Business & Management
EfD-Mak Centre in Strategic Plan Retreat to Ensure Proper Environmental Management in Uganda
The EfD-Mak Centre has gone into a three day strategic plan retreat (February 15th -18th 2022) to write the strategic plan for the next five years to ensure that there is proper environmental management in Uganda.
Officials from the Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, environmental economists from Makerere University colleges of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and that of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), selected officials from the Makerere University Planning Directorate, representatives from Civil Society Organisations and the Private sector will participate.
The meeting was officially opened by the Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali at Ridar Hotel in Seeta.
The EfD-Mak-Centre was established in 2018 at the EfD Global Hub’s annual meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam and is among the newly established Centres making up 15 centres of the EfD Global network.
The Centre was launched at Makerere University on 29th August, 2019 under the joint management the CoBAMS, and CAES. It is mandated to build capacity in environmental economics through capacity building and sponsoring action-oriented research projects to find solutions to the most pressing environmental and development challenges such as climate change for sustainable development.
While opening the meeting, the Principal CoBAMS congratulated the centre leadership upon achievements so far recorded noting that since its inception, it has remain on course and continued to do a commendable job.
Assoc. Prof. Hisali said, the work that the centre is set out to do is central to the future of not only Uganda, but also, the future of humanity.
“There is very little that we are going to be able to do going forward without harnessing and learning how to co-exist with the different aspects of the environment and this is something that we better take very seriously, otherwise, the growth and prosperity that we see today across the globe will be very quickly wiped away without taking due consideration to environmental concerns.” he said.
Assoc. Prof. Hisali congratulated the EfD-Mak centre leadership for mobilizing the team and coming gather to discuss raising key issues of interest to the participants in the course of the discussion for the strategic plan .
He implored participants to consider the issue of visualization of the centre taking care of whether they need to expand the institutional capacity in terms of administrative structure, how the structure should look like and how to align the activities of the centre into the mainstream activities of the university.
“Are we going to remain focused on research, training and outreach or there is a possibility of doing a few other things that would be part of the visualization that we need to take into consideration as we develop the strategic plan.
Once we finish the visualization, the next thing is the outlook, how to operationalize it, steps and resources that are required for the next five years”, The Principal advised.
Hisali also implored participants to appreciate in greater detail what the status quo currently is, the gaps there between and the implementation plan itself, noting that the strategic plan is just part of the process.
“There will be an annex called implementation matrix and in doing this, you benefit from experience, what you know, but avoid as much as possible putting in things that are clearly not achievable because you are going to be evaluated on the basis of what you have put down.
But good reporting also now entails capturing other things and achievements that you did that are outside the plan. So you should not constrain yourself to including everything in the plan, and also hope that at some stage we would be able to cost what we are think about so that we get a sense of what is possible and what it might take to deliver this plan,” the Principal advised.
The other important consideration according to Prof. Hisali was the alignment of the mandate of the centre with the interventions and objectives so that they speak to the input indicators and outputs which must come from the conceptualization.
The Director EfD-Mak Centre Prof. Edward Bbaale noted that although natural resources constitute the primary source of livelihood for the majority of the people in Uganda, they have come under increased pressure arising from high population growth rates with its associated high poverty levels, limited public knowledge on environmental functions, and poor governance.
“Due to high poverty levels, many people are still engaged in charcoal burning, hunting, and farming in environmentally risky areas like wetlands. As a consequence, many forests, wetlands and their associated biodiversity have been heavily destroyed.” the Director noted.
The Director pointed out that, Uganda’s natural resources and environmental challenges pose serious threats to realizing the country’s sustainable development agenda and therefore, the establishment of the EfD-Mak Centre is timely and provides an opportunity to work on practical solutions to reverse the current trends.
Together with the relevant stakeholders, Prof. Bbaale said, the Centre is committed to provide the much-needed evidence, capacity development, policy outreaches and advocacy.
Bbaale said the strategic plan will focus on capacity development in managing Uganda’s natural capital to the relevant officials and practitioners, and will strive to ensure demand driven trainings that serve the real purpose.
In addition, the professor said, the strategic plan seeks to address the existing governance and institutional gaps in managing environment and natural resources in Uganda and the persistent disaggregation of empirical research and policy engagement.
“The Centre is currently priding in an experienced mass of Research Fellows at all levels with diverse research interest from energy, transport, agriculture, climate change, forestry, wildlife and others. These together with the support from the global hub and partners are strong to bridge the research-policy gap.
