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EfD-Mak Center Passes Evaluation for Re-Accreditation for the next 5 years

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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. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
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. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
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. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
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. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
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). Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
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. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
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. Uganda, East Africa.
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. CoBAMS, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
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

Jane Anyango

Business & Management

PIM CoE Magazine Issue 1: Jul-Dec 2024

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Cover page of the Public Investment Management Center of Excellence (PIM CoE) Magazine Issue 1: July - December 2024. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Public Investment Management Center of Excellence (PIM CoE) was conceived as a result of the 2016 PIM Diagnostic study done by the World Bank and Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development with support from Makerere University School of Economics that discovered inefficiencies in PIM in Uganda.

This report highlights the work, achievements and prospects of the Center. The Center plans to start offering Advanced level training through Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in PIM and Master of Science in Economic and Investment Modelling (MEIM). I am pleased to introduce this report to the public for use by all stakeholders.

I would like to appreciate PIM CoE Secretariat, partners, staff and well-wishers for technical support, daily running of the Center and their role in the realization of these achievements.

Special thanks go to Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, National Planning Authority, Cambridge Resources International (CRI) and Makerere University for the overwhelming support rendered towards the development of the Center.

Prof. Edward Bbaale
Principal & Principal Investigator, CoBAMS/PIM CoE

Betty Kyakuwa
Betty Kyakuwa

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Somali Officials Complete Executive Training in Infrastructure Asset Management at CoBAMS

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Prof. Edward Bbaale (Seated 2nd Left) with training facilitators and the six Somali Government officials pose for a group photo. Six Somali government officials three-day Executive Training in Infrastructure Asset Management, held at Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE), College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), 27th-29th January 2025, aimed to enhance regional capacity in infrastructure planning and management, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Six Somali government officials have successfully completed a three-day Executive Training in Infrastructure Asset Management, held at Makerere University’s Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE). The training, funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), took place from January 27 to 29, 2025, and aimed to enhance regional capacity in infrastructure planning and management.

The training brought together senior civil servants and policymakers from Somalia, equipping them with practical knowledge and strategies for sustainable infrastructure asset management. It also fostered valuable cross-border collaboration, facilitated by UNCDF Uganda, which played a crucial role in connecting Makerere University with the Government of Somalia.

Left to Right: Prof. Edward Bbaale, PIM CoE Manager-Dr. John Sseruyange and some of the officials follow proceedings. Six Somali government officials three-day Executive Training in Infrastructure Asset Management, held at Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE), College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), 27th-29th January 2025, aimed to enhance regional capacity in infrastructure planning and management, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The program was delivered by experienced faculty from Makerere University’s College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), alongside experts from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). A special session was also led by the Makerere University Bursar, offering practical insights into financial management in infrastructure projects.

Speaking at the opening of the training, Mr. Ncube Mkhululi, the Regional Technical Advisor for UNCDF emphasized the importance of infrastructure asset management in driving sustainable economic growth. He highlighted UNCDF’s commitment to supporting capacity-building initiatives in developing economies, noting that effective infrastructure planning and management are critical to national development. He also expressed confidence in Makerere University’s expertise in delivering high-impact executive training programs for government officials.

Principal CoBAMS-Prof. Edward Bbaale (Right) presents a certificate to one of the officials. Six Somali government officials three-day Executive Training in Infrastructure Asset Management, held at Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE), College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), 27th-29th January 2025, aimed to enhance regional capacity in infrastructure planning and management, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

During the closing ceremony, Prof. Bbaale Edward, the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences expressed gratitude to all partners, including UNCDF, Makerere University management, and the PIM CoE faculty, for their commitment to making the training a success. He emphasized Makerere University’s ongoing efforts to internationalize its research-led agenda, positioning itself as a hub for regional knowledge exchange.

UNCDF Program Manager, Mr. Joel Mundua, the commended the participants for their dedication and encouraged them to share the acquired knowledge with fellow officials in Somalia. This was reaffirmed by one of the participants, who pledged to apply and disseminate the learnings within their respective departments.

UNCDF Program Manager0Mr. Joel Mundua (Left) and UNCDF Program Officer-Mr. Sunday Denis Aliti (Right). Six Somali government officials three-day Executive Training in Infrastructure Asset Management, held at Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE), College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), 27th-29th January 2025, aimed to enhance regional capacity in infrastructure planning and management, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Mr. Sunday Denis Aliti, the Program Officer at UNCDF highlighted the importance of ensuring that infrastructure asset management strategies are practical, adaptable, and aligned with national development goals. He commended Makerere University for its leadership in knowledge transfer and regional training and encouraged continued collaboration between universities, governments, and international development partners to strengthen institutional capacity.

