Good Governance & Social Accountability
Promoting transparent governance, citizen participation, and social accountability to ensure urban development benefits all community members equally.
Overview
Our Governance Program strengthens democratic processes, enhances transparency, and empowers citizens to actively participate in decision-making that affects their urban environments and livelihoods.
Through community engagement and capacity building, we create systems where urban development decisions are transparent, inclusive, and responsive to community needs.
Program Goals
Transparent Governance
Enhance transparency and accountability in urban service delivery
Citizen Participation
Increase community participation in urban planning and budgeting
Accountability Systems
Establish robust monitoring and feedback mechanisms
Key Initiatives
Community Advisory Councils
Establishment of community-led advisory councils that provide input on urban development projects, monitor implementation, and hold leaders accountable.
Functions:
- Monthly community engagement meetings
- Project monitoring and evaluation
- Feedback collection and reporting
- Interface with local government
Citizen Feedback Platform
Digital and physical platforms for citizens to report issues, provide feedback on services, and track government responses to community concerns.
Platform Features:
- Mobile app and SMS reporting
- Public dashboard with issue tracking
- Response time monitoring
- Anonymous reporting option
Governance Training
Capacity building for both community leaders and local government officials on participatory governance, transparency, and accountability.
Training Modules:
- Participatory budgeting processes
- Social audit methodologies
- Transparency and accountability standards
- Conflict resolution and mediation
Program Impact
Accountability Framework
Participatory Budgeting
Facilitating community involvement in local budget processes to ensure public funds address priority needs and are allocated transparently.
- Community budget prioritization workshops
- Public budget hearings and consultations
- Budget tracking and expenditure monitoring
- Annual budget performance reviews
Social Audits
Training communities to conduct social audits of public projects, ensuring quality implementation and proper use of resources.
- Community monitoring committees
- Project quality assessment tools
- Financial tracking and verification
- Public audit report dissemination
Open Data Portal
Maintaining a public portal with accessible data on urban development projects, budgets, and performance indicators.
- Real-time project updates
- Budget allocation and expenditure data
- Performance metrics and indicators
- Downloadable reports and datasets
Success Stories
Kampala Market Transformation
"Through participatory budgeting, our community successfully advocated for improved sanitation facilities in the local market, benefiting 5,000 traders and shoppers."
Mbarara Road Project
"Our social audit identified irregularities in a road construction project, leading to corrective measures and saving UGX 200 million in public funds."
Youth Engagement Initiative
"The youth governance training empowered 500 young people to participate in local council elections and community development committees."
Strategic Partnerships
Government Collaboration
Working with local government authorities to institutionalize participatory governance practices and accountability mechanisms.
Civil Society Networks
Partnering with other civil society organizations to amplify advocacy efforts and share best practices in governance.
International Support
Collaboration with international development partners for technical expertise and resource support in governance initiatives.
Strengthen Urban Governance
Support our efforts to build transparent, accountable, and participatory governance systems that serve all urban residents equally. Join us in creating cities where every voice matters and every citizen can participate.