A panel of external evaluators from the EfD Global Hub at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has consented to recommend the re-accreditation of the EfD-Mak Center Uganda for another five years.
Edwin Muchapondwa from the South African EfD centre at the University of Cape town, Precious Zikhali from Nairobi Kenya and Ted Horbulyk from Canada were in Uganda on a three-day evaluation exercise on 23rd – 25th October 2023.
Every five years, the EfD Global hub evaluates its over 15 centres across the world on various parameters including institutional development, capacity building, research, policy engagement and outreach, performance and also on publication as a research output.
The evaluation panel Left to Right Precious Zikhali, Ted Horburyk and Edward Muchapondwa.
The EfD Uganda was established in Honai in 2018 and launched at Makerere University August 2019 funded by Sida.
The panel heard testimonies from the administrative staff, students the research fellows that work with the center, the university administrators, right from the Head of Department to the Dean, the College Principal and the Academic Registrar, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor as the Chief Executive of the university.
The trio visited government ministries, departments and agencies including the National Planning Authority, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the Ministry of Water and Environment, Wakiso district local government, and ACODE-a civil society organization to find out how collaborative engagements with the EfD-Mak center have shaped the policy environment and practice, as well as the plans and areas they felt the centre could serve better to make more impact.
Evaluators posing for agroup photo at the National Planning Authority after engaging with Ronald Kaggwa (3rd Right) one of the pioneer IGE fellows.
In a closing meeting with the centre administrative staff and researchers, the Lead Evaluator Edwin Mchapondwa gave a glimpse of what the evaluation report will look like outlining some of the themes and pledged to produce the report within a month.
“But the headline is that the panel has agreed that we will make a recommendation that the center should be re-accredited for five more years. Okay, so with this, we have come to the end of the review process. So we thank the colleagues for tolerating all our hard questions, imposing on your time, not allowing you to attend some meetings you should have been attending. That way, it has been good for the center,” Mchapondwa announced.
The Panel in a group photo after meeting Commissioner Sam Mugume (3rd Left) at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Under the institutionalization, the team commended Makerere University for its plan to position the center between the two colleges as a good strategy for sustainability and encouraged the staff to maintain the team spirit and dedicate more time to serve the centre.
“With respect to engagement, I am very impressed with the people we spoke to as entry points into getting ongoing collaborations with people in government and civil society and local government and so on. I think the challenge I see is getting good traction with them” Canadian external evaluator Ted Horbulyk said.
The centre also scored highly in terms of its policy engagement with government ministries, departments and agencies, academia, civil society and local governments. The team advised on the need to formalise the collaborations to ensure they are institutionalised within the university.
“I see policy engagement as a great platform, which a lot of work has really been done, that there is a lot of dedication, I think everybody that we spoke to said they are very engaged, I think that presents a very great opportunity. But of course I think that there is also more that can still be done, just to build on the foundation that has been made. I’m really happy about the potential that you have and the links that you’ve established”, the Kenyan external evaluator Precious Zikhali added.
The evaluators also commended the centre for capacity development initiatves for students, researchers and policy makers in a range of aspects in Environment and Natural Resources Economics but advised on the need to narrow down its focus on areas of field.
The Panel in a group photo with the CoBAMS Principal Prof. Eria Hisali (2nd Right) Deputy Principal Prof. Bruno Yawe (Left) and Director EfD Uganda – Prof. Edward Bbaale (2nd Left) after the engagement.
“…You are doing well with your programs. And we heard the numbers of typical enrollments. And you seem to be inspiring students right from the undergraduate level. I think that is the right way to go. And we also appreciated hearing about this collaborative program you have in particular, the Masters in Environmental and Resource Economics, which is supported by both colleges.
“What you are doing with the policy makers, particularly IGE, and soon RAMP is also quite good. We saw some evidence that there is some impact that is coming across from there.” The team leader, Edwin Mchapondwa stated.
With respect to publications and papers, the evaluators tasked the centre to submit all publications to justify that there is an active body of scholars at the centre who are doing work.
Evaluators further observed the need for the centre researchers tap into each other’s expertise and narrow the scope of the fields into something that is of high impact when it comes to policy engagement.
Evaluators (seated) in a group photo at the Ministry of Water and Environment after meeting the Commissioner Mr. Steven Mugabi (Right) and IGE fellow Moreen Aneno (4th Left).
On the gender side the centre was also advised to continue to think about initiative to expand the meaningful participation of women, both within EfD Uganda and EfD Global collaboratives.
EfD Uganda has created a mark in the country through policy engagements and outreach.
The Director Edward Bbaale said entering the EfD network is a prestigious issue that has contributed to the internationalization agenda as Makerere drives towards the research-led university status.
