Institutional Linkages

The office of the Prime Minister provides the inter-sectoral coordination of NAADS/OWC activities across the different MDAs. The OPM spearheads performance monitoring and production of annual and semi-annual reports by all MDAs. (more at http://opm.go.ug/ )

MPs through their constituencies are involved in the mobilization of Farmers as well as planning and monitoring of the NAADS Program. In addition, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture provides overall legislative as well as monitoring oversight to the NAADS program. (More at https://www.parliament.go.ug/ )

The roles of MAAIF include:

1. Carrying out planning and budgeting, capacity building, quality assurance and providing technical guidance in support of NAADS targets;
2. Inspecting, internal monitoring and evaluation of the programme;
3. Designing and developing ICT based monitoring databases and distribution systems with appropriate data capture tools to track and document all quantities of inputs delivered to the LGs;
4. Collating, analyzing, storing and publishing National Level Performance Reports; and
5. Providing technical guidance for pre- delivery, delivery and post-delivery verification of interventions in LGs and to monitor adherence to agreed standards for inputs. (more at http://agriculture.go.ug/ )

The strategic partnership between NARO and NAADS at all levels is important to ensure that complementary services lead to a significant contribution of agriculture to rural development. The functions and roles of these two organizations are inter-dependent hence the need to rationalize resource use through harmonization.

Harmonizing activities minimize duplication and promote the sharing of technical information on available technologies and progress made in adoption and, overall, providing a feedback mechanisms to inform the research agenda. There is an increasing need for both research and extension to focus on common key enterprises in a given area in order to hasten technology’s impact and for synergistic resource use.

NAADS / NARO collaboration framework was developed for the purpose explained above. As part of this process, information sharing was promoted through the Agricultural Research and Information Network (ARENET). In practice, however, implementation of the framework was weak mainly because there was no funding provision for common activities.(more at http://www.naro.go.ug)

Other MAAIF Agencies

NAADS collaborates with other MAAIF Agencies to implement activities that pertain to its mandate.

These include:

• Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) More at https://ugandacoffee.go.ug/;
• NAGRC & DB more at https://nagrc.go.ug/
• Dairy Development Authority (DDA) more at https://dda.go.ug/
• Coordinating Office for Control of Trypanosomiasis in Uganda (COCTU)  http://coctu.go.ug/

The Ministry participates in the formulation, monitoring, and evaluation of NAADS/OWC activities at National and Local Governments levels. The Ministry also supports capacity building initiatives of political and technical staff at various levels of Local Governments. Furthermore, the Ministry carries out supervision, coordination and administration of Local Governments activities (more at https://www.molg.go.ug/)

The district local government role includes:

1. Carrying out planning, selection of priority commodities and distribution of agricultural inputs to lower level local governments and beneficiaries, receipt and verification of technologies (seeds/ planting & stocking materials, value addition equipment, tractors etc.);
2. Providing agricultural extension/advisory services;
3. Mobilizing Local Governments resources to support the implementation of OWC;
4. Carrying out District level inspection, monitoring and evaluation; and
5. Documenting and reporting (district performance reports).

The sub-county chiefs working with the agricultural technical staff coordinate planning, setting up of priorities, selection of enterprises and beneficiaries; supervise distribution and use of inputs. They also produce and submit consolidated work plans and reports to the CAO.

LC3 and LC1 chairpersons working with the Secretary for production, Agricultural extension workers at those levels also support the OWC officers for mobilisation of the communities and supervision for effective implementation of OWC. The sub-county chiefs work closely with the following local government officials:

• The Chairperson LC 3;
• Community Development Officer;
• Extension workers based in the sub county;
• Secretary for Production;
• Gombolola (Sub-county) Internal Security Officer (GISO);
• The Constituency OWC Officer;
• Parish Chief; and
• Parish Internal Security Officer (PISO).

Development Partners play the following roles:

1. Provision of support to policy implementation and advocacy to farmers with particular focus on extension, value chains and market linkages;
2. Provision of technical assistance in regard to agricultural extension, priority commodity management and increased production and productivity; and
3. Mobilization of financial resources for agricultural extension, and farmer group institutional capacity building.

These organizations play the following roles in their collective or individual capacities:

1. Filling gaps in delivering extension services in accordance with approved guidelines;
2. Participating in planning, priority setting and overseeing the distribution and delivery of agricultural inputs (seeds, planting materials etc.);
3. Advocating and providing a watchdog function through engaging policymakers and political leaders;
4. Supplying of quality agricultural inputs on contract;
5. Mobilizing farmers into groups and building their organizational capacities through training and sensitization;
6. Establishing seed multiplication fields/gardens;
7. Supporting postharvest handling, storage, value addition and processing;
8. Supporting smallholder farmers to access fair markets for their produce through the provision of services in form of transport, trade and marketing; and
9. Generating and publishing information through tailored studies that adds to the existing body of knowledge on topical issues and concerns.

It is estimated that smallholder farmers constitute 68% of the agricultural stakeholders, and the majority live in rural areas.

In this regard, the primary target beneficiaries for NAADS/ OWC interventions include:

1. All farming households (small and medium);
2. Individual farmers (such as nucleus, seed multiplier and out grower farmers);
3. Farmer groups/associations/cooperatives;
4. Socially and socio-economically identified and/or vulnerable groups (such as women, youth, people with disabilities, child headed families); and
5. Other special interest groups (civilian veterans, spouses and/or widows of serving officers within the armed forces: army, police and prison).

The smallholder farmers play an important role by utilizing the agricultural inputs distributed to them to increase their incomes for better livelihoods.