Who are we?

Uganda Debt Network (UDN) was established in February 1996 as an ad hoc coalition of 26 Non-Governmental Organizations, individuals, and representatives of religious and academic institutions. In 1997, it became registered as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) under the Non-Government Organizations Registration Statute, 1989.  In December 1999, UDN was registered under the Companies Act (Cap. 85) as a company limited by guarantee.

In 2007 the UDN Constitution was revised with new provisions for an inclusive membership, an extended term of office of the Board of Directors from two to three years, regulations for the operations of the Board of Directors and the creation of an Endowment Fund. These changes have strengthened the governance structures and systems in the organization with clear responsibilities and roles and stable relationships among different organs.

At its inception, UDN was formed to support the campaign for debt relief for Uganda and to actively participate in the global debt relief campaign being promoted worldwide by civil society organizations under the Jubilee2000 coalition. Uganda was at the time being promoted as a pioneer candidate to benefit from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). UDN’s work has since expanded and evolves around four thematic areas namely: a) Community Participation and Empowerment Programme b) Policy Analysis and Socio-Economic Research Programme c) Budget Advocacy Initiative Programme  and, d) Governance and Rights Programme. In the current programme period (2009 – 2011), a new programme area - namely Capacity Building Programme - is being added to address the critical needs of civil society organizations in Uganda.

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What is our Vision

A prosperous Uganda with equitable development and high quality of life of the people

What is our Mission

To promote and advocate for pro-poor policies and full participation of poor people in influencing poverty-focused policies, monitoring the utilization of public resources and ensuring that borrowed and national resources are prudently managed in an open, accountable and transparent manner so as to benefit the Uganda people.

. UDN Strategic Values and Principles

Since its inception, UDN has developed critical values and principles that are also the measure of the effectiveness and impact of its advocacy programmes and activities on civil society in Uganda. The following are the core values:

• Fairness and social justice
• Gender equality
• Accountability and Transparency
• Prudent use of resources to increase poor people’s welfare
• Access to and equitable distribution of national resources
• Facilitating citizens’ participation
• Giving voice to the poor and marginalized
• Ensuring space for the poor to claim their rights
• Participation of poor and marginalized people in their democratic
• governance.

UDN's Strategic Goals

UDN is driven by the following strategic goals that also inform its Vision and Mission

1.  To ensure that Uganda emerges from being a debt-burdened poor country and embarks on the road to sustainable development, growth and poverty eradication.

2. To ensure that macroeconomic and budget policies are participatory and incorporate the concerns and interests of poor people.

3. To mobilize the public to ensure public accountability and transparency in policy planning and formulation and in the utilization of public resources.

4. To ensure that UDN becomes an effective lobbying and advocacy organization capable of mobilizing civil society to influence policy planning at national and local levels.

Governance and Administration

The supreme organ of the organization is the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM elects the Board of Directors composed of seven members every three years. UDN is governed by a Board of Directors. Currently, the Board is composed of seven members, two of whom are women. The Board provides strategic support for policy formulation and oversees the duties and functions of the Secretariat and Office of the Executive Director in the execution of their duties. The Board appoints the Executive Director and all senior staff in the organization.
The Secretariat, is the planning and implementation unit of the network responsible for all planned activities.

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THEMATIC AREAS FOR STRATEGIC ADVOCACY PROGRAMME AND PLAN 2009 - 2011

Programme Area 1: Community Participation and Empowerment

Strategic Objective: The Minister of Local Government to establish and operationalize a participatory M&E function to improve local service delivery.

Expected Results

1. Joint Annual Review of Decentralization (JARD) is transparent and participatory

2. An institutional partnership between Central, LGs, small-holder farmer groups and CSOs established and operational in at least 4 districts

3. A strengthened and sustainable Community Based Monitoring and Evaluation System (CBMES) in at least 12 districts

Programme Area 2: Policy Analysis and Socio-Economic Research

Strategic Advocacy Objective: The Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to formulate and implement participatory and pro-poor strategies to reduce the number of people living below the poverty line

Expected Results

1. The formulation and implementation of the NDP is fully participatory and incorporates the concerns of the poor and marginalized people
2. Contracting and utilization of loans and grants is done in a open and transparent pocess

Programme Area 3: Budget Advocacy Initiative

Strategic Advocacy Objective:  The Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to formulate and implement participatory pro-poor budgets to ensure fairness in resource generation and equitable allocation and utilization to favour priority poverty-focused strategies.

Expected Results

1. CSOs pro-actively infl uencing national and local government budget processes

2. Local Government budgets are open and transparent and incorporate participatory budgeting principles and practices

Programme Area 4: Governance and Rights

Strategic Advocacy Objective: The President to implement zero tolerance towards corruption, wastage and misuse of public resources to improve transparency and accountability in Public Office

Expected Result

1. CSOs are Engaging Anti-corruption Public Institutions to effectively implement their mandate

2. The effects of corruption analysed, understood and minimized

Programme Area 5: Civil Society Organization Capacity Building

Strategic Advocacy Objective: Strengthened CSOs with credibility and effectively delivering on their strategic advocacy interventions for poverty reduction

Expected results
           
1. Effectively addressing demand-driven capacity needs of CSOs and partners

2. A strengthened Institutional Framework for Communication and Information Management

Programme Area 6: Institutional and Organizational Development

Strategic Advocacy Objective: A sustainable advocacy organization with solid governance and management structures and systems, motivated and committed members and staff able to deliver timely and high quality advocacy

Expected Results

1. Stregthened governance and management structure in place and operational
2. A Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy in place and operational

Funding for UDN activities

UDN has been able to attract funding from various funding agencies such as HIVOS, Cordaid, Christian-Aid UK, ActionAid Uganda, Dan ChurchAid, Trocaire, OXFAM GB, MS Uganda, IICD, DFID and others who provide core and project support for its programmes. Annually UDN attracts over US$ 750,000 for its programmes and activities. However, UDN also attracts non-financial contributions from institutions such as Media, Academia, central and local government departments, other NGOs (both local and international) and Religious Institutions. This has been in terms of free or subsidised air time, free facilities, mail delivery services and for mobilization.

Programme Implementation Strategy

Approaches and Methodology
UDN aims to promote the full participation of poor and marginalized people at every stage of the implementation of this programme. This entails the use of Participatory Action Learning (PAL) tools and methodologies aimed at promoting interactive learning processes, shared knowledge, and flexibility required to sustain the actions identified in the programme areas. The following approaches are currently being applied to help achieve UDN objectives:

• Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation
• Working with Civil Society Organizations
• Community Empowerment
• Rights-Based Approaches (RBAs)
• People-Centred Advocacy
• Gender and HIV/AIDS mainstreaming

Monitoring and Evaluation strategy

A Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Strategy is in place to track the progress of the implementation of the programmes. The following are the components of the M&E Strategy.

• Monthly review & planning meetings
• Quarterly review and planning meetings

• Half-Year Review and Planning Meetings
• Field visit activities
• Annual Review and Planning Meetings
• Mid and end-of-Programme External Evaluation
• Phase-out processes
• Documentation of experiences and lessons

Partners

To achieve her objectives, UDN works with:

• Other civil society organizations
• Government
• Media
• Academia and research organization
• Communities
• Youth task force members
• Development partners