Balancing Rural Poverty Reduction and Citizen Participation: The Contradictions of Uganda’s Decentralization Program

Francis, Paul; James, Robert C.

doi:10.1016/s0305-750x(02)00190-0

Cited by 227 publications

(183 citation statements)

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“…In particular, the paper demonstrates that a major consequence of institutional multiplicity is not just the negotiability of regulations and authority (see Francis and James 2003;Ribot and Peluso 2003) but also the indecision in land dispute resolution. Indecision in land dispute resolution is a result of many processes for example limited authority to implement and sanction decisions, as a consequence resolutions of such institutions may not be binding; lack of commitment of dispute resolvers that are more interested in establishing their authority than in solving disputes; the fact that in a situation of institutional multiplicity those involved in conflict may always approach another institution to present their land disputes or interests; and the reality that one of the conflicting parties does not recognize the legitimacy of one of the institutions in case they get a negative decision.…”

Section: Legal Pluralism and Institutional Competitionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Where do I report my land dispute? The impact of institutional proliferation on land governance in post-conflict Northern Uganda

Kobusingye

Leeuwen

Dijk

2016

The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law

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In Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda has been hailed for embarking on an intensive decentralization programme. Whereas a lot of literature assumes that decentralization leads to improved service delivery, it is unclear to what extent this is the case in practice, especially when it comes down to decentralized land governance. This paper, which is based on ethnographic research carried out between 2011 and 2013, argues that decentralization of land governance in postconflict Northern Uganda fails to realize the expected benefits and instead has increased tenure insecurity. Decentralization of land governance gave rise to institutional multiplicity by creating new institutions that add on to the already existing authorities and regulations. Institutional proliferation in land governance that is fuelled by legal pluralism and decentralization results into confusion in land dispute resolution and the failure of institutions to effectively resolve land disputes in post-conflict settings. This exacerbates the dilemma of people who do not know where to go to seek redress to land disputes. While this multiplicity of both statutory and customary institutions creates choices and opportunities for both people and institutions in relation to land governance and in particular land conflict resolution, they are also used by power holders and authorities in political competition at local level, complicating the process of land dispute resolution. The struggle for authority between representatives of the state and of customary land institutions becomes especially problematic because it merges with local and national politics.

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Section: Legal Pluralism and Institutional Competitionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Where do I report my land dispute? The impact of institutional proliferation on land governance in post-conflict Northern Uganda

Kobusingye

Leeuwen

Dijk

2016

The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law

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“…Frequent rotations of government staff mean that civil servants are often not embedded within their communities of operation, and hence not subject to demand-side accountability pressures through social ties, as Hossain (2010) and Tsai (2007) highlight elsewhere. Neither does their job security rest upon the quality of service delivery because of the lack of alternative services and the lack of local autonomy over resources and policy making (Brett, 2003;Francis and James, 2003).…”

Section: Cultivating Social Accountability In the Rwenzori Sub-regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…RD's strategy might be more effective in enhancing the political capabilities of lower-income households by building awareness and capacity within PTAs and VHTs or other local associational forms, and fostering stronger links between these popular actors and more elite representative structures. 6 Without effective mechanisms for incentives and sanctions within service providing institutions, however (Brett, 2003, Booth, 2012, and a shift in the values of those with vested interests in the status quo (Francis and James, 2003), the literature suggests that gains here too would be limited.…”

Section: Sub-county Dialoguesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing the Power of the Poor? NGO-led Social Accountability Initiatives and Political Capabilities in Rural Uganda

