Ten agencies fail gender, equity compliance test

At least 10 government programmes under ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) have failed the gender and equity compliance test in the budget framework paper (BFP) for the Financial Year 2021/2022. 

This was revealed by the Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC), a constitutional body established by the Equal Opportunities Commission Act, No. 2 of 2007 (EOC Act) “to give effect to the State’s constitutional mandate to eliminate discrimination and inequalities against any individual or group of persons and take affirmative action in favor of groups marginalised on the basis of gender, age, disability or any other reason created by history and tradition.

While addressing journalists at EOC head offices in Kampala yesterday, Ms Irene Nafungo, the acting head of compliance and enforcement in EOC, said the main objective of this assessment is to establish the level of compliance with gender and equity requirements of the National Budget Framework Paper in 18 programmes.

“The report, presents the assessment findings and the issuance of the compliance certificate for the national BFP to the 18 programmes assessed regarding their compliance with gender and equity requirements for the FY2021/2022,”she said.

Ms Nafungo added that in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Finance, planning and budgeting shifted from sector wide-approach where there were 19 sectors, to programme-based planning with 18 programmes. 

The assessment findings reveals that four programme out of 18 scored a compliance level of 70 per cent and above and these include:  Human Capital Development Programme with 82 per cent, Community Mobilisation and Mindset Change (79 per cent), Natural Resources, Environment, Climate Change, Land and Water (76 per cent) and Innovation, Technology Development and Transfer (70 per cent)

Worst performers
The worst performers include: Manufacturing with 59 per cent, Sustainable Development of Petroleum Resources (58 per cent) and Sustainable Energy Development (57 per cent).

Ms Nafungo added that the Commission upgraded the Gender and Equity Management Information online system and automated all the 18 programmes in line with the NDP III planning and budgeting framework in an effort to ease gender and equity compliance assessment process.

“The Commission assessed 19 Sector BFPs, 148 ministerial policy statements, and 175 local government BFPs for gender and equity complicate and the overall score was 69.87 per cent,” she said. 

Ms Nafungo added that the commission experienced some challenges in examining the programmes which includes late submission of the budget framework papers, which made it difficult to conduct assessment for six programmes in time, therefore, forcing the Commission to initially produce partial results. 

“The affected programmes included Private Sector Development, Sustainable Energy Programme, Human Capital Development, Regional Development, Sustainable Development of Petroleum Resources, Natural Resources, Environment, Climate Change, Land and Water Management,” she said. 

About the average 
The compliance of the national BFP for the FY 2021/2022 is 62 per cent and above, but the minimum score is  50 per cent,  therefore, all the 18 programmes which were  assessed passed and are  recommended to be issued a certificate of gender and equity compliance in accordance with Section 9 (6) of the Public Finance Management Act.

List of programmes
Best programmes 
1. Human Capital Development (82%)
2. Community Mobilisation and Mindset Change (79%)
3. Natural Resources, Environment, Climate Change, Land, and Water (76%)
4. Innovation, Technology Development, and Transfer (70%)
5. Agro-Industrialisation (68%) 
6. Governance and Security (68%)
7. Digital Transformation (66%) 
8. Integrated Transport and infrastructure Services (66%) 

Worst programmes
1. Mineral Development (63%) 
2. Sustainable Urbanisation and Housing (63%) 
3. Development Plan implementation (63%) 
4. Regional Development (63%) 
5. Private Sector Development (62%) 
6. Public Sector Transformation (62%) 
7. Tourism Development (61%) 
8. Manufacturing (59%) 
9. Sustainable Development of Petroleum Resources (58%) 
10. Sustainable Energy Development (57%) 

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