The center, he reported, was given notice more than a year ago that it was due for evaluation, and requested to conduct a self-evaluation and ranking on a number of parameters for which it is charged to deliver .
Bbaale said, the center has been preparing a document of self-evaluation which involved appending evidence of MoUs, outcomes of the engagements, and caused policy changes in government.
“And we prepared ourselves to receive this evaluation team. And in the three days of evaluation, we have endured a lot of questions, which, to the best of our ability, we responded to very well”, He said
Bbaale described the evaluation exercise and conversations as enjoyable, and one that gave him pride as he observed people give testimonies about the impact that EfD-Mak has made over the years.
“And as a result, we have not been shy at all to interface with this team. Our heads have been high up, confident, and we tried as much as possible to respond to each of those parameters the way we are supposed to deliver”.
The evaluation panel in a group photo after interacting with the Deputy Director ACODE, Onesmus Mugyenyi at his office.
“And then the D-Day, and the awaited hour was at 4 o’clock today 25th October 2023 where the evaluation team chose to give highlights of what they have observed. They highlighted a a number of strengths and gaps to be worked on.”
“But finally, what made us very proud this afternoon is that the EfD evaluation team, all the three panelists agreed that the EfD-Mak Center is worthy to be accredited for the next five years, which was a great thing we celebrated and are still celebrating,” the Professor remarked.
Lessons from the evaluation and way forward
Bbaale appreciated evaluators for pointing out different perspectives and great opportunities to engage more with line ministries.
“We should always be in the corridors of the Ministry of Water and Environment to show case of what we are and what we can do, to let them know that in the EfD-Mak Center resides great expertise that can give answers to a number of questions that the government workers may not have answers to.
“We are going to write a profile about what we are as EfD-Mak, our research team, what we have done over the years, and tell the ministry that we are ready to offer solutions to some of the things they have been grappling with”. He pledged.
The other lesson, he said, is interesting students to like environment and natural resource economics right from undergraduate and graduate students that come as freshers and creating a pool of fellows to offer supervision as well as participating in the EfD Global Hub competition for the best dissertation.
Evaluators in a group photo with Rebecca Ssabaganzi a Local Government Representaive (Centre) at Wakiso District headquarters.
On international collaborations, the Director clarified that the center belongs to the Forestry collaborative where center researchers Peter Babyenda and Patrick Byakagaba are having a forest project. Babyenda and a representative from the National Forestry Authority under the same collaborative will be travelling to Nepal under the same arrangement for a study on how the country has succeeded in the forestry policy. The center is active in SETI collaborative, that deals with energy and the very first center’s project was on electricity, which was done by Dr. Nicholas Kiliman followed by Dr. Aisha Nanyiti.
In addition to providing a write-up on each of those collaboratives that exist and encouraging people to always be part, Bbaale promised to submit a detailed list of publications from the research fellows.
On the question of gender and ensuring women full participation in the centre activities, Bbaale said Makerere University has been deliberate and intentional to balance gender and to protect women in general including against sexual harassment.
“With government addition of 1.5 points to women, its fruits have been seen after very many years. Now we graduate 52% female. We are yet to see the fruits translate into graduate programmes and when that happens, we shall be sure that we are in the position to have more women researchers in the center.” He said.
Audit process as a reflection for improvement while re-accreditation offered confidence
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Dean, School of Economics Dr. Ibrahim Okumu described auditing as a way that allows institutions to reflect for purposes of improvement.
The Dean School of Economics, Dr. Ibrahim Okumu (Right) speaking to the evaluators.
Okumu was happy that the evaluators engaged with a number of stakeholders,
“And the outcome tells me that it’s been a really positive engagement. And of course, the last strong point that I got out of this was the positive feedback we got from the policy arena that we are positively contributing to their area of work.
“And of course, the greatest thing today was the fact that we have an additional five years of contributing to the development of environment, economics, within our space and within the global space. All the areas of strengthening would indeed come through as positive as you suggested.” The Dean noted.
Jane Anyango is the Communication Officer EfD Uganda
Poor households in low-income countries face numerous risks, from extreme weather events to illness and crop failure. With limited savings and assets, even small shocks can have devastating consequences on welfare. While formal insurance products can potentially help mitigate these risks, their uptake remains remarkably low among rural smallholder farmers, who instead primarily rely on informal risk-sharing networks. This pattern persists despite evidence suggesting that informal insurance mechanisms provide incomplete coverage against shocks. These shocks translate into shortfalls in income and consumption (Karlan et al. 2014, Morduch 1999).
