UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL

ADMINISTRATION

STUDENT NAME: NANCY JUAN WAIGO

REGISTRATION M23/ASC/BSW/019
NUMBER:
ACCESS NUMBER: AR4757

DEPARTMENT: SOCIAL SCIENCE

PROGRAM: BSW

YEAR OF STUDY: ONE

SEMESTER: TWO

COURSE UNIT: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL

POLICY

Question:
1) a. Several partners have committed to social welfare policy formation and
implementation at national, regional and local level, but not all those efforts have
addressed social inequality in Uganda. Explain why social policy implementation
has not yielded the expected results of addressing social welfare problem in
Uganda.

b. As a trained social worker, what recommendation do you suggest to improve

social welfare in Uganda?
Question 1.a)
Social welfare policy is a set of measures and programs that aim to improve the well-being
of the population, especially the poor and vulnerable, by providing them with basic services,
income support, social protection, and empowerment.
Social inequality is the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and outcomes
among different groups of people in society, based on factors such as income, wealth,
education, health, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc.
Uganda has adopted several social welfare policies in recent years, such as the National
Social Protection Policy (NSPP), the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE),
the Youth Livelihood Programmes (YLP), the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programmes
(UWEP), and the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP).

However, these policies have not been able to address the root causes and structural
drivers of social inequality in Uganda, which include:

High population growth and dependency ratio, which put pressure on the available
resources and services, and limit the opportunities for productive employment and
investment. For example, Uganda has one of the highest population growth rates in the world
at 3.2% per year, and more than half of its population is under 15 years old.

Low and uneven economic growth, which has not translated into sufficient job creation,
income generation, and poverty reduction for the majority of the population. For example,
Uganda's GDP per capita was only $794 in 2020, and its poverty headcount ratio was 21.4%
in 2016/17.

High informality and vulnerability of the labor market, which expose most workers to
low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of social security and protection. For example,
about 80% of Uganda's workforce is employed in the informal sector, and only 5% of
workers are covered by social security schemes.

High levels of corruption and mismanagement of public funds, which undermine the
efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery and social welfare programs. For example,
Uganda ranked 142 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2020, and lost
an estimated $1.8 billion to corruption between 2000 and 2015.
Weak governance and accountability mechanisms, which limit the participation and voice
of the citizens and civil society in policy formulation and implementation. For example,
Uganda scored 37 out of 100 in the Voice and Accountability Index 2020, and faced several
challenges such as human rights violations, electoral violence, media censorship, and civic
space restrictions.

Low tax revenue and fiscal space, which constrain the availability and sustainability of
resources for social welfare programs. For example, Uganda's tax-to-GDP ratio was only
12.9% in 2019/20, and its public debt-to-GDP ratio increased from 25.9% in 2012/13 to
49.9% in 2020/21.

Deep-rooted social norms and cultural practices that perpetuate discrimination and
exclusion of certain groups, such as women, children, youth, persons with disabilities, ethnic
minorities, refugees, etc. . For example,
Women face multiple barriers such as gender-based violence, early marriage, limited access
to education, health, land, credit, and decision-making .children and youth are often neglected
and exploited as child laborers, street children, child soldiers, etc.
Persons with disabilities are often stigmatized and marginalized as burdens, curses, or
objects of pity.
Ethnic minorities and refugees are often discriminated and excluded as outsiders,
threats, or competitors.

In conclusion, social welfare policy implementation has not yielded the expected results of
addressing social inequality in Uganda because of multiple interrelated factors that affect
both the supply and demand sides of social welfare provision. To achieve more inclusive and
equitable development outcomes, Uganda needs to adopt a holistic and integrated approach
that addresses not only the symptoms but also the causes of social inequality. This requires
strengthening the institutional capacity, political commitment, fiscal space, governance
systems, evidence base, coordination mechanisms, and social dialogue for effective design
and delivery of social welfare policies and programs. It also requires empowering the citizens
and civil society to demand their rights and hold the government accountable for its
performance.
Question b
A social worker in Uganda is a professional who works to improve the well-being of
individuals and communities, especially in terms of their basic needs, rights and
opportunities. Social workers in Uganda provide various services such as health care,
education, water and sanitation, housing, legal aid, etc. to the poor and vulnerable
populations. Social workers in Uganda also work to prevent, reduce and cope with risks and
vulnerabilities that affect people’s welfare, such as poverty, violence, conflict, displacement,
disease, etc. Social workers in Uganda are trained and educated in different institutions, such
as universities, colleges and training centers. Social workers in Uganda are also organized
and represented by the National Association of Social Workers of Uganda (NASWU), which
is a member of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). NASWU was
established in 1972 and has about 1,492 individual members and 22 institutional
members. NASWU aims to advance the profession of social work in Uganda by promoting
ethical standards, professional development, advocacy and networking.

