CEW-IT governance program entails empowering citizens with information and skills to actively participate in and influence the decision making processes, tracking public expenditure and engaging duty bearers to ensure that service delivery positively impacts the lives of the most vulnerable members of society (the women, youths, people with disabilities, the Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children, etc). Therefore, the programme contributes to efficiency in service delivery and equity in sharing of the benefits of Uganda’s economic growth and improvement in the situation of the poor and vulnerable citizens.
Under the social and democratic accountability program CEW-IT seeks to enhance citizens’ competencies to positively influence the democratic governance processes and entrench a democratic culture in Uganda, it also seeks to empower citizens to ensure that Public Expenditure on Social Services meets their basic needs and social goals.
As a follow up to the election observation program CEW-IT has, in the post election period, taken on engagement of citizens with their leaders. This is done using two approaches, the Citizens’ manifesto in action and social accountability.
Citizens Manifesto in Action Initiative: CEW-IT is one of the CSOs promoting the Citizens Manifesto in Uganda. With funding from OXFAM Novib and the European CEW-IT has implemented this project since 2011 todate in 30 districts. The project aims to empower the citizens to proactively influence setting of the political agenda and engage with their leaders in implementing the social contract between the two parties. This is one way of entrenching democratic accountability in Uganda.
Social accountability: CEW-IT also received funding from the Delegation of the European Commission in Uganda and from HIVOS to implement a project that promotes social accountability. It involves capacitating citizens and non state actors to influence and monitor public expenditure and service delivery at both local and national level.
Fix My Community: This is an ICT based initiative supported by the Indigo Trust which aims to empower citizens to use modern ICT tools to report gaps in service delivery in their respective communities and to engage local authorities to act. The pilot project is implemented in Moyo, Gulu, Soroti, Kayunga and Kasese districts.
Observation of the processes leading to the 2011, 2016 general elections: CEW-IT has been actively deploying observers to monitor the by-elections and the processes leading to the 2011 and 2016 general elections such as the National Identity card exercise and the Update and Display of the National Voters Register. CEW-IT has also has been part of the team that has participated in the observation of the 2019 voter register update across the country.
Co-creation of tools for influencing the policy cycle: CEW-IT has been actively involved with other civil society actors at the global level in developing and testing online and offline tools that citizens can use to influence and monitor key events within the policy cycle in multicounty contexts. These include the Youth Manifesto on unemployment, Thematic Budget Monitoring and Follow the law. CEW-IT has therefore contributed to developing a global community of practice on tools for deepening democracy
