Govt unveils plan to stamp out service delivery inefficiency

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The Government has issued a tough warning to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as it rolled out a new five-year framework aimed at tightening coordination and improving service delivery across the public sector.

Speaking at the launch of the Strategic Plan, Service Delivery Standards and Client Charter at the Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) in Kampala today, Minister for General Duties Kasule Lumumba cautioned that the government would no longer tolerate poor performance or fragmented operations.

“We will not tolerate inefficiency, duplication, or siloed operations. Those practices belong to the past. The future is coordinated, accountable and results-oriented,” she said.

The new instruments will guide government work from 2025/26 to 2029/30 and are intended to streamline planning, reporting and performance management across public institutions.

Lumumba said the documents mark “a fundamental shift in how government functions” and reinforce a commitment to national priorities under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).

“These are not optional guidelines. They are binding commitments that must shape how the entire public service plans, coordinates and delivers,” she said.

According to Lumumba, the Strategic Plan shifts government towards stronger delivery, evidence-based decision-making and closer tracking of priority programmes.

It also highlights key growth sectors including agro-industrialisation, tourism, mineral-based industrialisation and science, technology and innovation.

She said the new Service Delivery Standards set expectations for consistent and fair public services, while the Client Charter empowers citizens to demand timely and professional service from OPM. “It gives them a clean bill of rights on the services they should receive,” she said.

Lumumba urged MDAs to align their systems with the new direction and warned that OPM would intensify monitoring through integrated platforms and real-time tracking mechanisms.

Representing the Office of the Head of Public Service, Deputy Head of Public Service Jane Kyarisiima Mwesiga described the three instruments as practical tools designed to improve coordination and accountability.

“These are not simply documents; they are practical tools that will guide coordination of government business, enhance accountability, and strengthen service delivery across the entire public sector,” she said.

Kyarisiima said the Strategic Plan aligns closely with NDP IV and strengthens OPM’s role in programme coordination, disaster response and national monitoring.

“The efficiency and effectiveness of this institution directly influence the performance of MDAs, the functionality of local governments, and ultimately the well-being of citizens,” she said.

She warned that success would depend on the daily conduct of institutions rather than the launch itself. “Our success will not be judged by the quality of the documents we launch today, but by the tangible experience of Ugandans,” she said.

Kyarisiima emphasised that faster government action, improved accountability, and better disaster response remain top expectations from citizens.

She said coordination requires shared commitment across government, the private sector and development partners.

OPM Permanent Secretary Alex Kakooza said eliminating fragmented responses is central to the new plan. “We want to remove fragmented response to government programmes and ensure a coordinated and accountable government for socio-economic transformation,” he said.

Kakooza explained that the plan will strengthen policy coordination and service implementation across government, adding that effective coordination is essential for accelerated progress.

Funding Gap

Kakooza disclosed that the Strategic Plan requires significant financial commitment over the next five years amid a significant funding gap.

“This Strategic Plan requires sh3.648 trillion over the next five years and has a funding gap of sh812.174 billion. This calls for disciplined implementation, efficient use of resources, and proactive resource mobilisation,” Kakooza said.

He said the financing strategy will involve securing adequate budget provision, integrating priorities into the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and seeking additional support from development partners and the private sector.

Kakooza noted that OPM developed the instruments through an extensive consultative process involving technical teams, national planners, development partners and other stakeholders.

He said the Strategic Plan introduces shifts that will move government from fragmented coordination to integrated platforms and from reactive disaster response to mainstream resilience.

Kakooza added that the Service Delivery Standards define minimum acceptable service levels while the Client Charter outlines citizens’ rights, responsibilities and available feedback channels.