Social welfare in Uganda is the well-being of individuals and communities, especially in

terms of their basic needs, rights and opportunities. Social welfare in Uganda is supported by
various social protection mechanisms, such as cash transfers, pensions, grants, and access to
social services. Social protection is a set of policies and programs that aim to prevent, reduce
and cope with risks and vulnerabilities that affect people's welfare¹. Social services are the
provision of public or private assistance to individuals or groups who need support in various
aspects of life, such as health, education, water, sanitation, housing, etc.

According to the Uganda National Social Protection Policy, the vision of social protection in
Uganda is to ensure "a society where all people live in dignity and are protected from shocks
and stresses". The policy identifies four priority areas for social protection interventions:
social assistance, social security, social care and support services, and social health insurance.
The policy also defines the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders, such as the
government, development partners, civil society organizations, private sector, communities
and households.
Some of the existing social protection programs in Uganda include:

The Senior Citizens Grant (SCG), which provides a monthly cash transfer of UGX
25,000 (about USD 7) to older persons aged 65 years and above (60 years and above
in Karamoja region).
The Vulnerable Family Grant (VFG), which provides a monthly cash transfer of UGX
25,000 (about USD 7) to extremely poor and vulnerable households with no labor
capacity.
The Disability Grant (DG), which provides a monthly cash transfer of UGX 25,000
(about USD 7) to persons with severe disabilities who are unable to work or care for
themselves.
The Orphans and Vulnerable Children Grant (OVCG), which provides monthly cash,
transfer of UGX 25,000 (about USD 7) to households caring for orphans and
vulnerable children.
The Public Works Programmes (PWP), which provides short-term employment
opportunities for poor and vulnerable households with labor capacity.
The Universal Primary Education (UPE), which provides free primary education for
all children aged 6-13 years.
The Universal Secondary Education (USE), which provides free secondary education
for all children who complete primary education.
The Universal Health Care (UHC), which provides free health care services for all
citizens at public health facilities.

These Programmes aim to improve the living conditions, human development and social
inclusion of the poor and vulnerable populations in Uganda. However, they also face some
challenges, such as inadequate financing, low coverage, weak coordination, limited
institutional capacity and targeting errors¹²³. Therefore, there is a need for more investment,
innovation and integration of social protection interventions in Uganda to achieve the
national development goals and vision.
As a trained social worker, I would suggest the following recommendations to improve social
welfare in Uganda:

Increase the coverage and adequacy of cash transfers to vulnerable groups, such as the
elderly, children, and people with disabilities, refugees and internally displaced persons. Cash
transfers can help reduce poverty, improve nutrition, health and education outcomes, and
enhance social cohesion. According to the Uganda National Social Protection Policy ⁴, only
2.4% of households receive any form of social assistance, which is far below the regional
average of 9.8%. The policy also states that the average transfer amount is only 7% of the
poverty line, which is insufficient to meet the basic needs of the beneficiaries.

Strengthen the coordination and harmonization of social protection interventions across

different sectors and levels of government. Social protection is a multi-sectorial and multi-
dimensional issue that requires effective collaboration and alignment among various actors
and stakeholders. The policy framework and implementation plan for social protection should
be integrated with other national development plans and strategies, such as the National
Development Plan III, the Vision 2040 and the Sustainable Development Goals. The roles
and responsibilities of different ministries, departments, agencies and partners should be
clearly defined and communicated to avoid duplication and fragmentation of efforts.

