Lira District Local Government Councils' Scorecard FY 2018/19

lirA DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

lira DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

L-R: Ms. Rose Gamwera, Secretary General ULGA; Mr. Ben Kumumanya, PS. MoLG and Dr. Arthur Bainomugisha, Executive Director ACODE in a group photo with award winners at the launch of the 8th Local Government Councils Scorecard Report FY 2018/19 at Hotel Africana in Kampala on 10th March 2020

with 89 parishes and 751 villages. By 1.0 Introduction 2020, Lira’s population is projected to be This brief was developed from the scorecard at 465,900; 230,400 male and 248,100 report titled, “The Local Government female (UBOS, 2018). Councils Scorecard FY 2018/19. The Next Big Steps: Consolidating Gains of Decentralisation and Repositioning the 1.2 The Local Government Councils Local Government Sector in Uganda”. Scorecard Initiative (LGCSCI) The brief provides key highlights of the The main building blocks in LGCSCI are performance of elected leaders and the principles and core responsibilities of Council of Lira District Local Government Local Governments as set out in Chapter during the FY2018/19. 11 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, the Local Governments Act (CAP 1.1 Brief about the district 243) under Section 10 (c), (d) and (e). The scorecard comprises of five parameters Lira district is located in the northern part based on the core responsibilities of of Uganda; bordered by Dokolo district in the local government Councils, District the south, Apac district and Kole district in Chairpersons, Speakers and Individual the west, Pader district and Otuke district Councillors. These are classified into in the north and Alebtong district in the five categories: Financial management east. The district has two counties, 9 sub and oversight; Political functions and counties, 4 divisions and one municipality representation; Legislation and related

Phoebe Atukunda Kirungyi • Claudia1 Apio • Chealcious Angom lirA DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 functions; Development planning and under the parameters on accountability, constituency servicing and Monitoring planning and budgeting. The shortfalls service delivery. The parameters are were attributed to the insufficient evidence broken down into quantitative and provided to justify claims of activities qualitative indicators. Separate scorecards implemented. Figure 1 presents details of are produced for the Chairperson, the Council’s performance. Speaker, individual Councillors, and the Figure 1: Performance of Lira District District Council as a whole. Council on Key Parameters Relative The major rationale of the LGCSCI is to National and Regional Average to induce elected political leaders and Performances representative organs to deliver on their electoral promises, improve public service delivery, ensure accountability and promote good governance through periodic assessments. 1.3 Methodology The 2018/19 LGCSCI assessment used face-to-face structured interviews, civic engagement meetings, documentary review, key informant interviews, field visits and photography to collect the relevant data. The assessment was conducted Source: Local Government Councils Assessment FY 2018/19 between July and September 2019. A total of 30 elected leaders (28 District 2.2 Performance of the Lira District Councillors, Chairperson and Speaker) Chairperson and Council were assessed. Chairman Alex Oremo Alot was the political head of Lira district during the period under review. He subscribed to the UPC party. 2.0 Results of the Assessment Chairman Alot was serving his third term 2.1 Performance of Lira District in office as the Chairperson for Lira district. Council Overall, Chairman Alot obtained 84 out of Lira District Council comprised 30 100 points placing him in position 3 out of members (18 male and 12 female) the 33 district chairpersons assessed. He including the District Chairperson and exhibited a commendable performance Speaker of Council. In terms of political under his legislative function, contact constitution the greater part of Lira council with electorate and initiation of projects. (19) subscribed to the UPC party, followed His weakest performance was exhibited by 8 subscribed to the ruling NRM party. under the parameter of monitoring service The minority were DP (1) and Independent delivery. This was as a result of failure (2). Overall, Lira District Council emerged to meet the threshold of visiting at least number 16 out of the 35 district councils half of the service delivery points in the assessed with a total score of 66 out of district and insufficient evidence to justify 100 points. While the council performed outcomes of follow up. relatively well under the parameters on legislative role and monitoring service delivery, it registered a weaker performance

2 lirA DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

Figure 2: Lira District Chairperson’s 2.4 Performance of Lira District Performance in relation to National Councillors and Regional Scores Overall, the performance of the district councillors was fair with a combined average score of just 65 out of 100 points. Over half of the councillors scored below the average mark. The councillors performed better on monitoring of service delivery. Generally, the male councillors performed better than their female counterparts with all the top 5 performers being male.

