Employing 68% of the population, the Ugandan agriculture sector is a key engine of sustainable and inclusive growth. Although dominated by older-generation smallholder farmers, it is also a potential source of job creation for youth, as 84% of the population live in rural areas. Uganda’s National Development Plans have brought about some progressive improvements in the institutional frameworks that govern the agriculture sector, and some of the reforms have focused on public financial management initiatives and modern management practices. But weak relationships (caused by lack of transparency and trust between market actors, and lack of information) constrain organizations within the agricultural system and limit their capacity. Key Ministries, Departments and Agencies and Industry Apex Organizations that are critical to driving improvements in Uganda’s agricultural sector need support to tackle their capacity-related challenges.
The purpose of the USAID Feed the Future Uganda Institutional and Systems Strengthening (ISS) Activity is to build capacity and strengthen the processes of the Government of Uganda’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies and Industry Apex Organizations that are vital to driving inclusive agriculture-led economic growth. The Activity helps these entities to improve internal processes and strengthen structures critical for sectoral coordination to enable them to better fulfill their mandates.
ISS improves the policy framework that supports the functionality of these institutions and strengthen their internal processes, making them more responsive to the needs of their consumers, members, and the public. To strengthen local ownership and innovation, the ISS leverages improvements in system function by empowering stakeholders to work together to mitigate common market constraints. ISS also focuses on improving the policy framework, budget and institutional processes, and institutional strengthening opportunities to empower women—a key untapped resource in Uganda. ISS promotes sustainability by incorporating key tenets: host country ownership, a focus on evidence-based results with real and measurable impact on development, harnessing the role of the private sector in development, and maximizing transparency and accountability
The goal of the Activity is to improve accountability, responsiveness, and performance of key national level Ministries, Departments, and Agencies and Industry Apex Organizations that will enable them to better fulfill their mandates, creating a more conducive environment for market actors to productively engage in the agriculture sector. Specific goals include:
