Details

Between 2011 and 2013, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in cooperation with Action for Development (ACFODE) implemented the EU co-financed project “Action for Strengthening Good Governance and Accountability in Uganda”. The project was implemented in eleven Ugandan districts: Jinja, Palisa and Soroti in the east; Kabale, Kisoro, and Mbarara in the west; Arua, Pader and Lira in the north; and Masaka and Kiboga in the central region. Its overall objective was to contribute to the enhancement of democratic processes and accountability at the local level in Uganda while one of the specific objectives was to increase the capacities of and mechanisms for civil society and elected representatives to fulfil their roles and responsibilities in a democratic system more effectively.

From the different measures undertaken KAS and ACFODE registered remarkable success in the attainment of specific targeted results through a series of systematic training initiatives as well as research and publication activities. Among the outcomes of the project was the successful establishment of network of local civil society organisations active in the areas of democracy, good governance, and human rights.

In 2014, KAS worked together with the member organisations of the network in order to establish a Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed by representatives of 18 member organisations (MOs), as well as to draft a strategic plan for the network. Furthermore, the network rebranded itself and is now officially called Governance and Accountability Inter-District CSO Network Uganda – or in short: GAIN-Uganda. Based on the MoU and the draft strategic plan, a new National Steering Committee (NSC) with 9 members was elected. For 2015, KAS and GAIN-Uganda have two objectives based on the strategic plan: to improve the capacities of the MOs and to organise and implement activities on the local level in order to strengthen good governance and accountability.

In order to maintain the decentralised character of the network and increase ownership and participation of the MOs, the capacity building workshop was prepared by the NSC during the first NSC meeting of 2015 which took place on 14 to 16 May 2015.

The workshop will not only introduce the final version of GAIN-Uganda's strategic plan to the representatives of the MOs, but will also cover issues of resource mobilization, alliance building, advocacy, and the general political environment in connection to voter education.