Source: Local Government Councils Scorecard Assessment FY Figure 4: Lira District Councillors’ 2018/19 Performance in relation to National and Regional Scores

2.3 Performance of the Speaker of Lira District Council The Speaker of Council during the year under review was Hon. George Rashid Opio. He subscribes to the UPC party and was serving his second term of office representing the people of Ojwina Div. The Speaker registered good performance under the parameters on contact with Source: Local Government Councils Assessment FY 2018/19 electorate and monitoring service delivery. The low scores under participation in 3.0 Critical Factors Affecting Lower Local Governments (LLGs) were Performance attributed to insufficient evidence to 3.1 Factors Enabling Performance substantiate claims of having met the threshold of attending four council sittings .. Good working relationship between in the Sub County he represents. the two arms of the district: There were collaborative efforts between the technical officers and the committees Figure 3: The Speaker of Council’s of council with some committee Performance in relation to National members being transported by and Regional Average Scores the technical officials during their monitoring activities. .. Availability of monitoring reports: The research team was able to obtain monitoring reports from all councillors. This contributed to an average score of 33 points for the councillors in terms of monitoring service delivery hence the best performing district in this parameter. This was attributed to provision of fuel every month to each

Source: Local Government Councils Assessment FY 2018/19 3 lirA DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

individual councillor to enable them .. Failure to engage in lower local perform their monitoring role. governments: Majority of the councillors did not meet the threshold .. Coordinating centers: All councillors of participating in at least 4 LLG had coordinating centers within their Council meetings. Some meetings in areas of jurisdiction given that 95% sub-counties had conflicting schedules of them reside in their electoral area. with district council meetings while Even the councillors representing others did not provide minutes to Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) had substantiate claims by councillors designated offices within Lira town in of having engaged their lower local addition to those in their residences. councils.

3.2 Factors Hindering Performance 4.0 Recommendations • The district leadership should .. Induction of newly elected strengthen orientation and training Councillors for Special Interest for councillors: This can be achieved Groups (Workers, Older Persons): by partnering with Civil Society Due to lack of resources, both the Organisations like ACODE in cases ministry of local government and the where resources cannot be mobilised local governments have not been able by the district. The trainings should to adequately induct new councillors be at least once in a financial year. who were elected in the year under Such trainings should be thematic to review (workers’ representatives and cover aspects like (i) the Legislative older persons). These councillors had roles, (ii)contact with the electorate, not received induction on what they (iii) participation in the lower local are supposed to do in council which government, (iv)monitoring service affected their performance. delivery on national priority programme .. Untimely production of minutes: areas, (v)rules of procedure, among This was attributed to the fact that others. It is also important that the role of Clerk to Council is an refresher courses be organized to assigned role. The officers assigned provide other relevant information and the responsibility of Clerks to Councils skills to councillors. equally have other demanding • Standardise follow ups after responsibilities which they seemed monitoring: Council should introduce to give more priority hence a delay in a standard for follow ups by councillors production of council minutes. and district leaders just like it has .. Insufficient follow-up by councillors standardised monitoring. to ensure that their actions translate • The Speaker’s office should closely into tangible outcomes in terms of monitor the Clerk to Council to ensure improvement in service delivery. Most timely production of minutes. councillors do monitoring but because they do not follow up on their actions • The Speaker should communicate it is hard to realise changes in service and share the council schedule with delivery. LLGs, such that the meetings for the respective councils are not colliding.