Currently, the Centre is running a number of research projects with support from the global hub and this is evidence that the Centre is set and ready to face and address the above challenges together with partners.”, Prof. Bbaale asserted.
The Director also reported that since its launch, the Centre has grown its wings away from being typical Makerere-based and created partnerships with some District Local governments and some Universities with regional coordinators for the both local governments and Universities. With these strategic partnerships, Bbaale said the Centre will strengthen the policy engagements with stakeholders not only at the centre, but also across the country. This will be good for the research disseminations and policy engagements on environment and natural resources.
Prof. Bbaale further said, the Centre has also created functional working relationships with a number of government ministries and agencies, the civil society, private sector, international agencies and academia. These strategic working relations according the Director will position the Centre to spearhead policy discussions in the space of Environment and natural resources and inclusive green economy with the ability of uptake of the resolutions.
The Centre according to the Director is having strategic working relations with sister EfD-Centres in the region including EfD-Tanzania and EfD-Kenya. This he said, is very crucial in conducting joint research activities that yield policy discussions that benefit the entire region thereby contributing to the East African Community Policy Agenda on environment and climate change for the EAC Vision 2050.
Prof. Bbaale also reported that the Centre is establishing the Advisory Board which will provide the strategic direction and guidance to the centre. This he said, is very critical in realizing the strategic objectives of the Centre as highlighted in the strategic plan and the annual plans.
Jane Anyango is the Communication Officer, EfD-Mak Centre Uganda.
Business & Management
PIM Centre Awards Certificates to Over 35 Officials Trained in Essentials of Public Investment Management
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University has awarded certificates to more than 35 public officials who successfully completed a three-day training in the Essentials of Public Investment Management (PIM).
The training, held from September 23rd to 26th, 2025 at the College of Business and Management Sciences, aimed at strengthening the capacity of government officials to effectively identify, prepare, and implement public projects.
The closing ceremony was officiated by Ms. Belinda Bisamaza, who represented the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury (PS/ST). In her remarks, Ms. Bisamaza commended participants for their commitment, noting that the training had offered a solid foundation in the entire PIM cycle — from project conceptualization and profiling, through monitoring and evaluation (M&E), to the use of the Integrated Bank of Projects (IBP), Environmental and Social Risk Management, and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
“With these skills, you can contribute meaningfully to improving the quality of proposals submitted to the IBP, ensure better risk management, and enhance implementation through robust monitoring frameworks,” she said, adding that participants were now better prepared for advanced modules on financial appraisal, risk analysis, and stakeholder engagement.
Representing the PIM Centre, Prof. Eria Hisali highlighted the need for well-prepared projects that directly contribute to economic growth. “We must move away from the practice of developing projects only when funding is required. Instead, we should create a strong bank of quality projects from which government can easily draw,” he said.
The Manager of the PIM Centre, Dr. John Sseruyange, expressed gratitude to the participants and trainers for their dedication. He noted that the facilitators were drawn from Makerere University, the National Planning Authority (NPA), and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Dr. Sseruyange also revealed that the Centre would be rolling out further in-depth training modules and creating opportunities for alumni to engage in consultancy and research work. The PIM Centre hosts the training as part of broader efforts by Makerere University, MoFPED, and NPA to strengthen Uganda’s public investment management systems, ensuring value for money, improved service delivery, and sustainable economic development.
Business & Management
PIM Centre Makerere, Graduates Second Cohort of Certificate in Financial Implications – Integrated Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis
Jinja, September 5, 2025
Thirty-one government officers from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have successfully completed a two-week intensive training in the Certificate of Financial Implications (CFI) – Integrated Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis. The certification ceremony was held at the Pearl on the Nile Hotel, Jinja, marking another milestone in Uganda’s efforts to institutionalize evidence-based and fiscally responsible policymaking.
The training, delivered by the Makerere University Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), and National Planning Authority equipped participants with practical skills to evaluate policy and legislative proposals for their financial, economic, and social implications.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Mr. Paul Mwanja, Commissioner for Infrastructure & Social Services at MoFPED, who represented the Permanent Secretary, commended the officers for their commitment at a time when government institutions are finalizing the Auditor General’s audits, implementing the FY2025/26 budget, rolling out the National Development Plan IV’s tenfold growth strategy, and preparing for the 2026 General Elections.
“Your participation affirms a collective commitment across Government to strengthen the quality, transparency, and credibility of public policymaking in Uganda,” Mr. Mwanja said. He urged graduates to return to their institutions as champions of reform, share their knowledge with colleagues, and drive the change needed in Public Finance Management. He also announced that the next cohort of the training will take place in January 2026.
Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, Dean of the School of Economics at Makerere University, delivered the graduation address, highlighting the certificate’s importance in addressing Uganda’s triple challenge of scale, scarcity, and speed.
“This program does something unique. It teaches you not only to ask whether a policy or project is beneficial, but also whether it is affordable and resilient under real fiscal constraints,” Prof. Okumu noted. He challenged graduates to apply their skills at project, portfolio, and policy levels—ensuring value for money and enhancing public trust in government spending.
He further emphasized that Uganda’s pioneering approach to integrated CFI-CBA positions the country as a leader in Africa and beyond: “You, Uganda’s first CFI-CBA graduates, are now part of a global brain trust. Your work will speak to investors, parliaments, development partners, and above all, the Ugandan people.”
Dr. John Sseruyange, Manager of the PIM Centre of Excellence, expressed appreciation to participants for their active engagement throughout the training and thanked MoFPED and the faculty drawn from Makerere University, the National Planning Authority, Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Energy for their technical support.
The Certificate of Financial Implications – Integrated Regulatory Cost-Benefit Analysis was introduced following the Revised Guidelines for Financial Clearance, effective July 1, 2025. The guidelines require MDAs to prepare their own financial implications statements, subject to rigorous cost-benefit analysis, thereby strengthening linkages between fiscal responsibility and regulatory impact assessments.
With the successful completion of the second cohort, Uganda is steadily building a critical mass of professionals capable of embedding cost-benefit thinking across government, ensuring every shilling delivers maximum impact for citizens.
The Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE) at Makerere University held its Steering Committee meeting on 4th September 2025 at Mestil Hotel in Kampala. The session, attended by all members, focused on reviewing progress, reflecting on achievements from the past financial year, and charting the way forward for the Centre.
About the PIM Centre of Excellence
The PIM CoE was established in March 2022 at Makerere University’s College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Its purpose is to strengthen Uganda’s public investment management system through training, research, and advisory services.
The Steering Committee plays a critical role in oversight, review, coordination, and advisory functions, guiding the Centre’s work and ensuring that public investment processes align with national development priorities.
Highlights from the Meeting
Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Joseph Muvawala, the Executive Director of the National Planning Authority, praised the October 2024 Annual PIM Conference for expanding perspectives on project design and delivery. He emphasized the importance of shifting from theory to practice in training, advocating for students and officials to engage with real-world projects. He also underscored the Centre’s new autonomy—transitioning from a subvention to a vote—which gives it greater independence but also demands stronger financial accountability. Dr. Muvawala further called for a permanent physical home for the Centre, noting that sufficient resources are available to make this possible and that negotiations with government are underway.
Mr. Ashaba Hannington, Director Budget at MoFPED, shared key achievements from the 2024/25 financial year. He noted that the Annual PIM Conference, organised jointly by MoFPED and the Centre, provided a vital platform for stakeholders to reflect on progress in public investment management.
Mr. Ashaba reaffirmed MoFPED’s commitment to working closely with the Centre to strengthen Uganda’s public investment capacity.
Prof. Eria Hisali, Co–Principal Investigator of the PIM CoE, outlined strategies to increase the Centre’s vibrancy and impact. He emphasized direct project engagement, advisory services, and peer reviews as ways to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Looking ahead, he revealed plans for a Master’s program in Economic and Investment Modelling, a Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative, and deeper practical capacity-building efforts.
Prof. Hisali also noted several successful trainings from the past year, including:
- 46 staff from MDAs trained in Essentials of PIM.
- 59 participants across two cohorts trained in Financial Appraisal and Risk Analysis.
- 25 participants trained in Economic Appraisal and Stakeholder Analysis.
He proposed the introduction of a “trailer feasibility test” to evaluate whether completed projects deliver benefits as projected and to address optimism bias in project planning.
Dr. John Seruyange, Manager of the PIM CoE, highlighted the Centre’s growing regional footprint. Beyond Uganda, six central government officers from Somalia have been trained in Infrastructure Asset Management, generating further interest in advanced training from Somalia, Zimbabwe, and Somaliland. To position itself as a regional hub, the Centre is preparing a prospectus to market its courses across Africa and beyond.
Why It Matters
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the PIM CoE remains a leading think tank and capacity-building hub for government and regional partners. By improving the appraisal, financing, and implementation of public projects, the Centre is strengthening accountability, enhancing service delivery, and contributing to Uganda’s broader development goals.
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