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Under a community-based programme, known as "Saemaul Initiative Towards Inclusive and Sustainable New Communities (ISNC)," Uganda was able to build on the government's and its development partners' achievements in local development and decentralization by promoting community-based local development through the Saemaul Undong (SMU) model. The overall objective of the project is to scale up proven sustainability innovations, including ICT, environmentally friendly technologies and social enterprises in 15 communities. This project strengthened the capacities of local government to improve inclusive and participatory planning and budgeting.
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, representative decision-making
Enhance capacity for participatory, sustainable human settlement
The World Bank's "The Uganda Poverty Assessment Report 2016," highlights that in 2013, more than a third of Uganda's citizens lived below the international extreme poverty line of US$1.90 a day. In addition, for every three Ugandans that moved out of poverty, two fell into poverty. And, of more concern, it is not clear that the processes that brought about gains in the past will be enough to address the future poverty challenge in Uganda, particularly in the impoverished Northern and Eastern regions. Also, vulnerable groups of people have unequal access to and control of productive resources. At the local level, Public Sector Management and Administration is weak and local communities and other stakeholders limitedly participate in the development process.
Uganda adapted the SMU model to the local context in order to promote community-based development. In particular, participatory planning approaches were introduced at the village level so local communities and stakeholders could beinvolved. In addition, local government managers were trained on SMU principles in order to entrench SMU model into the existing local government systems. Local communities and local government managers participated ina monitoring process where stakeholders at the national levelmonitored projects jointly.
As a result, there has been an increased training of SMU community groups. These local communities actively participate in communal activities, such as cleaning water sources, opening and maintaining community access roads. This solution further deepens decentralization by promoting active participation of communities in planning, budgeting and monitoring of government programme and projects. Lastly, the solution provides an alternative approach to operating and maintaining public service delivery facilities.