in theworld. asoneofthetop thinktanks Index Tank Think To Go intheGlobal beenranked years consecutive last four the for has ACODE and advocacy. service delivery improved for to demand community empowerment research, policy contemporary public in engaging by people for publicpolicieswork mission istomake Its in Uganda. registered thinktank and advocacy research isanindependentpublicpolicy ACODE About ACODE: àÈ9 9 789970 565009565016565023565030565047967407566006566013566020566037566044566051566068566075566082566099566105566112566129566136566143566150566167566174566181566198566204566211566228566235566242566259566266566273566280566297566303566310566327566334566341566358566365566372566389566402566396566419566426566433566440566457566464566471566488566495567003567010567027567034567041567058567065567072567089567096567102567119567126567133567140567157567164567171567188567195567201567218567225567232567249567256567263567270 ADVOCATES COALITION FOR DEVELOPMENT ANDENVIRONMENT FORDEVELOPMENT COALITION ADVOCATES Email: [email protected] /[email protected] Email: [email protected] Plot 96, Kanjokya Street, Kamwokya. Kamwokya. Street, Plot 96,Kanjokya Website: www.acode-u.org Website: P. O. Box 29836, Kampala. 29836, Kampala. Box O. P. Tel: +256 312 812150. 812150. +256312 Tel: Understanding the Dynamics and Functionality and Dynamics the Understanding a a D Ugan in orces f Task Task T ric T Dis VID-19 co he T of Performance The Task Task The Performance of The Performance T Understanding the Dynamics and theDynamics Understanding he Eugene GeraldSsemakula Wilson Winstons Muhwezi Winstons Wilson Rebecca NalwogaMukwaya ACODE PolicyResearch PaperSeriesNo.101,2020 Fred Kasalirwe co f orces inUgan Support from: With With Functionality VID-19 Dis | Phoebe Atukunda | | Oscord MarkOtile | Jonas Mbabazi Walter Akena Walter T ric D T a The information in this publication does not necessarily reflect the official view of Democratic Governance Facility (DGF), its development partners or any other person acting on their behalf. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE COVID-19 DISTRICT TASK FORCES IN UGANDA: UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS AND FUNCTIONALITY The Performance of The coVID-19 DisTricT Task forces in UganDa Understanding the Dynamics and Functionality Winstons Wilson Muhwezi | Jonas Mbabazi Fred Kasalirwe | Phoebe Atukunda Eugene Gerald Ssemakula | Oscord Mark Otile Rebecca Nalwoga Mukwaya | Walter Akena ACODE Policy Research Paper Series No. 101, 2020 i THE PERFORMANCE OF THE COVID-19 DISTRICT TASK FORCES IN UGANDA: UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS AND FUNCTIONALITY Published by ACODE P. O. Box 29836, Kampala Email: [email protected] ; [email protected] Website: http://www.acode-u.org Citation: Muhwezi, W. W., Mbabazi, J., Kasalirwe, F., Atukunda, P., Ssemakula, E. G., Otile, O. M., Mukwaya, N. R., and Akena, W. (2020). The Performance of the COVID-19 District Task Forces in Uganda: Understanding the Dynamics and Functionality, Kampala, ACODE Policy Research Paper Series No.101. © ACODE 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. ACODE policy work is supported by generous donations and grants from bilateral donors and charitable foundations. Reproduction or use of this publication for academic or charitable purposes or for purposes of informing public policy is excluded from this restriction. ISBN: 9789970567270 ii THE PERFORMANCE OF THE COVID-19 DISTRICT TASK FORCES IN UGANDA: UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS AND FUNCTIONALITY Acknowledgements CODE acknowledges the contribution of both the organisations and individuals that made this work possible. We are grateful for the Acontinued support from the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) to the Local Government Councils’ Scorecard Initiative under which this work is published. To this end, ACODE is grateful to DGF contributing partners: Austria, Denmark, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU). We applaud the support from the Ministry of Local Government in facilitating the smooth collection of data for this study, especially during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. We acknowledge the political and technical leadership in all the districts of Amuru, Apac, Arua, Bududa, Buliisa, Hoima, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaliro, Kampala, Kamuli, Kanungu, Kisoro, Lira, Luwero, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Mpigi, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nebbi, Nwoya, Rukungiri, Sheema, Soroti, Tororo, and Wakiso for their cooperation and provision of information. In particular, we are grateful to the members of the District Task Force teams whose insights into this study are invaluable. In the same spirit, we acknowledge the cooperation of all the respondents from the