Uganda National Forum Group held strategic workshop

The Uganda Transport Forum Group [U-TFG] held a consultative brainstorming workshop on the 18^th March 2008.  The workshop was attended by 19 people, drawn from among others, the Ministries of Transport and Works, Finance and Planning, Injury Control Centre, Sasakawa Global 2000 and Uganda Transport Forum. IFRTD secretariat was represented by Eastern and Southern Africa Coordinator, Peter Njenga.

The objectives of the workshop were agreed as follows:

• How to make the Uganda TFG and IFRTD partnership more effective within the changing policy contexts
• To identify existing opportunities and prioritise on 1-2 issues for knowledge sharing and advocacy in Uganda.
• Ways of strengthening and regenerating IFRTD/TFG membership in Uganda.

After long discussions and debate the following strategic priorities were identified:

• Transport and Poverty issues. This was unanimously adopted to be the core of the Forum's Work in Uganda. A representative from the Ministry of Finance and Planning confirmed that there is a high demand knowledge that would help prioritise actions that would strengthen the contribution of transport to poverty reduction.  In particular, there is need to show concrete examples of where and how transport interventions have made a contribution to poverty reduction.
• Need to improve the quality of advocacy. It was noted that advocacy has become very competitive. There are very many platforms and messages competing to influence the development agenda.  Recognising the limitation that TFG does not have full time capacity, it is important that TFG becomes more targeted with the messages and audiences.

• Regenerating Membership. This generated an enthusiastic discussion.  The general conclusion was that whereas it is desirable to expand the membership, the overriding consideration should be the quality of participation and dedication to the ideals of the forum. 

For a full copy of the report and more information on the Uganda Transport Forum Group please click here.