The Programme represents a continuation and enhancement of the previous DDP I, now widening the scope to a new area of Local Justice. It enhances links in the local governance process through implementation of four related areas, namely:

1. Coordinated Participatory Planning and Budgeting;
2. Enhancement of Local Revenue;
3. Gender Mainstreaming; and
4. Strengthening the Administration of Local Courts.

The Project's long-term goal is, through decentralization, to influence the eradication of poverty. Its immediate objective is to improve equitable access to socio-economic infrastructure and improved public services through high quality local governance institutions, systems, programmes and operations in the target districts. It will contribute to the coordination of national and local participatory planning and budgeting mechanisms, will increase local revenue in the pilot districts, will enhance gender mainstreaming and improve the performance of the local court system. Throughout, the project activities will inform the policy dialogue on related issues so as to encourage a sustainable impact from the lessons learned through implementation.

• The main objective of the DDP I project was to provide financial and technical resources to enable the definition, testing and refinement of participatory planning, allocation and management of development resources, management of infrastructure and service provision at various levels of government. Some of the achievements made during this period include: Introduction of systems for improved planning at the local government level; Financing and delivery of basic infrastructure and services; Policy impact and support to current policies; Replication and interest and support from other donors generated especially under the Local Government Development Programme (LGDP); Capacity built among project stakeholders; and Support to the Ministry of Local Government for a decentralized planning and service provision process.
• The immediate objective of the DDPII was to ensure equitable and sustainable access to socio-economic infrastructure and improved public services through high quality local governance institutions, systems, programmes and operations in local governments.
• DDPII has therefore focused on strengthening coordinated participatory planning and budgeting mechanisms for local governments and lower councils, improving the mobilization and generation of sustainable local revenue through enhanced capacity of local governments and their supporting institutions, promoting equitable participation of women and men in shaping development directions and choices as provided for in the Constitution and the Local Government Act and strengthening Local Administration of Justice.

• Local Councils of Yumbe, Arua, Jinja, Kayunga, Mukono, Kabale, Sironko, Kumi, Bundibugyo and Ntungamo
• Ministry of Local Government;
• Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development;
• Local Government Finance Commission.

• The geographical focus of the project remained the six DDPI pilot districts [Kabale (in the west), Mukono and Kayunga (in the central), Arua and Yumbe (in the north) and Jinja (in the East)], although some activities extend to four other districts -Sironko and Kumi in the east, Bundibugyo and Ntungamo in the west.
• 2,6 million persons

• 2005 Mid Term Evaluation
• Ongoing Final Evaluation

• Component 1: Coordinated Participatory Planning and Budgeting
  The major impact and best practice under this component has been in harmonized participatory planning. The HPP has been widely recognized, at the national level, as an important initiative as it has fitted as a useful inclusive local level-planning tool. The application of the HPP has improved the pace and quality of planning at the Lower Local Government/Councils and its interactions with higher level planning processes. Through the procedures laid down in the Fiscal Decentralization Strategy, Parish and Sub-county priorities are set to find their way to the national planning and budgeting processes through the Local Government Budget Framework Papers (LGBFP). The development expenditure components of the LGBFPs are expected to reflect not only activities identified during the rolling of the district development plans, but also the Lower Local Government plans. In addition, the learning from this approach has informed the packaging of rollout programmes under the Local Government Development Programme (LGDP II).
• Component 2: Local Revenue Enhancement
  As a result of this component, all Local Governments countrywide have developed Local Revenue Enhancement Plans, including the identification of new sources of revenue. Good practices in revenue collection have been reported (such as the establishment of tax registers, statutory sharing of funds and improved monitoring and auditing of funds. There was a substantial increase in local revenue collection in all the project districts before suspension of graduated tax by the Government.
• Component 3: Gender Mainstreaming
  Key under this component has been the revision of the National Gender Policy. This policy is used by all sectors (public, civil and private) at national and local level to address gender related concerns. Some key strategies have already been translated into activities such as the gender and equity budgeting guidelines which form part of the ‘Budget Circular' to all Ministries and local governments making it mandatory for all Ministries and Local Governments to take into consideration gender and equity issues when budgeting. Gender mainstreaming is now part and parcel of the performance national assessment manual.
• Component 4: Strengthening Local Administration of Justice
  The passing of the new law – The Executive Committee Courts Act 2006 is key under this component. There are 50,580 Local Council Courts (44,402 village courts, 5,225 parish courts, 953 sub-county courts) in Uganda. The support of UNCDF to these LCCs through training has attracted additional financial support to Local Council courts under the Justice Law and Order Sector from other development partners like the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Austrian Embassy and UNDP.

DDPII was developed after the realization that the decentralization process and local government development faced the following challenges:

• Limited inclusive participation at the lower local government and community levels;
• Declining local revenue as resources for sustainable service delivery;
• Lack of gender mainstreaming (GM) even with policies and pronouncements that supported GM;
• Lack of fully functioning local council courts which were considered as the key institution for community participation in decision-making and Decentralisation.

• Based on the Final Evaluation’s results, expected to be available in July 2007, UNCDF will formulate a new Local Development Programme as successor programme to DDPII, which will also integrate new priorities. The new programme document will be based on a revised version of the concept paper developed for the follow-on programme to the second DDP;
• The new programme’s inception is foreseen for January 2008;
• Focus on Resource Mobilization for the new upcoming programme.