President Yoweri Museveni is set to launch the Parish Development Model (PDM) on February 26, 2022 in Bukedi sub-region. The model aims to lift 39% (about 3.5 million people) of households from the subsistence to money economy.
This would eventually contribute to The Uganda Vision 2040 which envisages “a transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country” and hence the realization of the third National Development Plan (NDP III) which prioritizes inclusive growth, employment and sustainable wealth creation at household level.
It is worth noting that the Comprehensive Evaluation of NDP I End Evaluation and NDP II Mid Term Review identified a gap in the public service delivery mechanisms from the highest levels to the grassroots.
Consequently, the Parish Development Model (PDM) was initiated and adopted, with a parish as the key administrative unit for implementation of Government Programmes and as the best suited delivery mechanism for the attainment of NDPIII development goals at the grassroots level.
There seems to be a general consensus that the PDM will bring services closer to the people by strengthening the sub-county as the lowest planning unit and the Parish as the administrative and operational hub for all government services.
In fact, in the FY 2021/22, Shs200 billion was budgeted for the entire model, of which sh182billion has been appropriated under local government, with sh120billion as the revolving fund for the identified parishes in the 146 districts of Uganda. The government plans to send to each parish Shs17million in the current financial year and later increase to Shs100m in the next financial year. The parish revolving money is to be channeled through SACCOs with the help of parish chiefs immediately after the launch and pre-launch activities are ongoing across the country like distribution of bicycles to LC1 and LCII chairpersons and motorcycles to LCIII chairpersons.
However, there are a number of emerging issues around the PDM. First, the Ministry of Local Government (MoLG) has not yet finalised the implementation guidelines and enterprises groups. Second, there is lack of functional structures like District Service Commission in some districts to finalize the recruitment process of the parish chiefs. Despite government providing the necessary resources to all districts to recruit parish chiefs, 80 percent of them did not complied to the 30th September, 2021 deadline. Some districts were recruiting not following the qualification guidelines specified by the MoFPED.
This is, sometimes, coupled with delay from the public service commission to approve the positions. As a result, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has halted disbursement of Sh200billion Parish Development Model cash.
In order to achieve the intended goals of the PDM, the government should finalise the implementation guidelines as well as creation of enterprise groups which are going to benefit from the money. The government should establish fully-functional implementation structures at the grassroots to undertake the recruitment.
The Local government Ministry should also follow clear qualifications to complete the recruitment of the parish chiefs, who are going to be superintending over the PDM. Thereafter the money should be disbursed by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Photo Credit: NileWires