Studying the impact of insurance on farmers’ economic behaviour
In Nanyiti and Pamuk (2025), we focus on smallholder farmers in rural Uganda and examine how different insurance arrangements affect their economic behaviour and decision-making. Uganda provides an ideal setting to explore these questions, as only 1% of adults have formal insurance coverage, despite 67% of households depending on agriculture for their livelihoods. By comparing behaviour under formal insurance (provided by registered companies) versus informal insurance (peer-to-peer transfers), we gain insights into why formal insurance uptake remains low and how farmers respond to different risk management options.
Using a real effort task experiment, we investigate whether the incentives created by these different insurance arrangements influence productivity and risk management decisions. Our findings reveal important behavioural responses that help explain observed patterns in insurance uptake and suggest potential approaches for improving the design and adoption of formal insurance products. We find that farmers exerted less effort under informal insurance but not under formal insurance coverage, and increased their level of formal insurance coverage after experiencing a bad outcome.
The Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale participated in the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Academy in Rabat, Morocco, from 21 to 23 May 2025. The Academy, themed “Financing a Just Transition to Green and Circular Economies,” convened representatives from PAGE countries across the region.
It was designed to enhance knowledge and promote innovative, inclusive mechanisms for financing and implementing green and just transitions in Africa. The event provided a vital platform for peer learning and knowledge exchange, drawing on best practices and African case studies.
Prof. Bbaale participated in Master Class 3, which explored strategies and partnerships for scaling up training in green and inclusive finance. The session highlighted regional policy trends, rising demand for relevant skills, and importance of collaboration among governments and financial institutions.
Prof. Bbaale contributed to discussions on two critical issues:
How economics departments are adapting curricula to respond to the evolving field of green and, inclusive finance and,
The role of academic research in shaping green financing instruments and supporting reform efforts.
The Principal shared how Makerere University has taken a proactive, multidimensional approach to embedding green and inclusive finance into its economics curriculum. This includes a strong emphasis on technical modelling skills, policy relevance, and cross-disciplinary learning. He highlighted that Makerere is emerging as a regional leader in climate-informed economics education, positioning itself to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s green transition.
On Friday 23rd May 2025, a delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) visited Makerere University to strengthen partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation.
The Engagement meeting focusing on shaping Africa’s future in research and development brought on board academic and administrative staff from the School of Economics under the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and the AERC delegation comprising: Prof. Victor Murinde-Executive Director, Dr. Charles Owino-Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation, Ms Anna Owino-Personal Assistant to the Director and Ms Veronica Nanyanzi from State House-Uganda.
Underscoring the importance of the engagement meeting, Prof. Murinde said, “Following the keen observation of the recent global economic shifts and geopolitical uncertainty, the AERC seeks strategic partnerships with African governments and institutions to chart the roadmap through research and co-production of evidence-based economic solutions.”
Following the theme, Understanding the future of research and training collaboration with AERC, Prof. Murinde explained that the interaction also presents an opportunity to discuss the AERC Strategic Plan (2025-2035) titled, “Re-inventing the AERC for Delivering Africa’s Economic Prosperity, in which AERC is embarking on a comprehensive reform agenda, designed to strengthen research excellence, enhance policy impact and secure long-term institutional sustainability.
Prof. Victor Murinde, Executive Director of AERC (Left) and Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, Dean, School of Economics (Right).
Concerned about the visibility and recognition of African researchers, Prof. Murinde reported that AERC will ensure that they are acknowledged with their names included in the publications. On the issue of network membership, EARC is considering the following categories: The distinguished service award, AERC Fellows, AERC Associates, and AERC Affiliates.
Distinguished service award-Presented to those individuals who started the work in 1988
AERC Fellows-Researchers who are active in research and capacity building
AERC Associates-For Mid-Career researchers
AERC Affiliates-For Masters’ and PhD students
The AERC was established in 1988, when a group of African scholars and Africanists voiced concern over the disconnect between economic research and policy formulation in Africa. According to the Executive Director, the founders of AERC observed that much of the existing economic research was either inapplicable to Africa’s economic challenges or inadequately utilized in local policymaking. Consequently, the group conceptualized a framework for fostering high-quality economic research tailored to Africa’s specific needs.
The collaboration between the AERC and Makerere University through its School of Economics started in 1988, and has led to impactful economic research in Africa, notable publications, increase in the number of faculty with PhDs at the School of Economics as well as mentorship.
Acknowledging Makerere University School of Economics as a key stakeholder in AERC, Prof. Murinde said, “Without your participation over the last 37 years, AERC would not be here.”
Some of the staff participating in the engagement meeting.
