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: http://www.acode-u.org

LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS’ PERFORMANCE AND PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY IN

Agago District Council Score-Card Report FY 2013/2014

Authors: Jonas Mbabazi, Richard Odongto Lotyang OVERVIEW OF DURING & John Francis Oringa FY2013/14

According to the UBOS national population projection BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE for 2013, Agago District has an estimated population of 300, 700 people of whom 149, 346 are males and 151, 354 are females.1 About 85% of the available This brief presents findings from the score-card labour force engages in agriculture on a subsistence assessment conducted during the FY2013/14 basis,2 growing millet, sorghum, maize, beans, for Agago District Local Government under the groundnut, simsim, cassava and sweet potatoes. Local Government Council Score-Card Initiative Most produce is for local consumption whilst cotton, (LGCSCI). This initiative is an evidence based project rice, soya beans and sunflower are produced as cash implemented by ACODE in partnership with Uganda crops.3 The majority of homesteads in the area also Local Governments Association (ULGA) with support keep cattle, goats, sheep, poultry and pigs as an from the Democratic Governance Fund. The initiative additional source of income. Commercial activities seeks to enhance the effectiveness of elected leaders are very limited and there are no known industries in in fulfilling their mandate and build the capacity of the district4 and although the region serves as a cheap citizens to demand better services. LGCSCI uses source of food to the neighboring (Eastern) Karamoja a scorecard as an assessment tool to complete region and the southern Lango Sub regions. annual performance assessments on the district council, district chairperson, speaker and councillors by focussing on their roles and responsibilities as stipulated in the Local Government Act (as amended, 2010).

The annual assessment process is conducted by teams of researchers across the 30 districts partaking in the LGCSCI assessment. The research process involves a review of key district documents, interviews with key respondents and consultations with citizens through focus group discussions (FGDs). Following the data collection process, data is cleaned and analysed to identify key themes and patterns wherein a district report detailing the findings is produced for each of the assessed districts (full reports are available online; Figure 1: P1 class at Opyelo P7 School, Lakwa Parish, http://www.acode-u.org/). LGCSCI also produces Patongo Sub-county (Credit: ACODE Digital Library) and disseminates a ‘National Synthesis Report’ that provides trends analysis for all 30 of the assessed 1 UBOS, 2002 UBOS Population projections, UBOS 2012 districts. Both reports are disseminated nationally 2 Agago District Local Government, Budget Speech FY 2014/2015, ADLG, 2014. with districts receiving copies of both their specific 3 Agago District five year development plan FY 2011/2012- reports and copies of the National Synthesis Report. 2015/2016 4 Interview with the Ag.District Production Officer, Agago Mr. Alfred Obong on Wednesday 17th September,2014

ACODE Public Service Delivery and Accountability Report Series No.39, 2015 i Table 1: Service Delivery Indicators for Agago District FY 2013/2014

National Level of achievement Level of achievement Indicators standard/ NDP 2012/13 2013/14

Sector target

Gross Enrolment - 75,158 -

PCR 53:1 87:1 -

PTR 53:1 81:1 83:1

No. of Pupils who sat for PLE N/A 3501

Div. I - 3.6%; Div. II - 46.4%; Div. I - 3.8%; Div. II - 47.6% PLE Performance - Div.III- 22.4%; Div. IV- 12.9% Div. III- 52.2%; Div. IV- 15.7% Education -Primary Div. U- 12.2%; Div. X- 2.4% Div. U- 7.7%; Div. X- 2%

ANC 4th Visit - - 6,722

Deliveries in Health Centres 35% - 8,487

Total beds - - 401

Access to Maternity services - - 10,372

MMR 438/100000 700/100,000 Health Care services IMR 76/1000 172/1,000 -

Staffing Levels - - 270

100% (186.03 Km of roads under routine maintenance - 333.9 km)

Km of rural roads rehabilitated - - 00

Km of roads under periodic maintenance - - 41.1

100% (186.03 Proportion of roads in good condition - 200.34km km) Road Sub-Sector Construction of bridges - - 0

Opening up new community roads - - 12km (JICA)

Km of roads under low cost sealing - 00

Safe water coverage 75% - 68.3%

Households with safe drinking Water - - 40%

Number of boreholes sunk As per budget - 5

Number of boreholes rehabilitated 57 - 14

Functionality of water sources 100% 73% 84% Water and sanitation Proportion of the population within 1km of an improved water source 100% - -

