Moving ahead after the baseline survey

Changes were called for, and recommendations made. The baseline survey took spent a lot of time with MS Uganda’s partner organisations a year ago. It now shows the time was well spent: Progress – and changes – are being made

By Kimbowa B. James, UPA

It is now coming to 12 months since a baseline survey of MS Uganda partner organisations was carried out by Centre for Basic Research. Below are reflections on the recommendations made to some of the MS partners.

The survey realised that the MS Uganda circle of partners has endeavoured to undertake programmes that are meant to improve governance, reduce poverty and main stream gender. However, it also realised that more efforts are needed to improve the governance area. This is in relation to the different problems that many partners face with their management boards, their legal status, and their organisation’s constitutions. The recommendations made in the survey report were also meant to assist all actors to strengthen their operations. The process to improve the governance area in many partners is still going on.

"For us, the baseline survey was an eye opener but also very timely for the organisation’s self-reflection," says David Ebong, chairman of Anti Corruption Coalition of Uganda in Apac, ACCA.

According to David Ebong it was recommended that the ACCA legal registration process be addressed. ACCA has been able to finalise its constitution during the past ten months and this lead to proper registration with the National NGO Board and the registrar of companies as a company limited by guarantee.

There is also more clarity on the relationship with other organisations, e.g. the anti corruption umbrella ACCU of which ACCA is a member.

Internally, ACCA has developed a three-year strategic plan, a finical policy and a code of conduct. This contributes to the efforts to put up impact indicators on its activities.

ACCA realises the need to record and make follow-ups during the anti corruption week. For example the number of letters received, the number of persons phoning in to the radio programmes, and the level of objectivity and the number of participants in the public demonstrations.

ACCA would also like to record the cases of corruption that are followed up when brought out in the open.

"We have actually managed to follow up on all recommendations. I feel the baseline survey was more of a supportive activity than a policing exercise", says David Ebong.

Legal registration

Like was the case with many other MS Uganda partners, the baseline survey study observed that the Agency for promoting Sustainable Development Initiatives, ASDI, based in Apac had to work on its legal registration. According to Behzad Khatai the organisational adviser and development worker, this is now finished.

"We also had a review of the ASDI constitution during the last annual general meeting, in which the roles of the board members and the administrative staff were clarified. Now the board is to do 100% policy work and the administration was also restructured," he explains.

The survey also recommended that ASDI broaden its categories of library users to include technical staff from the district. ASDI wrote letters to different offices including the District Chief Executive Officer inviting his office to utilise the library. During the year past since the baseline survey was carried out, ASDI also introduced Internet services, which have now attracted more users to the ASDI offices.

In connection to strengthening the rural member groups of ASDI there has been capacity building of groups in the areas of book keeping, group management and organisational constitutionalism.

"We cannot claim that the baseline survey enabled ASDI to do all this but I think it has been a development process which has been managed by willing and committed individuals in ASDI," says Behzad Kathai.

Individuals hindering change

It is, however, the fact that not all partners are successful with following up on the survey’s recommendations. With Gukwatamanzi Farmers' Association, GFA, in Masindi, the report recommended that GFA resolve its land ownership by securing the land title and dealing with the squatters on part of the land in question.

By the end of August, according, to the chairman of GFA, this was not yet achieved. He attributed this to lack of co-operation by key actors in this issue. As much as an institution or organisation is willing to effect change, individuals can hinder the pace of change. And in many cases it may depend on the number of individuals who are willing and determined to realise positive change, the chairman explained.