King

2015

Eur J Dev Res

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Social accountability has become an important new buzzword among development actors seeking to understand the forms of state-society synergy that may be supportive of better public services. Advocates suggest demand-side initiatives are key to increasing the power of the poor in service provision, while sceptics question the application of technical fixes to complex political challenges. This article reports findings from qualitative research into the political capabilities outcomes achieved among local health and education stakeholders through the social accountability interventions of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Western Uganda. It argues that NGOs are unlikely to generate substantive advances for social accountability in agrarian contexts characterised by patronage politics without organising marginalised groups themselves to tackle the causes of their disadvantage.La redevabilité sociale est devenue un nouveau mot clé à la mode au sein des acteurs du développement qui cherchent à comprendre les différentes formes de synergie entre état et société qui pourraient favoriser de meilleurs services publics. Les partisans de la redevabilité sociale suggèrent que les initiatives du côté de la demande sont clés pour augmenter le pouvoir des pauvres dans la prestation de services, alors les sceptiques remettent en question l'application de solutions techniques pour régler des problèmes politiques complexes. Cet article relate les conclusions d'une étude qualitative relative à la capacité politique au sein d'acteurs sanitaires et éducatifs locaux, qui a été rendue possible grâce à une intervention sur la redevabilité sociale, mise en oeuvre par une organisation non-gouvernementale (ONG) dans l'Ouest de l'Ouganda. L'étude démontre que les ONG sont peu susceptibles de provoquer des avancées importantes en redevabilité sociale dans les contextes agraires, qui sont caractérisés par un patronage politique, sans appuyer l'organisation des groupes marginalisés eux-mêmes afin qu'ils s'attaquent aux causes de leur désavantage.

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“…Local councils were established from the village to the district level on the basis of an elaborate system of direct and indirect elections, and provided with an increasingly significant share of the national budget (Francis and James 2003). 4 Government spending on primary health and education is now routed through district governments, which have taken on the responsibility for recruiting and paying the salaries of medical staff and teachers.…”

Section: P Olitics and Governance Reforms In The 1990smentioning

confidence: 99%

The Political Economy of Governance Reforms in Uganda

Robinson¹

2007

Commonwealth & Comparative Politics

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About IDSThe Institute of Development Studies is one of the world's leading organisations for research, teaching and communications on international development. Founded in 1966, the Institute enjoys an international reputation based on the quality of its work and the rigour with which it applies academic skills to real world challenges. Its purpose is to understand and explain the world, and to try to change it -to influence as well as to inform.IDS hosts five dynamic research programmes, five popular postgraduate courses, and a family of worldclass web-based knowledge services. These three spheres are integrated in a unique combination -as a development knowledge hub, IDS is connected into and is a convenor of networks throughout the world.The Institute is home to approximately 80 researchers, 50 knowledge services staff, 50 support staff and about 150 students at any one time. But the IDS community extends far beyond, encompassing an extensive network of partners, former staff and students across the development community worldwide. IDS DISCUSSION PAPER 386The Political Economy of Governance Reforms in Uganda This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for teaching or non-profit purposes, but not for resale. Formal permission is required for all such uses, but normally will be granted immediately. For copying in any other circumstances, or for re-use in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the publisher, and a fee may be payable. AbstractThis paper presents three cases of successful governance reforms in Uganda, highlighting the political and institutional factors that explain the different trajectories of implementation, as well as features they share in common. Despite variations in content and focus, the governance reforms examined here were designed to promote structural changes in state institutions and change the incentives that shape the behaviour of state actors.The three cases of governance reform -civil service reform, the creation of a semiautonomous revenue authority and anti-corruption agencies -share a number of common features. First, they all followed a similar trajectory in their implementation, achieving a degree of initial success that was then gradually undermined. Second, the institutional features that appear to account for that initial success -strong political support to technocratic or bureaucratic elites with some degree of insulation from political and societal interestsalso help explain why such reforms are susceptible to a process of unravelling. Third, the main explanation for the loss of reform momentum (or even reversal of gains made) lies in the imperative of preserving the institutional foundations of neo-patrimonial politics.All three governance reforms considered here achieved a degree of initial success: civil service reform succeeded in downsizing and rationalising the bureaucracy; the revenue authority achieved increased tax revenues; and anti-corruption efforts led to th...

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Balancing Rural Poverty Reduction and Citizen Participation: The Contradictions of Uganda’s Decentralization Program

Cited by 227 publications

References 4 publications

Where do I report my land dispute? The impact of institutional proliferation on land governance in post-conflict Northern Uganda

Where do I report my land dispute? The impact of institutional proliferation on land governance in post-conflict Northern Uganda

Increasing the Power of the Poor? NGO-led Social Accountability Initiatives and Political Capabilities in Rural Uganda

The Political Economy of Governance Reforms in Uganda

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