Pit latrine coverage 56% - 35.4 %

Number of extension workers per S/C 2 per S/C - 32

Number of service points - - 16

Number of demonstration farms - - 16 Agriculture

Technical back-up visits - - 384

Number of instructors - - No data

Number of participants - - 48 FAL Number of service centres - - No Data

Level of coverage - - No data

Staffing Level 2 - 1

Conduct Environmental monitoring and assessment No target - 0

Production and update District State of the Environment Report (DSOER) 1 - 0

District Environment Action Plan 1 - 0 Resources

Preparation of District Wetland Ordinance - - 0 Environment and Natural

Monitor wetland systems in the district No target - 0

ii ACODE Public Service Delivery and Accountability Report Series No.39, 2015 FACTORS AFFECTING SERVICE Local Governments Act. While all the four categories are evaluated on their legislative and monitoring DELIVERY IN AGAGO DISTRICT functions, the district chairperson, speaker and council are assessed against their additional roles a) Low Local revenue base: Local revenue that are unique to their offices. As the political head of generation remains at 1% of the total district the district, the district chairperson is also assessed budget. The main sources of locally raised on their political leadership as well as initiation and revenues are taxes, licenses, and fees and participation in projects in their electoral area. The charges. Fees and charges account for 85% of speaker is assessed primarily as a councillor with the locally raised revenues while licenses and an additional function of presiding and preservation taxes account for 9% and 6%, respectively. of order in council. The district council, which is the However, given that Agago is a predominantly highest organ in the district, is also assessed against rural district such taxes are not applicable to the the core function of planning and budgeting as well as majority of citizens. providing accountability to citizens. b) Limited Support Supervision: It was noted at the various service delivery units visited that Table 2: Agago District Council Score-card FY 2013/14 support supervision was limited. This led to

issues including shoddy and delayed work by 2012/13 51 100 contractors whilst minimal staff supervision saw high rates of staff absenteeism, late-coming 2013/14 51 100 and early departures from work. c) Inadequate Staffing: The district has a staffing Max level of 42% resulting in work overload for and Indicator Score Explanatory Remarks Score

inefficiency from district staff. At the district Parameter headquarters only two Heads of Departments Rules of Procedure 2 2 are appointed while the remaining employees work in acting or caretaking roles; at the time Membership to ULGA 0 2 The council largely followed the rules of of scoring there were only three substantially Committees of Council 3 3 procedure in conducting appointed sub-county SAS out of the 13 sub business. All the Motions passed 1 3 standing committees counties. were found to be in place and functional. Ordinances 0 3 e) Natural Disasters: Natural disasters including However, there has been a slight decline by 1 pests, diseases outbreak, flood and drought Conflict Resolution 0 1 point in the perfuming of the legislative have greatly impacted Agago District Council. In Public Hearings 0 2 function compared to FY the FY 2012/13 the sub counties of Parabongo, LEGISLATIVE ROLE 2012/13 performance Legislative resources 2 4 mainly due to lack of Town Council, Lapono and Omot evidence of conducting Petitions 2 2 public hearings, conflict suffered from severe floods which affected crop resolution initiatives, production and health with the outbreak of water and failure to introduce Capacity building 2 3 bills in council. related diseases. Cattle and crop diseases are still common in the Eastern side of the district Sub total 12 25

which regularly affect crop yield and livestock Fiscal Accountability 3 4 There is a registered quality. These issues are further aggravated improvement on this Political Accountability 6 8 by absence of extension staff due to lack of parameter particularly on political accountability transport. Administrative Accountability 4 8 among political leaders. The council is being f) Delays in the procurement process: There Involvement of CSO 2 2 more responsive on were considerable delays in the procurement this indicator. Display Principles of accountability 0 3 of funds released to the process of supplies and services which led to district, sub-counties and service delivery eventual delays in the delivery of services to units is not uniformly done. Commitment

communities. These delays include the untimely ACCOUNTABILITY TO CITIZENS to the principles of Sub total 15 25 solicitation for works and services and the accountability and transparency remains a distribution of contracts to a limited number of challenge. companies who work beyond their means and in neighboring districts which diminishes the Plans, Vision and Mission 5 5

capacity of contractors to provide the agreed District Budget 4 4 The district continues to services. plan and approve budgets Local Revenue 2 11 however the district still has a challenge in SCORE-CARD PERFORMANCE assessing, forecasting and collecting local revenue. Sub total 11 20 The score-card parameters are derived from the PLANNING & BUDGETING mandate of the organs assessed as stipulated in the

ACODE Public Service Delivery and Accountability Report Series No.39, 2015 iii Education 2 5 Council conducted Table 4: Speaker’s Score-card FY 2013/14 monitoring for some Health 2 5 service delivery points however this monitoring Name John Oweka Bostify was limited in terms of Water and sanitation 2 4 coverage compared to total number of service District Agago Roads 2 4 delivery points in the district. There were Agriculture 2 4 no follow-up actions and correspondences Political Party NRM FAL 2 4 to the technical duty bearers to address the service delivery concerns Constituency Omot ENR 1 4 identified. MONITORING SERVICE DELIVERY ON NPPAs Sub total 13 30 Gender Male

