Uganda NGO Sector

Introduction

In Uganda, as with many developing countries, information regarding the numbers and functions of NGOs is incomplete and not current. Fortunately, in the case of Uganda, a well-designed and rigorous study was carried out by consultants from Oxford University under the auspices of the Office of the Prime Minister and funded by the World Bank to survey the scope and activities of NGOs in Uganda, as well as assess service recipient satisfaction. This article draws heavily from that report. The other major source of information is a large-scale survey of member organizations conducted by the Uganda National NGO Forum, a networking body for NGOs in Uganda which claims to have approximately 67% representation from organizations in the NGO sector across the country. (Uganda NGO Forum, 2003).

Number and types of NGOs in Uganda

It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine exactly the number of organizations operating as NGOs in Uganda despite the fact that since 1989, Ugandan NGO registration statute was enacted requiring all NGOs to register with the NGO Registration Board in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). Registration involves providing information on the country or area of origin of the organization; affiliation; objectives; target group; membership; titles of officers; sources of funding; bankers; and promoters/owners. In addition, the organization is required to provide a constitution and two sureties. NGOs are supposed to submit annual returns, budgets and work plans, although in practice few do (Barr et al 2003). Additionally, foreign NGOs must provide information relating to foreign workers and a recommendation from the Ugandan embassy in their home country. Official registration numbers from that board available for 2000 cite 3,499 registered NGOs (Uganda NGO Forum, 2003). However, for a number of reasons this number is considered to be unreliable.

Firstly, the Oxford consultants, when attempting to contact organizations from the register for inclusion in their study, found that many of the registered organizations were found to be no longer in existence, to have never functionally existed, or to have lapsed in their registration (Barr et al, 2003). Moreover the main faith-based groups, including the Catholic Church, the Church of Uganda and the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, are not registered as NGOs although they are the largest non-public providers of social services, particularly in the area of health and education (Reinikka & Svensson, 2003). The Oxford study estimates that about 15-30% of the registered NGOs are actually operational. Moreover, only 30% of NGOs included in their survey were faith-based which considerably under-represents the presence of faith-based organizations to the NGO sector in Uganda (Barr et al, 2003). The Uganda NGO Forum surveyed 753 ‘civil service organizations’ and found that only 43% were registered with the National Registration Board, although a further 53% were registered with their local district board (Uganda NGO Forum, 2003). Thus, the official Registration Board figures likely under-represent the number of NGOs currently operating in Uganda.

The NGO Forum survey, found that the breakdown of organizations included in their study to comprise 32.4% district community service organizations, 31.4%, community based organizations, 23.9% national community service organizations, and 10.8% international community service organizations (Uganda NGO Forum, 2003). The National Register appears to inaccurately reflect the scope of operations of individuals NGOs. Comparing the stated area of operation on the register with those in their representative sample, Barr et al (2003) report that in the register 22%72% (???? Please check this number) of NGOs purport to operate in all districts, 63% in 1 district only, and 75% in 1 – 5 districts, while the survey found 2% all districts, 48% 1 district, and 75% 1-5 districts. This discrepancy may reflect the desire of organizations to opt for a broader description at registration in order not to limit their future activities.

Ugandan NGOs are heavily networked among each other. 72% of those included in the Oxford survey belonged to a local NGO network or umbrella organisation, most commonly the Uganda National NGO Forum (67%) Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Associations DENIVA (30%)(Barr et al 2003). These networks are principally involved in organizing meetings and conferences, creating information data bases and providing some access to communication services. 38% of Ugandan NGOs are also members of international or regional networks. 70% of NGOs surveyed are in partnership with at least one Government ministry most often Health and Gender, and Labor and Social Affairs (Barr et al 2003).

Activities of NGOs

The two main surveys of Uganda NGOs give contrasting pictures of the major focus of activity of the sector. According to the Oxford consultants, the majority of surveyed NGOs had a specific target group on which they focused their activities, with women and children being the dominant target groups. Further, they found that orphans, particularly AIDs orphans, and HIV-affected individuals are also heavily targeted, while very few surveyed NGOs focused on victims of war or violence (Barr et al 2003). Table 1 lists the different activities and the percentage of surveyed organizations involved from the Oxford study. The NGO Forum survey of 753 organizations covering all regions in the country provided contradictory results. The top five areas of activity were: 1) peace and conflict 2) faith-based/mission and evangelical 3) integrated service, 4) vulnerable groups and 5) the aged. Moreover, they found that while the environment, women and youth were the most publicized nationally, these three areas were not the most prominent in terms of NGO activity (Uganda NGO Forum, 2003). These differences may be due to sampling methods. Table 1. Areas of activity in a sample of 300 Uganda NGOs(From Barr et al 2003).