Dr. John Sseruyange, Manager of the PIM CoE, applauded both the participants and the expert trainers who contributed to the program. He reiterated the Centre’s commitment to advancing infrastructure asset management through continued training and collaboration with regional stakeholders.

As the training concluded, participants departed with valuable insights and practical tools to improve infrastructure management in Somalia and beyond. The success of this initiative highlights Makerere University’s role as a leading institution in public investment management, fostering capacity-building efforts that drive sustainable development across Africa.

Betty Kyakuwa
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Staff of School of Statistics undertake training in Data Science

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Dr. Margaret Banga (2nd Row Right) with participants and facilitators at the kick-off of the training. Statistics and Data Science (SDS) Working Group training to build capacity in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) among its members kick off Monday, 20th January 2025 facilitated by experts from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Housing Finance Bank, and the School of Statistics and Planning (SSP), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa and will run until 24th January 2025. Participants are being equipped with a wide range of skills, covering topics such as text mining, unsupervised learning, neural networks, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and more.

The Statistics and Data Science (SDS) Working Group training kicked off on Monday, 20th January 2025, and will run until 24th January 2025. This training, an initiative by the college, aims to build capacity in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) among its members.

Participants are being equipped with a wide range of skills, covering topics such as text mining, unsupervised learning, neural networks, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and more. The training is facilitated by expert data scientists from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Housing Finance Bank, and the School of Statistics and Planning (SSP).

The SDS Working Group comprises academic staff at the School of Statistics and Planning (SSP) whose research interests focus on statistical learning and AI.

Some of the participants follow proceedings. Statistics and Data Science (SDS) Working Group training to build capacity in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) among its members kick off Monday, 20th January 2025 facilitated by experts from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Housing Finance Bank, and the School of Statistics and Planning (SSP), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa and will run until 24th January 2025. Participants are being equipped with a wide range of skills, covering topics such as text mining, unsupervised learning, neural networks, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and more.

On January 21, 2025, Mr. Kiyingi Simon Peter and Mr. Tusubira Brian from URA led an engaging session on the practical applications of machine learning algorithms in day-to-day activities. They demonstrated how components fed into ML models are used to classify taxpayers into high-risk and low-risk categories, showcasing the transformative potential of AI in optimizing operations.

Dr. Margaret Banga, the Dean of the School of Statistics and Planning (SSP), emphasized the transformative impact of the training on both the academic and professional development of the participants. She commended the expert trainers from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and other partnering institutions for their practical and insightful contributions to the sessions. Dr. Banga noted that the training is a significant step toward enhancing the teaching methodologies and research capabilities of the faculty. “By equipping our staff with advanced skills in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, we are empowering them to deliver cutting-edge knowledge to our students and conduct impactful research that addresses real-world challenges,” she remarked.

Dr. Margaret Banga (2nd L) with participants. Statistics and Data Science (SDS) Working Group training to build capacity in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) among its members kick off Monday, 20th January 2025 facilitated by experts from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Housing Finance Bank, and the School of Statistics and Planning (SSP), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa and will run until 24th January 2025. Participants are being equipped with a wide range of skills, covering topics such as text mining, unsupervised learning, neural networks, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and more.

The training is a testament to the SSP’s forward-thinking approach to education and research in statistics and data science. The integration of topics such as neural networks, text mining, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) underscores the need for multidisciplinary expertise in an increasingly data-driven world. Dr. Banga highlighted that this capacity-building effort aligns with the college’s strategic objectives of fostering innovation and staying ahead in the rapidly evolving fields of data science and statistical learning.

The Dean further stressed the importance of partnerships with organizations like the Uganda Revenue Authority and Housing Finance Bank, which provide invaluable industry perspectives. These collaborations ensure that academic training is not only theoretical but also applicable to practical challenges in sectors such as taxation, finance, and public administration.

In conclusion, Dr. Banga reaffirmed her commitment to continuous learning and development within the School of Statistics and Planning. She expressed confidence that the knowledge gained through the training would translate into improved academic delivery, enriched research output, and a stronger contribution to societal and economic transformation through the application of advanced data science methodologies.

Betty Kyakuwa
Betty Kyakuwa

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