Popular participation in rural development programmes in Uganda: a case study of the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) programme in Mbarara District

Abstract

For the last three decades, popular participation has become an increasing aspect of and as a key tool of public policy and service delivery within the realm of good governance across the world. It has gained ground and has been embraced in political, economic and social spheres of life. Governments, international or multilateral organizations and agencies emphasize participatory approaches in the programmes that intend to benefit a given community.

This research assessed popular participation in rural development programmes with NAADS programme as ease study. The premise of the study was in the light of claims and counter-claims by critics of and advocates for popular participation; thus precipitated the need to ascertain the degree of popular participation in, and its impact on, the implementation of the NAADS programme in Mbarara district.

It was conducted in Mbarara district in the counties of Kashaari and Rwampara particularly in the sub-counties of Bubaare and Nyakayojo. Data collection period ended in the month of August 2009.

The study employed in-depth interviews and structured questionnaires as data collection methods.

Research findings revealed that popular participation exists in the implementation of NAADS programme and beneficiaries have benefited from it. It is however, more confined at fanner group level activities while the important decisions are made at higher administrative levels particularly at the sub-county, district, and national levels with minimal local farmers' involvement. It was further revealed that popular participation in the implementation of NAADS programme is on the decline primarily because of dissatisfaction, disappointments, and skepticism on the side of the beneficiaries on the way the programme is being implemented. The regular ushering in of various versions of NAADS implementation guidelines with sometimes rigid directives from the Presidency seems to be one of contributing factors to the decline of popular participation in the programme implementation.

The study recommends a more vivid bottom-up approach in the implementation of NAADS programme. Particularly much effort needs to be put beyond the fanner group level activities to decision making process at inter-group level, and fanner's fora at the sub-county and district level with increased local fanners' involvement.