 Raising awareness 	96.6% 
 Advocacy and lobbying 	59.1% 
 Education and training 	57.4% 
 Credit and finance 	32.8% 
 Support to farming	 32.3% 
 HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention	 20.6% 
 Raising awareness 	96.6% 
 Advocacy and lobbying 	59.1% 
 Education and training 	57.4% 
 Credit and finance 	32.8% 
 Support to farming	 32.3% 
 HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention	 20.6% 
 Counseling 	16.8% 
 Curative health services	 15.8% 
 Providing grants to NGOs/CBOs 	15.2% 
 Support to small businesses 	11.3% 
 Community development 	11.0% 
 Helping the poor and needy 	11.0% 
 Water and sanitation 	10.7% 
 Research and evaluation 	10.3% 
 Library and documentation 	10.0% 
 Wildlife preservation 	8.9% 
 Home visits and outreach 	8.6% 
 Employment facilitation and promotion	 8.2% 
 Preventive health services 	7.9% 
 Arts and culture	 7.6% 
 Support to children	 7.2% 
 Distribution of goods and materials 	6.9% 
 Support to orphans	 6.5% 
 Construction of facilities	 6.5% 
 Providing technical assistance	 6.5% 
 Catering and food preparation	 5.8% 
 Conflict resolution and crime prevention	5.8% 
 Professional association	 4.8% 
 Shelter and relief	 4.1% 
 Forestry	 2.7% 
 IGAS	 1.4% 

Both surveys noted that many organizations are not directly engaged in providing services, but rather on “awareness raising activities” such as capacity building, advocacy and lobbying. Barr et al (2003) found that NGOs preferred not to categorize themselves as providers of specific services, but rather to describe their activities in more general terms such as ‘community development’ or ‘promotion of women’. Under this rubric, the two main activities of the majority of organizations were “raising awareness” and advocacy. The former involves convening meetings and educational workshops in communities, while the second focuses on meeting local and national authorities and/or preparing informational statements for the press (Barr et al 2003).

Funding of NGOs

Ugandan NGOs are funded primarily through international NGOs and donors. The origin of grant funding is largely from international NGOs (43%) and bilateral donors (16%) and grants from the central or ‘mother’ organization (10%). Grant revenue represented by far the most substantial source of funds for NGOs according to the Oxford group survey. 86% of the total revenues of surveyed NGOs came from grant money. Although not all NGOs gain funding through grants, a full 30% of those surveyed by the Oxford group have never received a grant, half of whom had not made an application (Barr et al 2003). The average NGO generates some funds from members and donations, but the bulk of funding for NGOs comes from international NGOs. This has consequences for the activities and aims of the Ugandan organizations insofar as they largely reflect those of the parent, or funding, organization.

Conclusion

The NGO sector in Uganda is small and fragmented. Overall, the Oxford group characterized the NGO sector as underdeveloped and, with the exception of traditional faith-based organizations, found that most NGOs are small, unspecialized and unfocused.

References

(1) Barr, A, Fafchamps, M, Owens, T. (2003) Non-governmental Organizations in Uganda: A report to the Government of Uganda. Centre for the Study of African Economies. Oxford University. Available at: http://www.csae.ox.ac.uk/reports/pdfs/rep2003-01.pdf Accessed December 2006

(2) Barr, A, Fafchamps, M, Owens, T. (2004) A client-community assessment of the NGO Sector in Uganda. Oxford University. Available at http://www.csae.ox.ac.uk/workingpapers/pdfs/2004-23text.pdf Accessed December 2006 (3) Uganda National NGO Forum (2003) NGO forum members mobilization survey. Available at: http://ngoforum.or.ug/docs/nec/NGO_Forum_Report_pgs_1_10.pdf Accessed December 2006. (4) Cannon C. (2000) NGOS and the State. A case study from Uganda. In Development, NGOs and Civil Society. Oxford. J Pearce ed. London:Oxfam

(4) Reinikka, R., Svensson,J. (2003) Working for God. Evaluating service delivery of religious not for profit health care providers in Uganda. World Bank Working Raper 2038. Washington

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2001) Country Reports: Sub-Saharan Africa. The International Journal of Not-for-Profit Law. 4(1) Available at: http://www.icnl.org/journal/vol4iss1/. Accessed December 2006

Makara, S. (2001) NGOs in Uganda: their Typologies, Roles and function in Governance. Centre for Basic Research Kampala, Uganda. Available at http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/civsoc/final/uganda/Uga6.doc. Accessed December 2006