The Government Chief Whip, Denis Hamson Obua, has called for the strengthening of an evaluative culture across government institutions to promote evidence-based decision-making and enhance public service delivery.
Obua made the remarks while representing Justine Kasule Lumumba, Minister in Charge of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, at the launch of the National Evaluation Capacities Index (INCE) held at Imperial Royale Hotel. The event was organized by the Office of the Prime Minister in partnership with the Uganda Evaluation Association.
Speaking at the launch, Obua emphasized that under the leadership of the National Resistance Movement government, building a strong evaluative culture is a key requirement for effective and efficient service delivery. He noted that such a culture enables the generation and use of impartial and reliable evidence to inform government programmes, policies, and development interventions.
Obua further highlighted that Yoweri Museveni has consistently championed public participation in government development programmes, describing it as critical in ensuring that interventions respond to the real needs and priorities of citizens.
“Public participation allows government to better understand the needs of the people and to design development interventions that address those needs effectively. This makes it important to continuously generate evidence through monitoring, reviews, and evaluation,” Obua said.
He explained that an evaluative culture is built on shared values that prioritize the systematic collection and use of data on development programmes. He cited the Government Performance Assessment framework as an example of how evaluation mechanisms are being utilized to ensure that performance information contributes to improved service delivery.
Obua expressed optimism that the INCE initiative will strengthen Uganda’s evaluation systems and support the delivery of quality public services. He stressed the need for a whole-of-government and multi-stakeholder approach, involving Parliament, oversight institutions, civil society, academia, and development partners.
“Evidence must not gather dust in reports; it must inform decisions, shape budgets, and drive the continuous improvement of public service delivery,” he said.
The National Evaluation Capacities Index is expected to serve as a tool for assessing and strengthening evaluation practices across institutions in Uganda, with the aim of improving accountability and effectiveness in the implementation of development programmes.
