Aligning Gender and Equity Compliance Assessment Scores with Annual Performance Outcomes in Uganda

Abstract

This research proposal examines how Uganda's Gender and Equity Budgeting (GEB) efforts translate into real development outcomes. Although the country has made progress in institutionalizing Gender and Equity Budgeting (GEB) in its national systems through strong legal and policy frameworks such as the Public Finance Management Act (2015) which requires Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and Local Governments (LGs) to meet gender and equity compliance certification standards from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) as part of the national budget process.

However, despite these reforms, disparities in service delivery and persistent gender-based vulnerabilities continue to challenge the transformative potential of GEB frameworks. Early findings from national reviews such as the Government Annual Performance Report (GARP)/the National Annual Performance Report (NARP), the EOC compliance Assessments, and the Annual Budget Monitoring Reports (ABMRs) point to a disconnect between the planned activities and what is delivered at the grassroots level. They show that high compliance scores do not always match up with actual improvements in development outcomes on the ground.

This research proposal is grounded in preliminary analysis and seeks to critically examine the statistical relationship between GEB compliance scores and performance outcomes in Uganda’s national development frameworks. It investigates the extent to which planning stage compliance, as measured by the EOC, aligns with implementation performance captured in the NARP and the Annual Budget Monitoring Reports (ABMRs). Through a secondary data analysis approach, the study compares MDA trends across multiple fiscal years to identify the gaps in consistency and impact.

The study argues that existing compliance mechanisms often reduce GEB to a procedural requirement rather than a transformative strategy. The study proposes a threefold actionable recommendations for the government of Uganda, that is to strengthen coordination between EOC and the office of the Prime Minister (OPM), harmonize assessment frameworks, and refine methodologies to include intersectional and beneficiary-level accountability measures. By moving beyond surface-level compliance and focusing on the lived realities of women, youth, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups hence a more inclusive and responsive approach to public finance management is achieved.

This proposal, being a preliminary research study, sets the foundation for a more comprehensive future investigation aimed at aligning planning intentions with service delivery realities, ensuring that gender and equity commitments are not just visible on paper but translated into tangible, measurable development outcomes.