“Democracy means power of the people. Everybody belongs to the people. Power means responsibility. Everybody must be conscious that they are jointly responsible for the entirety of political and economic affairs.” – Konrad Adenauer, First Chancellor of Germany (1949-1963)
In the footsteps of the first Chancellor of Germany, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung upholds a legacy of advocating for inclusive governance and people-centred democracy. Everybody shares the responsibility to contribute to political and economic progress. Under this ideology, the project “Strengthening Performance and Accountability through Community Engagement” (SPACE) empowered citizens and civil society actors in Northern Uganda while strengthening the capacities of duty-bearers in accountability and responsive service delivery. Jointly, we addressed downward accountability and the performance of local governments in Northern Uganda.
The following report summarises the findings from the SPACE Project and reviews the political developments, positive and negative, in Northern Uganda. The report is based on a District Peer Review Mechanism (DPRM) – a study that takes a close look at good governance and inclusive service delivery in the districts of Arua, Gulu, Lira, Amuria, Moroto and Napak.
The project’s first DPRM was conducted in 2021 and unravelled the urgent need for strengthening civil society as well as local government capacities in Uganda’s largely rural North. Though the report pointed out big gaps in accountability, public resource management, citizen participation and service delivery, we were impressed by the constructive engagements between citizens and duty-bearers that followed.
This second and final DPRM report provides the reader with updated insights on district performance in the examined areas. We attempt to identify causes of success and poor performance in governance and service delivery and highlight citizens’ as well as representatives’ voices to paint a balanced picture of the reviewed districts.
This being the final report of the project, we urge duty-bearers and decision-makers to take our recommendations seriously in order to overcome the challenges of good governance and service delivery in Northern Uganda.
We thank all the contributors, team members and partners, particularly Lira NGO Forum, Riamiriam Civil Society Network and Mayank Anti-Corruption Coalition, for their support in realising the SPACE Project and this well-rounded report.
We are pleased yet again to share with you the results of the assessment and hope that you find them insightful.