The Executive Director described AERC as a network of members and universities focused on providing evidence based research for policy making in Africa. Stating the key achievements, Prof. Murinde said, “A framework has been put in place to conduct research and collaboration, with AERC providing a network to work with economists across Africa. He added that the AERC has linked up the various Deans in the Member Universities in Africa both in research and the common programmes that they conduct.
Reflecting on the AERC’s journey, he noted that in 1988, the School of Economics could mention one or two members of faculty with PhDs. Over the years, with AERC’s support to research and capacity building, the School of Economics has built a critical mass of faculty with PhDs. He highlighted that some Ugandan economists have worked with the EARC Secretariat and the EARC Board. He pointed out that the most active Ugandan economists in the AERC network are based at the following entities: Makerere University (School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences), Bank of Uganda, Economic Policy Research Centre (the think tank), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, National Planning Authority, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, and Uganda Development Bank.
In his remarks, the Dean of the School of Economics, Associate Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu credited AERC for its continued collaboration, which has significantly contributed to the growth of the School. He appreciated EARC for supporting research, scholarships provided to Masters’ and PhD fellows, support for ICT infrastructure development, and contribution towards the construction of the School of Economics building.
Stressing AERC’s contribution to research at the School of Economics, Prof. Okumu said, “AERC provided opportunities to ‘fresh’ fellows to write proposals. AERC would focus on building the idea. AERC has nurtured most of us into professional researchers/scholars.”
Engagement meeting in session.
The Dean disclosed that in addition to research, some of the personalities nurtured by AERC took on academic leadership positions and have significantly contributed to the growth of the College/School. Some of the personalities include: Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu-former Principal and Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Eria Hisali-former Principal of the College, Prof. Bruno Yawe-former Deputy Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale-Principal of the College, Dr. Sarah Ssewanyana-Executive Director, Economic Research Policy Centre, and among others.
Presentation of the AERC strategic plan (2025-2035)
The remarks set the pace for the gist of the engagement meeting, which focused on presentation of the areas of transformation and the new research programmes respectively.
In the presentation, Prof. Murinde explained that AERC was reconfiguring its strategic direction in 2025-2035, to concentrate on the key strategic reform options organized around eight (8) core areas. They include: Research Offerings, Graduate Training, Policy Engagement for research impact, The Consortium structure and governance, Entrenching network membership, Enhanced resource mobilization for financial sustainability, Geographical inclusion, and Possible risks to the planned reforms and how to mitigate them.
Regarding the policy engagement for research impact, Prof. Murinde noted that the ground had shifted with policy makers advocating for the need to embed research into their operations. He reported that the governance structure was going to change to a more inclusive and participatory approach bringing on board stakeholders in research and capacity building.
Prof. Murinde highlighted that the new strategic plan would focus on the following new research programmes:
Security, Governance and Economic Fragility in Africa
Industrial Policy and Growth Strategies in Africa
Unlocking Africa’s Digital Potential for Economic Prosperity
Africa in a Changing World: Jobs through Trade and AfCTA
Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT) in Africa: measurement and welfare of women, youth and their families
Human Capital, Labour Markets and Migration
Climate Change: Food Systems, Climate Finance, Climate Risk and Resilience
Africa’s Trade and Investment Strategy on China
Macroeconomic Modelling, Management and Policy Reform
Input into the AERC Strategic Plan
The participants observed that the proposed linkage between policy makers and the private sector as well as the approach of co-designing research with policy makers, would contribute significantly to research uptake.
L-R: Ogwal Denis, Proscovia Taaka and Diphus Tugume, Graduate Students participating in the Engagement meeting.
Discussing the new research programmes, the participants suggested that AERC incorporates the following aspects: Integration of Natural resources management into economic modelling; Environmental Management; Interlinkages of Youth unemployment and the Green economy; Value Chains and Emerging threats such as fake products; Urbanisation; Youth and Substance Abuse; Health economics; the Informal Sector; and Agricultural Production.
Voices of the Graduate Students
Contributing to the discussion, the graduate students namely Proscovia Taaka, Diphus Tugume and Denis Ogwal urged AERC to continue supporting the collaborative Masters programme (CMAP) in Economics.
Way forward
Prof. Murinde thanked the participants for the valuable contributions that will definitely enrich the AERC strategic plan. He indicated that some of the proposed themes/ideas, would be considered as work streams within the different research programmes. The future is centered on PhD students at Makerere University and other member Universities formulating research questions in line with the new research programmes. AERC is working on a database of researchers in Africa to facilitate speed-dating in research. AERC plans a twinning programme for African universities, which will enhance joint supervision for PhD students. He pointed out that on completion of the PhD, there will be an opportunity for a post-doc Fellowship. He emphasized that researchers who win “big” projects will be encouraged to have work streams. He revealed a plan for each School of Economics in Africa to access publications across the entire membership.