A recent successor to the former Economic Unit, the Strategy and Policy Unit (SPU) serves as the policy wing of the Country Office. It advises the Programme team on the strategic implications of changes in government policies, especially in the realm of socio-political and economic related areas. The unit also supports the Resident Coordinator’s office in its design and production and monitoring of important and strategic documents within the UN system, namely CCA and UNDAF. The unit maintains strong working relationships with the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Prime Minister, the National Planning Authority and Uganda Bureau of Statistics, as well as various other centres of excellence in the country.

National development initiatives

The Strategy and Policy Unit plays a lead role within the country office by developing, delivering and mainstreaming of specific policy related instruments, services and advocacy tools into national development initiatives. Such initiatives include the National Human Development Report, and the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP).

In close collaboration with the programme team, the unit engages with Government to ensure that the MDGs are aligned to the PEAP and other national development plans. Furthermore the unit has commissioned a series of studies which informed and enhanced the PEAP version 2004/5 and its related policy frameworks.

The discussion of the MDGs in the respective studies has helped to broaden understanding for the goals. It has also contributed to enrich capacities to benchmark and monitor progress. The studies identified possible ways of mainstreaming MDGs into the PEAP and in that respect highlighted opportunities for UN agencies in Uganda to work together and focus their efforts to support a revised PEAP and MDGs.

The unit is also currently working with the Ministry of Finance through an MDG Needs Assessment initiative, to assess the costs implicated in achieving the MDGs.

Millennium Development Goals

The unit plays a lead role in the monitoring of Poverty and MDGs by coordinating the production of the MDGs progress report in close collaboration with other UN agencies. UNDP Uganda has recently launched its second MDG Progress Report, an important advocacy tool which provides the latest information on the status of MDGs in the country.

Together with the Governance Unit the SPU supported the formulation and capacity building of a Parliamentarian Forum on MDGs which serves to promote the MDGs. The Forum will ensure that the MDGs are a main priority of the government through monitoring government budgets and programmes.

The Strategy and Policy Unit also works with Civil Society Organisations to conduct MDGs awareness campaigns. Many CSOs continue to work with the County Office in identifying ways and means of promoting the understanding of the MDGs in the country.

Through partnerships with CSOs the unit contributes to building capacity of CSOs and local government to participate in the PEAP/PRSP and MDGs process in two districts of Uganda. Additionally, CSOs are being supported in strengthening their capacity for evidence based advocacy for MDGs and pro poor policies. UNDP builds capacity of Government, CSOs and Parliamentarians to understand the MDGs and to increase statistical literacy for policy making purposes.

National Human Development Report

The National Human Development Report is the flagship report of the Office as well as a major policy and advocacy tool of the UNDP Uganda Country Office. It also serves an important reference material on emerging and substantive development issues in the country.

The Report has raised public awareness on various important issues. The current and just launched report titled 'Rediscovering Rural Development and Agriculture' focuses on agriculture as a fundamental sector to Uganda's development and advocates for a more comprehensive national agricultural policy. The unit will also produce policy papers on topical issues to be discussed with government as well as other stakeholders. The previous NDHR addressed the challenge of environment in Uganda, while the 2003 Report focused on HIV/AIDS.

The Strategy and Policy Unit is also actively involved in promoting the teaching of Human Development paradigm(*) through the introduction of a course in some universities in the country. Creating a wealth of Ugandans who are familiar with HD concepts and philosophy is an important step for future policy and programming.

Aid and Donor Coordination

The unit continues to play a major role supporting harmonisation and alignment towards the implementation of the Paris DeclarationThe unit continues to coordinate the preparation of the Country Common Assessment Report and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for UN agency’s support to government.

MYFF Strategic Goal
Goal 1: Achieving the MDGs and reducing human poverty

Service line
1.1 MDG country reporting and poverty monitoring