Browsing by Author "Mubiru, John Bosco"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Development and social policy reform in Uganda: The slow emergence of a social protection agenda (1986-2014)
    (Centre for Social Science Research University of Cape Town, 2014) Grebe, Eduard; Mubiru, John Bosco
    This paper provides a broad overview of the evolution of development and welfare policy—and the politics surrounding—it in Uganda, but focuses primarily on the increasing prominence of social protection, especially cash transfers, on the domestic political agenda. It analyses both how and why the development and social policy agendas almost fully excluded social protection prior to 2002, but then increasingly embraced it, especially since 2006. Non-contributory social assistance in the form of cash transfers have not traditionally played a significant role in Ugandan development and poverty reduction policy, with policymakers tending to focus on economic growth as a source of prosperity (expected to extend to all sections of society), with opponents seeing cash transfers (and social assistance more broadly) as unaffordable and counter-productive ‘hand-outs’ that create dependence on the state and disincentivise productive work. From the early 2000s donors, sections of the bureaucracy and civil society promoted cash transfers with limited success. But after 2006, systematic promotion of cash transfers started to bear fruit, and from 2010 a largely donor-funded cash transfer pilot scheme known as the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme has been implemented in fourteen districts (with a fifteenth added in 2013). The paper describes the evolution of Ugandan development policy and highlight the political factors that have in the past been obstacles to social protection programmes featuring prominently on the development agenda (including the predominant socio-economic development paradigm, negative elite attitudes, resistance from conservative technocrats and lack of familiarity among key decision-makers) and examine how these have increasingly been overcome by the proponents of social protection. While donors have played a critical role in the promotion of social protection and cash transfers, other actors—including civil society and social development bureaucrats—and macropolitical factors (including electoral competition, changing international development discourse, emerging evidence from other countries, etc.), have also contributed to increased domestic political support. We conclude that the very existence of SAGE and the politics surrounding the pilot indicate a significant change in attitudes among a large proportion of policy-makers, including some historically sceptical technocrats, and political leaders, but that resistance is likely to continue from certain quarters and that the future of cash transfers remains uncertain.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Role of Local Government in Social Protection Programmes: A Case of Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (Sage) in Uganda.
    (ResearchGate, 2015) Mubiru, John Bosco
    Social protection has been recognized as a critical element of national development strategies in both developed and developing countries. Uganda have embraced social protection interventions in the recent years as key to achieving inclusive, pro-poor, and equitable development which is evident in its commitments to declarations at regional and international levels. The government has further established and implemented social protection interventions (both contributory and non-contributory schemes). The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development through the Expanding Social Protection (ESP) Programme with financial support from DFID, Irish Aid and UNICEF is piloting two schemes – Senior Citizen Grants (SCG) and Vulnerable Family Grants (VFG) under the SAGE programme. The local governments have been among the key stakeholders in the implementation of the SAGE programme in the 15 pilot districts. They have participated in range of activities including identification, targeting and selection of beneficiaries; sensitization, awareness raising and community mobilizations; managing grievances; coordination; monitoring and reporting as well as providing office space. The participation of the local governments in SAGE has been attributed to some enabling factors that include the trainings; monthly allowances; logistical support; political capital of the programme and the clear mandate on the roles of local governments. However, local governments’ participation in the SAGE programme have encountered a number of challenges such as staffing gaps; reporting challenges; inadequate financial resources and role conflicts. Despite the challenges, SAGE has also impacted on the performance and service delivery of the local governments in the pilot districts In order to strengthen the effectiveness of the local government’s participation and the objectives of the SAGE programme, there is need to create linkages between beneficiaries and other social services; mainstream SAGE in the local government plans and budgets; strengthen the coordination and information sharing and promoting social accountability.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Why Social Protection programmes have attracted domestic political support in Uganda: Evidence from Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) Pilot programme
    (ResearchGate, 2014) Mubiru, John Bosco
    This paper examines why Social Protection interventions such as the current Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) pilot programme in 14 districts of Uganda has attracted more domestic political support in the recent years than before 2006. The paper further highlights the political factors that were previously an obstacle to the implementation of social protection programmes including the predominant political (and socio-economic) paradigm factors, negative elite attitudes, politics within institutions and lack of genuine knowledge among stakeholders about social protection. The paper also examines factors that have contributed to the increased domestic political support for the SAGE pilot programme in Uganda. The factors discussed include Civil Society pressure, donor support and policy influence, the current political environment and institutional capacity building through trainings as well as study trips. The paper demonstrates that over the past few years, there has been an effort to increase knowledge and discussions on the need for social protection and its affordability in Uganda which has attracted the attention of politicians. The paper indicates that “political buy-in” is necessary to ensure that social protection is given a high priority and is sustained. The paper concludes by arguing that politics in Uganda remains a central aspect in social protection advocacy in Uganda. As such, it is vital that domestic political support is won if social protection interventions such as SAGE are to be recognized as a priority policy and budget issue for Uganda.