Enhance the institutional capacity and human resources for social protection delivery and
management. Social protection Programmes require adequate and qualified staff at all
levels, from policy formulation to implementation and monitoring. The government should
invest in training and capacity building for social workers, community development officers,
extension workers and other frontline service providers who are essential for identifying,
targeting, enrolling and supporting the beneficiaries of social protection. The government
should also establish a robust information management system that can collect, store,
analyses and share data on social protection programs and beneficiaries.

Expand the fiscal space and mobilize domestic resources for social protection financing.
Social protection is not only a human right but also a smart investment that can generate
economic and social returns in the long term. However, social protection spending in Uganda
is very low compared to other countries in the region. According to UNICEF¹, Uganda
spends only 0.78% of its GDP on social protection, while Kenya spends 2%, Rwanda spends
3% and South Africa spends 4%. The government should explore various options to increase
its revenue base and allocate more funds for social protection in its budget. These options
include improving tax collection efficiency, broadening the tax base, reducing tax exemptions
and incentives, reallocating expenditure from less productive sectors to more productive
ones, tapping into natural resource revenues, leveraging external assistance and borrowing
prudently.

Improve the quality and accessibility of social services for the poor and vulnerable
populations. Social protection is not only about providing cash or in-kind transfers but also
ensuring that people have access to essential services that can improve their well-being and
resilience. These services include health care, education, water and sanitation, housing, legal
aid, etc. The government should ensure that these services are available, affordable,
acceptable and adequate for the diverse needs and preferences of the target groups. The
government should also address the supply-side constraints that affect the delivery of these
services, such as inadequate infrastructure, equipment, supplies, personnel and supervision.

Promote social inclusion and participation of the beneficiaries and communities in social
protection design and implementation. Social protection should not be seen as a top-down or
paternalistic approach but rather as a bottom-up or empowering one that respects the dignity,
agency and voice of the people. The government should involve the beneficiaries and
communities in identifying their needs, preferences and priorities for social protection
interventions. The government should also create platforms for feedback, grievance redress
Sal and accountability mechanisms that can ensure transparency, responsiveness and
effectiveness of social protection Programmes.

Foster linkages and synergies between social protection and other complementary
interventions that can enhance livelihoods and productive capacities of the poor and
vulnerable groups. Social protection alone cannot address the structural causes of poverty and
vulnerability but rather needs to be combined with other interventions that can create
opportunities for income generation, employment creation, skills development, asset
accumulation, etc. The government should coordinate with other actors such as private sector,
civil society organizations (CSOs), cooperatives and self-help groups that can provide these
complementary interventions. The government should also facilitate access to financial
services such as savings, credit and insurance that can enable the beneficiaries to invest in
their human and physical capital and cope with shocks and stresses.
References

Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (2015). National Social Protection
Policy. Kampala: MGLSD.

World Bank (2020). Uganda Economic Update, 16th Edition: Investing in Uganda’s Youth.
Washington, DC: World Bank.

World Bank (2021). Uganda Economic Update, 17th Edition: From Crisis to Resilience - The
Path to Inclusive Recovery. Washington, DC: World Bank.

Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (2019). National Social Protection
Programme Plan of Interventions (2015/16-2019/20). Kampala: MFPED.

International Monetary Fund (2020). Uganda: 2020 Article IV Consultation and Request for a
Three-Year Arrangement Under the Extended Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report;
and Statement by the Executive Director for Uganda. Washington, DC: IMF.

United Nations Development Programme (2020). Human Development Report 2020: The
Next Frontier - Human Development and the Anthropocene. New York: UNDP.
UNICEF. (2020). Social Protection in Uganda: Situation Analysis and Strategic Review.
Retrieved from [UNICEF].
Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. (2015). Uganda National Social
Protection Policy. Retrieved from [MGLSD].
World Bank. (2019). Uganda Economic Update: Investing in Social Protection Systems to
Accelerate Inclusive Growth and Reduce Poverty. Retrieved from.
Development Pathways. (2018). The Feasibility of Rolling Out a Universal Old Age Pension
in Uganda. Retrieved from [Development Pathways].
Ministry of Health. (2019). Uganda National Minimum Health Care Package. Retrieved from
[MOH].
National Association of Social Workers of Uganda. (2020). About NASWU. Retrieved from
[NASWU].