evaluation 2006.06

This is an evaluation of the entirety of Danish aid to Uganda from 1987 to 2005 amounting to more than DKK 5 billion. The evaluation took place in 2006 and is based on a thorough review of available documentation, supplemented by interviews with a range of those involved with the Danida programme. The evaluation was commissioned by Danida’s Evaluation Department and Uganda’s Office of the Prime Minister, and carried out by UK-based Mokoro Ltd., led by Stephen Lister.

The evaluation finds Uganda’s political and economic development over the past two decades impressive. Without the aid that it received, Uganda’s economic growth would certainly have been slower, its political stability might also have been threatened, and more people would have been left in poverty. There are legitimate concerns about Uganda’s aid dependency, but aid has not been able to “buy politics in Uganda.

Danish aid to Uganda has generally been of high quality, and Denmark’s contribution to Uganda’s progress is rightly valued. Only a very unambitious aid programme could be without blemish, and it is notable that the Danish aid programme has not sought easy options: it has chosen some diffi cult sectors and components like agriculture and governance. It has sought to work in the more deprived and difficult environments of Uganda, and it has sought to innovate. Denmark has also been remarkably consistent in staying engaged for the most part in the same sectors and with the same partners for very long periods. However, it is also found that Danish concerns about accountability and the need for distinct visibility of Danish aid have made Denmark overly cautious about disbursing through government systems and providing budget support.