‘Understaffing crippling districts’
Sep 26, 2010
INADEQUATE staffing in most districts across the country is affecting the implementation of key government programmes, including the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
By Joshua Kato
INADEQUATE staffing in most districts across the country is affecting the implementation of key government programmes, including the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
This was revealed by the acting secretary general of the Uganda Local Governments Association, Rose Gertrude Gamwera.
According to Gamwera, a survey carried out by the Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA), established that the average staffing at the moment is around 64%, which affects service delivery across the country.
Moreover, most of the district staff are required to be degree holders in addition to other professional qualifications.
“Under the current law, most posts previously held by diploma holders require people with higher qualifications, at degree level at the lowest,†explains Gamwera.
However, even getting diploma holders to work at the sub-county level is proving to be very difficult at the moment.
Local governments wonder how degree holders will be enticed to work there.
District leaders argue that while having higher qualifications is good, they should only be limited to new staff entrants, but not to the already working staff.
“The old staff can be encouraged to up-grade their qualifications while working, but not just dismissing them even before getting replacements,†Gamwera says.
Local governments are facing a serious challenge retaining professional staff like health workers, engineers and teachers because of poor pay and poor working conditions.
“For example, Kabarole district had operated for three years without attracting any medical officers until 2009 when two medical officers were recruited,†Gamwera says.
The district also has only 58% of the required civil servants, making a deficit of 42%. In Gulu only 60% are operational, 56% in Pallisa and 63% in Mayuge.
As far as the health sector is concerned, there is a glaring deficit too. In a district like Kasese, only 33% of required health workers are operational, while they are 55% in Gulu, 53% in Mayuge and 62% in Kabarole.
The implication is that many districts are resorting to employing untrained personnel to fill some of the key positions.
“Some districts pay an extra allowance to professionals in order to entice them to stay, but the problem is that sometimes they fail to get this money because of inadequate revenue bases,†she says.
Local governments also suffered from a public service restructuring process a few years ago when several posts were phased out.
Those most affected were under the administration docket like personal assistants, accounts assistants, records assistants, secretaries, ICT officers and drivers.
“The implication of this was the increase in gratuity and pension bills, which are already a major problem in most districts, and an enormous workload on the already existing, but overstretched personnel.â€
Gamwera appealed to the Government to increase the local governments wage grant to 100% in order to cater for the deficit staff.
“In our view, its the central government is causing the situation by not providing resources to cover 100% staffing level in all local governments,†the report indicated.
The local government also urged the Government to provide motivational allowances to attract qualified people to the hard-to-stay areas “to improve delivery to all sectors of the economy.â€
Challenge
Local goverments are facing a huge challenge retaining professional staff like health workers and teachers because of poor working conditions
INADEQUATE staffing in most districts across the country is affecting the implementation of key government programmes, including the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
This was revealed by the acting secretary general of the Uganda Local Governments Association, Rose Gertrude Gamwera.
According to Gamwera, a survey carried out by the Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA), established that the average staffing at the moment is around 64%, which affects service delivery across the country.
Moreover, most of the district staff are required to be degree holders in addition to other professional qualifications.
“Under the current law, most posts previously held by diploma holders require people with higher qualifications, at degree level at the lowest,†explains Gamwera.
However, even getting diploma holders to work at the sub-county level is proving to be very difficult at the moment.
Local governments wonder how degree holders will be enticed to work there.
District leaders argue that while having higher qualifications is good, they should only be limited to new staff entrants, but not to the already working staff.
“The old staff can be encouraged to up-grade their qualifications while working, but not just dismissing them even before getting replacements,†Gamwera says.
Local governments are facing a serious challenge retaining professional staff like health workers, engineers and teachers because of poor pay and poor working conditions.
“For example, Kabarole district had operated for three years without attracting any medical officers until 2009 when two medical officers were recruited,†Gamwera says.
The district also has only 58% of the required civil servants, making a deficit of 42%. In Gulu only 60% are operational, 56% in Pallisa and 63% in Mayuge.
As far as the health sector is concerned, there is a glaring deficit too. In a district like Kasese, only 33% of required health workers are operational, while they are 55% in Gulu, 53% in Mayuge and 62% in Kabarole.
The implication is that many districts are resorting to employing untrained personnel to fill some of the key positions.
“Some districts pay an extra allowance to professionals in order to entice them to stay, but the problem is that sometimes they fail to get this money because of inadequate revenue bases,†she says.
Local governments also suffered from a public service restructuring process a few years ago when several posts were phased out.
Those most affected were under the administration docket like personal assistants, accounts assistants, records assistants, secretaries, ICT officers and drivers.
“The implication of this was the increase in gratuity and pension bills, which are already a major problem in most districts, and an enormous workload on the already existing, but overstretched personnel.â€
Gamwera appealed to the Government to increase the local governments wage grant to 100% in order to cater for the deficit staff.
“In our view, its the central government is causing the situation by not providing resources to cover 100% staffing level in all local governments,†the report indicated.
The local government also urged the Government to provide motivational allowances to attract qualified people to the hard-to-stay areas “to improve delivery to all sectors of the economy.â€
Challenge
Local goverments are facing a huge challenge retaining professional staff like health workers and teachers because of poor working conditions