Uganda Karamoja Resilience Support Unit II

The Uganda Karamoja Resilience Support Unit II activity is an Associate Award under the Feed the Future Kenya Livestock Market Systems Activity, a Leader with Associates (LWA) contracting mechanism, held by ACDI/VOCA. This LWA enables USAID missions in the East Africa region to access specialized services. Learn more here.

Background Narrative

The Karamoja region of Uganda has unique development challenges, including low rainfall with risk of environmental degradation, food insecurity, and cross-border conflicts. Over 60 percent of the Karamojong population live below the Ugandan poverty line, compared to the national average of 27 percent. Recognizing this, the Government of Uganda created the Ministry for Karamoja Affairs (MfKA). Despite progress, there remains a need for improved coordination between the MfKA, the Government of Uganda, and the Karamoja Development Partners’ Group (KDPG), the primary vehicle for stakeholder collaboration in Karamoja.

The first Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU) was implemented by Tufts University, which provided assessments, studies, and analysis of development programs in Karamoja. KRSU II is mainly implemented by Tufts University as the key subawardee. It will build on its predecessor’s success and define new development priorities, develop implementation plans, and success indicators for the future.

The project focuses on knowledge management and coordination between donors, multilaterals, Government of Uganda, partners, and other stakeholders in USAID/Uganda Mission’s resilience zone of Karamoja, with the aim of strengthening the resilience of communities in Karamoja. The project provides targeted support to strengthen government policies and systems that build resilience in Karamoja, and assists the MfKA in coordination and in managing their own M&E and learning systems. KRSU II will facilitate coordination of GOU and development and humanitarian partners. This includes both networking support for Karamoja-based agencies and staff and identifying areas for collective action or actively supporting collaborations.

Project Objectives

Turn Evidence into Action by generating and disseminating new evidence and reviewing existing research to see how the GoU, donors, partners, and USAID can inform development planning in Karamoja
Promote and Foster Collective Action by facilitating coordination of GoU and development partners
Improve GOU Coordination to Implement the Karamoja Integrated Development Plan to broaden support of MfKA to better coordinate with district and sub-county leadership to operationalize the KIDP, guide investments, and share results

Project Activities and Approaches

Management and coordination of a learning agenda and development and dissemination of evidence and case studies for integrating planning and implementation of resilience activities. Effective learning agenda for a Karamoja Development Partners Group that is owned and used by all partners
Provide a range of strategic, programmatic, and logistical support to the KDPG
Facilitate learning sessions and joint strategic planning sessions for the KDPG and MfKA
Create a strong evidence base to promote good policies that will increase the impact of programs on drought resilience and growth through assessments, evaluations and studies
Help to capture current successes and create models in collaboration and integration for future activities
Support and reinforce a demand-driven approach to policy research via the KDPG and MfKA
Provide thematic surge support for arising/urgent subjects important to the region

Anticipated Project Results

Learning agenda for the project period
Learning events and policy engagement activities
Reports and briefs on coordination, M&E, capacity-building support
Redesign KRSU website
Technical support to district coordination events

Achieved Project Results

9 government or community-derived risk management plans formally proposed, adopted, implemented, or institutionalized
141 people participated in pastoralism training, agriculture research and development learning sessions.

Funder: USAID

Project Director: Rebekah Bakewicz, rbakewicz@acdivoca.org

Project Specialist: Madelyn Dynes, mdynes@acdivoca.org