The Second Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF2)
Introduction
The Second Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF2) is a 5-year Government of Uganda Project that is being implemented as part of the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) for Northern Uganda.
It is a successor Project to the First Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF1) that closed on March 31, 2009.
The Project became effective of November 25, 2009 and was officially launched on February 8, 2010.
The Project is financed through a Specific Investment Loan (SIL) of US$ 100 million from the World Bank (IDA) and a Grant of £24 million from the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom.
NUSAF2 will cover all the current 40 PRDP Districts (Now 55) in Acholi, Bukedi, Bunyoro, Elgon, Karamoja Lango, Teso, and West Nile Sub-regions.
Why NUSAF2 in Northern Uganda?
- Northern Uganda has suffered economic stagnation arising out of the insurgency and cattle rustling that affected the region for over two decades.
- There is wide spread poverty and vulnerability and low access to socio-economic services among the people of Northern Uganda.
- The North has the largest proportion of people living in poverty, estimated at 61% (almost twice the national poverty level of 31%).
- The rate at which poverty level in the North is falling is less than any other region since the early 1990s
- NUSAF2 (together with the other development programmes in the North) is expected to contribute to reducing the disparity in the levels of development between the North and the rest of the country
- NUSAF2 will consolidate on the achievements registered under NUSAF1
Key Features of the NUSAF2 Design
- To be implemented under the broader PRDP framework and the National Development Plan.
- The Project design is based on the Community Demand-Driven Development (CDD) model.
- Implementation is mainstreamed into the National and Local Government structures.
- Simple and focused on livelihood improvement and access to quality basic socio-economic services.
Relationship between NUSAF2 & PRDP
The Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) is a development framework for post-conflict reconstruction of Northern Uganda.
PRDP seeks to strengthen coordination, supervision and monitoring of all development programmes in Northern Uganda to achieve better results.
The PRDP Strategic objectives:
- Consolidation of state authority;
- Rebuilding and empowering communities;
- Revitalization of the economy; and
- Peace building and reconciliation.
NUSAF2 is one of the Projects that are intended to contribute to the realization of the PRDP strategic objectives. NUSAF2 will contribute to strategic objectives (ii) & (iii).
Project Development Objective
To improve access of beneficiary households of Northern Uganda to income earning opportunities and better basic socio-economic services.
Specifically the Project will:
- Provide support to household income enhancement initiatives of the poor; and
- Provide support to improve public infrastructure and increase access and utilization of basic services in underserved communities.
Guiding Principles of NUSAF2
- Active and intensive community participation
- Transparency and accountability
- Utilizing existing institutions
- Community contribution to the development effort to promote community ownership
- Promotion of equity
- Gender responsiveness
- Collaboration with existing Government and Donor Programmes
- Sound environmental and social safeguards
- Speedy delivery of services
- Targeting the most vulnerable
Project Components
Livelihood Invest Support (LIS)
To improve access to income earning opportunities among the target households.
The LIS has 2 sub-components, namely:
- Household Income Support Program (HISP)
- Public Works Program (PWP)
Community Infrastructure Rehabilitation (CIR)
- To improve access to better basic socio-economic services in the target areas.
Institutional Development (ID)
- To improve the technical, administrative and managerial capacity of the key implementers of the Project
- To promote transparency, accountability and anti corruption.
