Uganda govt launches evaluation tool to improve service delivery

KAMPALA - An evaluation and monitoring tool aimed at strengthening service delivery and improving accountability across public institutions in Uganda has been unveiled. 

Alex Kakooza, Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), disclosed the launch of the National Evaluation Capacities Index (INCE) at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala on Wednesday. 

Hamson Obua, Government Chief, representing Minister Justine Lumumba of the Office of the Prime Minister, presided over the event. 

INCE, developed with support from the German Institute for Development Evaluation and the World Food Programme (WFP), is designed to standardise and improve national evaluation systems. 

The tool promotes evidence-based decision-making, fosters a culture of evaluation, and enables real-time monitoring of government programs. It has already been implemented in countries across Africa and Latin America, including Tanzania, South Africa, Congo, Morocco, Benin, and Ghana.

Kakooza said the innovation is a key step in addressing persistent underperformance in government programs. He revealed that an assessment of the three previous National Development Plans (NDPs) shows that Uganda failed to achieve its targets over 15 years.

“I have checked and established that consistently, NDP I, NDP II, and NDP III recorded success rates below 30 percent. All of them. Recall the day in school when you scored 30 percent on a test—that is where we are,” Kakooza said.

He attributed poor performance to weak coordination, fragmented planning and budgeting, and mismanagement of funds. “Fragmented planning and budgeting continue to undermine effective service delivery,” he said.

Kakooza stressed the need to shift from post-mortem evaluations to continuous monitoring. “Evaluation tends to be post-mortem… monitoring should be routine,” he said.

Under NDP IV (2025–2030), all government entities are required to have five-year strategic plans aligned to national priorities to track progress in real time.

He also highlighted plans to strengthen Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) capacity across government, noting that few officers are formally designated as M&E professionals. “There will be many jobs… we need M&E professionals to do this work,” Kakooza said, adding that existing staff performing such roles will be regularised.

Obua emphasised the importance of a strong evaluation culture in Uganda, saying it is critical for improving service delivery and ensuring programs respond to citizens’ needs. “Evidence must not gather dust in reports—it must inform decisions, shape budgets, and drive continuous improvement in public service delivery,” he said.

Timothy Lubanga, Commissioner for M&E at OPM, said the Government is reviewing its planning systems as part of preparations for NDP IV to address weaknesses in public sector planning.

“The review will examine the entire planning value chain—from planning and budgeting to implementation, reporting, and evaluation—to determine whether government is planning well and effectively using evidence to guide decisions,” he said.

Lubanga added that the government has digitised its M&E system to provide real-time data on program performance accessible to stakeholders online.

In partnership with development partners such as UNDP, a community of practice has been established for M&E professionals to strengthen capacity, promote standards, and support certification in the field.

Lauren Landis, WFP Representative and Country Director for Uganda, praised the government for embracing INCE. “Governments that are better at evaluation are better at delivering services for their people. We look forward to offering technical support for better outcomes in service delivery,” she said.

About INCE

INCE assesses Uganda’s evaluation system across five dimensions: institutional structure, evaluation offerings, quality of evaluations, multi-stakeholder participation, and use of findings. The initiative addresses fragmented mandates, irregular financing, weak enforcement of standards, and limited follow-up on recommendations.

Data collection, validation, and reporting for INCE are scheduled over the coming months. Findings will guide reforms, strengthen capacities, and track improvements in the national evaluation system for future planning cycles.