lirA DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

Sub Total Sub Sub Total Sub

38 29 45

20 17

Environment ENR

4 3

5 3 2 4

FAL FAL

0 2 0 1 4 5

Agriculture Water Sources Water

7 4 3 2

Roads Roads

7 5

3 2 4 7

Water Schools

3 2

7 5 4

Health Health

4 3

7 5 5 7

Education Agriculture

6 5 4 3

Monitoring Service Delivery 7 Monitoring Service Delivery 5

Sub Total Sub Sub Total Sub

9 9

10 13 14

20 NGOS Local Revenue Local 5 5

4 5 Communal Projects Communal

11 1 1

District Budget District Projects 4 4 Initiated Projects Initiation of

3 3 4

Budgeting Mission

Planning and Total Sub Plans, Vision and and Vision Plans, 8 5 5

10 5

Issues by Electorate by Issues Sub Total Sub 5 4 5 with

13 15

Contact Electorate Meetings

Accountability 5 4

Electorate 5

Principles Of Of Principles 0 0 Sub Total Sub

9 9

3 15

Involvement of CSO of Involvement

2 2 Executive by Bills 3 2

2 5

Accountability

Role Executive Motions 4 5

Administrative Administrative 8 3 5 Legislative Council

2 2 Accountability Political Accountability Political 2

5 5

8 Total Sub

18 16 Fiscal Accountability Fiscal 20

3 3

4 Gov’t Central

4 3

4 Sub Total Sub Boards

20 16

Commissions/ 2 2 Capacity Building Capacity

2 2 2

Servants Petitions

2 1 3 3

2 Civil Oversight

4 Legislative Resources Legislative 4 3 Affairs of State

2 2

2 Public Hearings Public 1 1 Admin Monitoring Political Leadership Political

2 4 4

5 Initiatives

DEC Conflict Resolution Resolution Conflict 3 2 0 1

Ordinances Legislation 2018/19 3 2

84 72

100

Council

Motions passed by the the by passed Motions Perfor mance 2016/17 2 2 71 62

100

Committees of Council of Committees Terms

2 3 2 3 Membership to ULGA to Membership

1 1

Rules of Procedure of Rules Political Party Political

2 2 UPC 2

2018/19

District 66 62

Lira 100

2016/17 Gender

M 59 51 100

Identifiers District Performance Max Score Lira Average Name Max Score Oremo Alex Alot Average Score Table 1: Performance of the Lira District Council FY 2018/19 Performance 1: Table Table 2: Performance of the Lira District Chairperson FY 2018/19 of the Lira District Chairperson Performance 2: Table

lirA DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

Sub Total Sub Sub Total Sub

45 45 45 41 43 43 41 45

36 24

ENR

5 Environment 5 5 4 4 4 5

5 5 3 FAL

FAL 5 5 5 4 4 4 5

5 0 1 Roads

7 7 7 7 5 7 Roads 7 Water

7 4

7 7 7 7 7 7 7

Water Delivery Agriculture

7 4 7

7 7 7 7 7 7

Agriculture

7 Education 3 3

7 7 7 7 7 7 7

Education Monitoring Service

7 Health

7 4 7 Health 7 3 7 7 7 7

7 5 Monitoring Service Delivery Meetings LLG

Sub County County Sub 6 6 Participation In In Participation 10 10 10 10 10 4 4

LLG

Sub Total Sub Sub Total Sub

20 20 20 20 12 20 20

17 16 Office Centre 9

9 9 9 9 9 9

9 Electorate Coordinating Coordinating 9 8

11 Contact Meeting 3 Electorate 11 11 11 11 11 Electorate

Contact

Electorate Meetings Meetings 11 8 8 Total Sub

9 25 22 21 21 21 11

Sub Total Sub

Special Skills Special 4 25

1 0 0 0 0 0 18 17

Special Skills Special

5 Motion 5

0 0 5 5 5 5 0 0 Record of Motions of Record

3 2

Committee 8

Records Book Records 8 8 8 8 8 8

Legislation 2 2 2

Plenary

Committee 8

3 8 8 8 8 3 1

Business Business 3 2

% Change % Rules of Procedure of Rules

8 0

9 16 14 79 37 7 7 Chairing Council Chairing

Presiding over Council Presiding over

3 3 3

2018/2019 % Change % 100 97 92 90 86 82 80

53 18

2016/17

Performance 2018/19 100 90 79 79 48 60 80

75 62 100 Terms Served Served Terms

2 1 3 1 1 1

2016/17 Performance Gender

49 57 M M M M M M

100

Terms Served Served Terms

3 Gender

Constituency District

Lira

Constituency Div Central S/C Adekokwok Ngetta s/c Ogur S/C Amach S/C Barr S/C

Political Ojwina Div UPC UPC UPC UPC UPC UPC

Identifiers Political Party Political

UPC Identifiers

Name Name Thomas Jefferson Obalim Thomas Jefferson Martin Okite Ayo George Okello Moses Otim Orech Moses Okwel Owera Denis Francis Maximum Scores Maximum Maximum Scores Maximum George Opio Rashid Average Table 3: Performance of the Speaker Lira District Council FY 2018/19 Performance 3: Table FY 2018/19 of Lira District Councillors Performance 4: Table

lirA DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19 Sub Total Sub

45 32 35 45 35 43 39 39 39 41 30 36 15 25 26 26 19 23 25 33 26 19 15 33 ENR

5 4 0 5 0 4 4 5 5 5 0 5 0 4 1 0 1 0 0 4 5 0 5 3 FAL

5 5 0 5 0 4 4 5 5 1 5 1 0 0 1 4 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 Roads

7 1 7 7 7 7 5 7 7 7 5 7 0 5 7 7 3 3 3 7 0 1 3 5 Water

7 7 7 7 7 7 5 3 7 7 5 7 1 1 6 3 7 5 1 3 7 5 1 5 Delivery Agriculture

7 1 7 7 7 7 7 5 1 7 7 4 0 5 3 0 3 5 7 3 7 7 0 5 Education 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 7 5 7 7 3 5 7 7 7 1 3 6

Monitoring Service

Health 7

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 1 7 7 5 1 5 1 5 7 7 0 5 3 6 Meetings

10 Sub County County Sub 0 0 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 4

10 10 10 10 10

LLG Sub Total Sub

9 9 5 9 5 6 9 20 20 20 20 19 20 17 10 16 10 14 20 17 17 17 13 15 Office

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 6 9 9 9 9 9 5 9 5 5 9 2 8 Electorate

