Uganda’s Parish Development Model in Practice: Rationale, Impact and Relevance for Bottom-Up Economic Development in Africa

Authors

Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Zziyika and Associates LLC, Lorton, Virginia, USAFollow

Abstract

The Parish Development Model (PDM), launched by the Ugandan authorities in early 2022, is the country’s latest attempt at making devolution work for local development, financial and social inclusion at the national level, and growth-enhancing economic transformation more broadly. The introduction of the PDM in Uganda raises the question of whether state-led local development initiatives, when undertaken in partnership with the private sector and civil society are feasible in a resource-constrained country. To succeed, the PDM will require a “whole-of-government” approach and strong institutions, both are still in the making. The paper looks at four specific challenges of PDM implementation: (i) maintaining policy and institutional coherence; (ii) establishing credible partnerships for local development between the government, the private sector and civil society; (iii) mobilizing human and financial resources, including at the local level, to sustain program implementation; and (iv) fostering self-determination at the local administrative levels and preventing local-level system capture. Using a political economy/institutions analytical approach, the paper concludes that the PDM is a potentially useful tool for mobilizing the population for development in Uganda but could be derailed by its sheer size and ambition, with inadequate focus on the neediest in society.

Recommended Citation

Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Steve (2024) "Uganda’s Parish Development Model in Practice: Rationale, Impact and Relevance for Bottom-Up Economic Development in Africa," Southern African Journal of Policy and Development: Vol. 7: No. 2, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/sajpd/vol7/iss2/4