Table 3: Chairperson’s Score-card FY2013/14 Terms 1

Peter Odok W’Oceng NRM 2012/13 23 100 2012/13 47 100

2013/14 55 100 2013/14 57 100

Max Indicators Score Explanatory Remarks % change

Parameter Score

DEC 2 3

Max Monitoring admin 4 5 Indicator Score Explanatory Remarks Score The Chairperson chaired 11 State of affairs 2 2 meetings of the executive Parameter committees but only eight Oversight civil meeting minutes were 3 4 servants presented at the time of Chairing council 2 3 assessment. There was no Commissions/ evidence of delegation to 2 2 Rules of procedure 6 9 Boards the Vice Chairman from the Chairman in DEC meetings. The Speaker chaired lawful Central gov’t 4 4 Business Committee 3 3 council meetings but there was no evidence of delegation

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP Sub Total 17 20 to his deputy. The business Records book 0 2 of council is largely conducted Council 1 2 The Chairperson attended according to the Standard six full council meetings and Record of motions 3 3 Rules of Procedure. Motions Executive 5 6 two emergency meetings. Motions included; filling the There was no evidence of vacant post on DLB, discussing record of petitions. Bills by Executive 0 7 Special skills 3 5 the MoLG inspection report and a ministerial statement on the alleged fraud in the salary of Agago District Local Sub Total 17 25

Sub Total 6 15 Government Staff; all of which Legislative Function were presented to council. There were no bills presented There was a phenomenal Meetings Electorate 5 11 LEGISLATIVE ROLE by DEC improvement from the previous assessment in Meetings Electorate 5 5 The chairperson had a program this parameter although of meetings which was coordinating center 9 9 the Speaker did not have a Issues by electorate 5 5 followed. Reports from these programme of meetings in meetings had been generated Omot Sub-county and there and most of the sub-counties was no evidence of providing Sub Total 10 10 CONTACT WITH ELECTORATE had been given feedback. Sub Total 14 20 feedback to citizens or organising citizens to demand

Projects Initiated 1 3 The Chairperson supported Contact with Electorate for better services. the initiation of Agago Communal Projects 0 2 Honey project located in The Speaker attended 4 Kona Abicel in Lokole Sub council meetings at Omot county although there was no Sub-county but there was NGOs 3 3 Participation in LLG 2 10 evidence of contributions to no evidence of any official other community projects. The communication or feedback

Chairperson signed MoUs with LLG given. Sub Total 04 10 GOAL Uganda, CESVI, Concen world Wide, Wagwoke Wunu Health 3 7

PROJECTS and FOKAPAWA Education 3 7 Agriculture 2 7 The Chairperson monitored most service delivery units Agriculture 3 7 Health 6 7 in the district and prepared reports for some of these Water 3 7 Schools 2 7 monitoring activities. There There was evidence of was pictorial evidence for monitoring services and Roads 5 7 Roads 6 7 monitoring in agriculture, road, reports from such activities. and health Sectors. However, However, there was nothing there were no written reports FAL 3 5 to show for follow-up actions. Water Sources 2 7 for monitoring agriculture, water and ENR. The Chairperson Environment 2 5 FAL 0 5 did not Monitor FAL. There was no evidence of follow-up Environment 2 5 from arising from monitoring for agriculture, water and ENR Sub total 22 45 sectors. Monitoring NPPAs MONITORING SERVICE DELIVERY ON NATIONAL PRIORITY PROGRAMME AREAS Sub Total 20 45 iv ACODE Public Service Delivery and Accountability Report Series No.39, 2015 Sub Total Sub

- - -

6 9 9 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 0 5 11 45 24 20 20 14 22 12 20 13 11 11 ENR

- - - 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 FAL

- - - 3 3 0 0 3 5 0 1 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 Roads

- - - 1 3 1 0 1 3 0 1 3 1 3 1 1 1 0 1 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 Water - - - 5 3 1 1 1 7 3 0 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 7 1 1 1 1 3 0 0

Monitoring NPPA Agriculture

- - - 3 3 1 5 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 7 1 1 0 0 2 7 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 Education

- - - 7 3 1 7 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 1 1 5 1 2 7 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 Health

- - - 3 1 2 7 3 3 5 7 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 Sub county meetings county Sub - - 6 2 4 8 6 2 2 2 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 --

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

LLGs Subtotal

- - -

5 0 6 9 7 9 9 9 9 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 20 18 16 20 18 11 Office

- - - 9 7 9 9 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 2 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Meeting electorate Meeting

- - - 9 9 9 9 7 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 7 0 0

11 11 Contact with electorate Sub total Sub

-

9 8 9 9 2 16 14 25 16 16 16 16 18 16 16 10 16 16 18 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 Special skill Special

- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Motion

- 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Committee

- 8 8 8 0 8 8 8 8 0 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 1 8 1 8 8 Plenary

- 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 1 8 8 8 1 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 1 8 8

Legislative role % change %

24 63 37 53 63 42 15 5 8 48 6 -36 -14 0 -20 -38 -44 -27 -35 -19 -77 - 3 2013/14

100 68 62 55 52 49 49 47 46 43 41 37 36 27 25 25 24 23 23 22 22 21 16 7 - 16 35 2012/13

Trends in Performance 100 55 38 59 38 32 30 33 40 41 38 25 34 42 29 25 30 37 41 30 34 26 31 35 Terms

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Gender F F F F F F F F F F M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M Maximum Score

Sub-county Sub-county

Palwo,Lamiyo

Lira-Palwo Patongo Agago TC PWD Patongo Kalongo Lira-Palwo Lira Adilang, Lapono Lukole, Agago Lamito Lukole Kalongo To C Kotomor/Patongo Omiya Pacwa & Paimol Arum Lira Palwo Youth Lapono PWD Paimol Parabongo Parabongo Kotomor Omot/Arum Political Party Political NRM Ind NRM NRM Ind FDC NRM NRM Ind NRM NRM Ind FDC FDC NRM FDC NRM NRM NRM NRM NRM FDC NRM NRM UPC NRM

Name

Akot

Obol** Vento

Apoto**

*Appointed RDC, ** Did not avail themselves for assessment. Their performance is based on secondary assessment. Their information for in the District and Council records themselves ** Did not avail RDC, *Appointed Identifiers Samuel Ojok Kitang Aldo Okwera James Ochan Oyaro Aquilino L. Okello Bismarck C. Lakata Irene Ocan Arach David Yoocana Florence K. Lamunu Denis Tabu Ojoma Susan O. Anyango Innocent O. Apio Joel Okech Charles K. Toodera** John K. Anywar * Nighty O. Alaro Beatrice Atim ** Emmanuel Okot** Patrick Komakech Gladys Mathew Scovia Kenneth G. Opoka** Prisca Kako ** Komakech William** Bua Denish** Ajok Hellen Otim** Average NB. Table 5: Summary performance of Agago District Councilors FY 2013/14

ACODE Public Service Delivery and Accountability Report Series No.39, 2015 v POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR The full report on these findings can be accessed on ACODE’s online information center at: IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY http:www.acode-u.org/ From the Agago District Council Scorecard Report, it is recommended that: 1) Agago District Local Government devise means of increasing its local revenue base to increase the local revenue performance and develop a robust local revenue generation and enhancement plan. The district needs to evolve itself into a business About the Authors entity and enter into public/private partnership with private firms to become financially viable. Jonas Mbabazi is a Research Officer at ACODE 2) Agago District Local Government should design a under the Local Government Councils’ Scorecard means of bringing citizen on board to appreciate Initiative. Jonas has deloped expertise in their roles in service delivery. For instance, the monitoring Governance and Accountability District Council can initiate a citizen’s day for particularly in local governance over half a service delivery in which citizens volunteer to decade. He has published several Research clean service delivery units like health center Papers on Local Governance and Accountability compounds. and Opinion articles in our local dailies on same subject. 3) Heads of departments and sectors in Agago District Local Government need to improve on Richard Odongto Lotyang is a programme support supervision and technical backstopping Coordinator at Wagwoke Wunu .He was also a in service delivery units to address challenges Project Assistant at GOAL Uganda. He holds a such as staff absenteeism and misconduct. Bachelor of Arts in Social Science of Makerere 4) Agago District Local Government must take University. He has worked on LGCSCI for two the initiative in ensuring that Lower Local years. Governments align their activities with that of the district and communicate their schedule John Francis Oringa is an Independent of activities to the district to avoid conflicting Researcher and has been working as a research activities. Agago District Council should consider Assistant on LGCSCI for one year. passing a resolution of council that would make it mandatory for Lower Local Governments to invite district councilors to their council meetings. 5) Agago District Local Government must should coordinate with the technical team to develop a councilor’s monitoring tool for the different departments The absence of the critical issues emerging from monitoring service delivery units in the individual councilors’ reports and the debates in council show a void in the reporting and monitoring process. 6) Agago District Local Government must devise a way to support councilors to do more research on issues of service delivery and other issues affecting the citizen so they debate from an informed point of view and are able to make concrete resolutions. An analysis of the record of council minutes shows a very low level of debate. The fact that only two councilors moved substantive motions on service delivery in the entire financial year and that no councilor demonstrated special skills in council shows that something has to be done to build the capacity of these councilors.

vi ACODE Public Service Delivery and Accountability Report Series No.39, 2015