economy that creates more wealth and employment for its people. According to Uganda Poverty Status Report 2005, income poverty is still at 38%, as it was in 2003 with 42% rural 12% urban dwellers.  The Chronic Poverty Report, DRT 2005, ascertained that almost 20% of Ugandans have been locked in chronic poverty for the last decade.
Uganda has made the PEAP as the main National strategy and work plan document, with five pillars (which are also linked to the MDGS): Economic Management; Enhancing production, competitiveness and incomes; Agriculture and service delivery for agriculture and rural development competitiveness and trade; security, conflict resolution; good governance and; human development. 

However, Uganda does not have young professionals, with an all – round academic background who interested in the development aspects of Uganda. 
ACTADE is specifically seeking for five (5) young women and men aged 20 – 30 years Internship Programme. The internship programme is innovative and exciting programme for young women and men from the Eastern which will be held thrice every year from February to December – session lasting for three months.

The programme provides opportunities for learning, interacting and discussion policy and development issues with cabinet members, MPS, civil society and the press. 
The programme provides opportunity to the interns to gain hands on experiences in working within a public policy research and information organization. They have the opportunity to bring their own perspectives into the work of ACTADE and partners CSOs, and to shape the Internship Programme. The programme will also shape their approach to gender issues and issues at regional and global level that impact on women and men especially international agreement related to trade, aid and development.

At the end of the Internship Programme, each intern is expected to produce a research report on an area of their choice but related to the work that ACTADE does, based on their experience at ACTADE. 

Applications for the Internship Programme will be invited from young women and men in Uganda who wish to take up such an opportunity. 

Applicants must posses a first degree in law, business, social sciences and agriculture and must demonstrate commitment to gender equity and equality. They must be interested in working on development and advocacy issues to stay with ACTADE for a period of three (3) months. 
2.0 Programme Justification

The youth are Uganda’s future leaders as policymakers, technical staff of government, religious leaders, and social and development advocates. They will have to prepare to fight poverty in Uganda.   In order to realize tangible growth and development,  it vital that the youth know what constitutes development and how to influence development in Uganda. 
To be able to influence growth and development, the interns have to do the following:

• Understand the role of the president, the judiciary,  members of parliament, the press and civil society  in the [economic] development of Uganda ;
• Get as much information on the trade and economic development about Uganda. 
• Support civil society organisations and improve their understanding of and engage with, the national budgets and the budget process – as  a means of fighting poverty and promoting good economic governance and democracy in Uganda; 
• Build the technical capacity to effectively participate in the national policy formulation  process ;
• Identify Uganda’s trade  negotiating interests based on national and local development priorities;
• Follow up and evaluate the  government expenditure via the budget  in line with national development concerns;
• Unpack and Repackage information on the budget, government expenditure, trade and poverty.

Programme Purpose 

The overall objective of this programme is to develop and empower the youth to undertake research and policy analysis, policy advocacy, information generation and dissemination, dialogue, and capacity-building.
Effective training can greatly enhance the level of public debate about the budget. Uganda needs technical analysis of the government policy in order to in order to raise the level of the debate.

Specific objective for this programme is for the interns:
 

• To spread the understanding of the national planning processes in Uganda and empower the citizens so that they can engage in these process at both the national and local authority level. 
• To understand how to demystify economic decision-making by engaging in economic literacy campaigns and creating awareness. 
• Build the technical capacity to effectively participate in the national policy formulation  process ;
• To understand how to carry out relevant research and to disseminate such research findings. 
• To build the technical capacity of government officials /MPS, Journalists and civil society and other stakeholders to effectively participate in the Budget processes. 
• Promoting the development of balanced and integrated policy recommendations supportive to sustainable development in Uganda – mainly through facilitating workshops and seminars where participants with different backgrounds come together to learn about, and discuss, key issues at the intersection of  the budget  and development.
• To mobilize and gather stakeholders views to input into national planning processes and debates. 
• To provide independent analysis of the important economic issues in order to educate citizens, members of parliament and government as well as civil society of the implications of alternative policies being considered.

4.0  OTHER RESARCH ACTIVITIES ON  MACROECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

ACTADE also conducts research on the other Determinants of economic Growth and development. We also look at those factors and issues that influence development and poverty reduction.
We therefore will carry out research and disseminate information on:

Trade and Poverty
Aid, Debt and Trade
Good governance, income distribution and  economic development
The fiscal policies 
Price level and economic stability