Donor Economist Group

Chair

NAME: Catyst B Ndyomugabi

ORGANISATION: USAID

Co Chair

NAME: Simon Peter Nsereko

ORGANISATION: UNRC

NAME: Silver Namunane

ORGANISATION: WB

Secretariat

NAME: Daniel Lukwago

ORGANISATION: WB

Key DPG messages/Priorities

Almost any issue which affects development in Uganda could be considered an economic issue, and every programme area within NDP 3 could benefit from economic analysis. There is therefore a very large number of issues which could usefully be considered and analysed by the DEG. This creates a need to judge which issues should be prioritised.

It is proposed that DEG should not duplicate the activities or objectives of other Development Partner Working Groups (DPGs). It is recommended that economic analysis relating to specific topics such as agriculture, human capital development and infrastructure should be undertaken and discussed in relevant programmatic DPGs. It should therefore be the responsibility of DEG members to join-up and collaborate with the DPGs relevant to their specific interests and expertise.

There are however several economic issues which both cut-across many DPGs and are important to enabling LDPG members to lead their organisation’s Development Cooperation activities and engage with the Government of Uganda. Unless the DEG receives a steer to focus on other issues from the LDPG, it is therefore proposed that the DEG should focus on facilitating collaboration and delivering analysis on the following list of ‘Key cross-cutting economic themes’:

  1. The Budget process and outcomes
  2. Macro-economic performance and implications for social and developmental outcomes
  3. Key barriers to medium and long-term economic growth (diagnostics)
  4. High-level messages on development partner activities and impacts in Uganda

Objectives

  • DEG enables development partners to jointly analyze, coordinate, and collectively engage with key stakeholders in relation to economic policy (including the macroeconomic aspects of aid effectiveness