Contact Meeting 8 1 7 1 0 8 0 8 8 8 0 0 0 1 4 7 7

11 11 11 10 11 11 Electorate Sub Total Sub

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 9 9 9

25 16 11 21 21 21 11 14 11 13 Special Skills Special 4

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Motion 5

0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 2 2 Committee 8

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Legislation

Plenary 8

8 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 1 8 8 1 1 0 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 % Change %

8 -6 -9

22 48 35 35 12 50 12 32 24 58 46 -32 -24 148 210 111 175 124 2018/2019

100 78 74 74 73 72 71 70 64 62 60 59 56 55 54 52 50 49 48 47 41 41 35 65 2016/17

Performance

100 64 50 55 78 29 66 52 57 20 40 28 50 20 41 42 74 31 21 45 46 52 Terms Served Served Terms

2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 4 3 1 2 1 1 1

Gender

F F F F F F F F F F F F M M M M M M M M M M

Constituency

PWD Aromo S/C Older Persons Aromo S/C Div Adyel Youth Amach & Agali Div Adyel Ogur & Agweng Div Railways S/C Lira Youth S/C Lira Older persons & Railways Central Barr S/C s/c Adekokwok Workers S/C Agweng Agali S/C Workers Ojwina Div

Political UPC DP NRM NRM UPC UPC NRM UPC UPC NRM UPC IND UPC NRM UPC UPC UPC NRM NRM NRM UPC IND

Identifiers Name Mathew Okello Omara Okello Mathew Aduk Kevin John Olet Watson Odong* Raymond Vincent Otaka Caro Gloria Acan Lilly Okwir Concy Alum Ogwal Milly Atim Opio* Awio* Richard Omara Margaret Ogwang Elem* Omara James Ojuka* Anthony Serina Otim Apio Jennet Rita Apolo Ecir Okeng Medina Akello Angela Santa* Egole* Emmy Lawrence Ongom Patrick Ogwal Enyiema Patrick Stella Bua Adong Ateng* Judith Average Maximum Scores Maximum *Assessed Using Secondary Data

7 lirA DISTRICT LOCAL GOVERNMENT council SCORECARD assessment FY 2018/19

REFERENCES Bainomugisha, A., Mbabazi, J., Muhwezi, W., W., Bogere, G., Atukunda, P., Ssemakula, E.G., Otile, O., M., Kasalirwe, F., Mukwaya, N., R., Akena, W., Ayesigwa, R., The Local Government Councils Scorecard FY 2018/19: The Next Big Steps; Consolidating Gains of Decentralisation and Repositioning the Local Government Sector in Uganda. ACODE Policy Research Paper Series No. 96, 2020. Lira District Local Government (2019), Council Minutes FY 2018/19 (2019), Minutes of Committees of Council FY 2018/19 (2019), Committee Monitoring Reports FY 2018/19 Republic of Uganda (1995), Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1997), Local Governments Act (CAP 243) as Amended UBOS (2018), Population Projection

About ACODE: The Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) is an independent public policy research and advocacy Think Tank based in Uganda, working in the East and Southern Africa sub-regions on a wide range of public policy issues. Our core business is policy research and analysis, outreach and capacity building. Since it’s founding 19 years ago, ACODE has emerged as one of the leading regional public policy think tanks in Sub-Saharan Africa. For the last 8 consecutive years, ACODE has been recognized among the Top-100 Think Tanks worldwide by the University of Pennsylvania’s annual Global-Go-To Think Tank Index Reports.

About LGCSCI: The Local Government Councils Scorecard Initiative (LGCSCI) is a policy research and capacity building initiative implemented by ACODE and ULGA. The initiative is a strategic social accountability initiative that enables citizens to demand excellence of their local governments and enables local governments to respond effectively and efficiently to those demands with the aim of improving service delivery.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Phoebe Atukunda is a Research Officer at the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) - one of the leading public policy research think tanks in Eastern and Southern Africa Sub- regions. Phoebe has been a researcher under ACODE’s Local Government Council Scorecard Initiative since 2013. Phoebe has contributed to ACODE’s research work and published in ACODE’s different publication series. Claudia Apio is the lead researcher for Lira district under local government scorecard initiative and has worked on the project for the past 4 years. She is also the Executive Director for Lira NGO Forum, a member of the Board of Directors Uganda National NGO Forum and Steering Committee Member Northern Uganda Regional Development Forum. Chealcious Angom is an Assistant researcher for Lira under the Local Government Scorecard Initiative. She is the Associate Programme Manager at Ama Cradle for Development, an indigenous women’s think tank in Lango. She has extensive experience in community development work and a participant in botany research with Makerere University biological field station at Kibaale Research Centre.

ADVOCATES COALITION FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT Plot 96, Kanjokya Street, Kamwokya. P. O. Box 29836, Kampala. Tel: +256 312 812150 Email: [email protected]; [email protected]. Website: www.acode-u.org

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