CSOs, District Task Force teams, Media, Opinion Leaders, public officers, Local Council leaders, private sector, and members of the community who volunteered to provide information for this study. ACODE also acknowledges the support of the Local Government Councils Scorecard Initiative’s and DGF’s implementation partners in the various districts for their participation in the conceptualization and implementation of this study. We also wish to recognize ACODE’s network of district researchers who were responsible for collecting data from all the districts covered by the study. iii THE PERFORMANCE OF THE COVID-19 DISTRICT TASK FORCES IN UGANDA: UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS AND FUNCTIONALITY Table of Contents Acknowledgements iii Table of Contents iv List of Tables vii List of Figures viii Acronyms and abbreviations ix Executive Summary x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Objectives of the study 2 1.2.1 Specific Objective 2 1.3 Background 3 CHAPTER 2: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 6 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND STUDY DESIGN 8 3.1 The COVID-19 DTF Study Assessment Design and Methods 8 3.1.1 Categories of the Study Participants 8 3.1.2 Sample Determination of the Selected Participants 8 3.1.3 Selection Criteria of the sampled Districts and Sub-counties 11 3.2. Data Collection Procedures and Management of COVID-19 SOPs 12 3.3. Quality Control Measures in the Data Collection Processes 12 3.4. Instruments for Data Collection 13 3.5. Data Management and Analysis 13 3.6 Ethics, Challenges and Mitigation Measures 14 3.7 Limitations of the Study 14 CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS OF THE DTF 15 STUDY 4.1 Context for COVID-19 Response 15 4.1.1 Institutional and Legal Framework for Disaster Management in 15 Uganda 4.1.2 National response mechanisms for COVID-19 22 4.1.3 Subnational Response mechanisms 25 4.2 Operational Guidelines for the DTFs 26 4.3 DTF Structures and processes 30 4.3.1 Structure of the District Task Forces 30 4.3.2 Contact Tracing Mechanisms 34 4.3.3 Coordination mechanisms 36 iv THE PERFORMANCE OF THE COVID-19 DISTRICT TASK FORCES IN UGANDA: UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS AND FUNCTIONALITY 4.3.4 Collaboration Mechanisms 39 4.3.5 Public Participation 40 4.4 Stakeholder Engagement in COVID-19-Response 41 4.4.1 Role of the Central Government 42 4.4.2 Civil Society Organisations 43 4.4.3 The Media 45 4.4.4 Private Sector 46 4.4.5 Lower Local Councils 47 4.4.6 Opinion Leaders 49 4.4.7 Religious Leaders 49 4.5 Inclusiveness 50 4.6 Structural Capacity of DTFs 51 4.6.1 District response plan and budget 51 4.6.2 Physical resources 53 4.6.3 Financial Resources 54 4.6.4 Accountability and Transparency Structures, Mechanisms and 56 Measures 4.7 Outcomes of DTF interventions 58 4.7.1 The efficiency of the DTFs 58 4.7.2 Effectiveness of the DTFs 61 4.7.3 Human rights violations 66 CHAPTER 5: COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS ON THE 71 PERFORMANCE OF THE COVID-19 DTF 5.1 Demographic Statistics 71 5.2 Level of Awareness 73 5.2.1 Community Members’ Awareness of the COVID-19 DTFs and 73 Officials in their respective Districts 5.2.2 Community Awareness of DTF Activities 74 5.2.3 Awareness of the Services of the DTF 75 5.2.4 Awareness of Testing and Isolation Centres 76 5.3 Community Members’ Experiences with the COVID-19 District 78 Taskforces 5.3.1 Community Members’ Benefits from DTFs 78 5.3.2 Modes of Communication used by DTFs 79 5.4 The interface of the Community with the DTF Officials 79 5.4.1 Community experiences interfacing with DTF 80 5.4.2 Communication between DTF and Community members 81 5.4.3 Communication Channels through which COVID-19 Messages 82 were delivered. 5.4.4 Frequency of Sensitization 83 5.4.5 Nature of Information Shared 84 5.5 Community Members’ Satisfaction with the Services of the DTFs 84 5.5.1 Satisfaction with Community Sensitization 85 v THE PERFORMANCE OF THE COVID-19 DISTRICT TASK FORCES IN UGANDA: UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS AND FUNCTIONALITY 5.5.2 Satisfaction with the Readiness of DTFs 85 5.5.3 Satisfaction with Enforcement 86 5.5.4 Satisfaction with Accountability 87 5.5.5 Satisfaction with Distribution of Food and other Supplies 87 5.5.6 Satisfaction with the issuance of travel permits 88 5.6 Community Perceptions on Efficiency of DTFs 89 5.6.1 Reporting on Resource Utilization 89 5.6.2 Ease and Timeliness of Accessing Services 90 5.6.3 Services received easily and timely 90 5.6.4 Services not received easily and timely 91 5.6.5 Services never received at all 92 5.7 Community perception on Effectiveness of District Task Forces 93 5.7.1 Benefits from DTFs 94 5.7.2 Behavioural Change Aspects Attributed to the DTF 94 5.7.3 Drivers of the Observed Community Awareness and Satisfaction 95 Rates