Danish development assistance (Danida) has played a major role in the water, sanitation and environment sub-sectors since the end of the 1980s. A bilateral project designed to increase the supply of clean water and improve sanitation in rural communities in the Eastern region of the country was undertaken in the 1990s. Wells were drilled and pumps were installed, together with the construction of latrines. The two phases of the RUWASA (rural water and sanitation) project involved significant investments totalling around 500 million DKK, as well as technical assistance.

At the end of the 1990s there was a shift from projects towards sector support for water and sanitation in Uganda and the geographical coverage of assistance expanded. The government’s 1997 poverty reduction strategy included an emphasis on water and sanitation. Subsequently  a series of Danida grants were approved, initially for two phases of a bilateral sector programme totalling over 700 million DKK (1997-2007) and then for three contributions to a joint water and environment programme totalling 845 million DKK (2008-2018).

The government’s 1997 poverty reduction strategy included an emphasis on water and sanitation. Subsequently  a series of Danida grants were approved, initially for two phases of a bilateral sector programme totalling over 700 million DKK (1997-2007) and then for three contributions to a joint water and environment programme totalling 845 million DKK (2008-2018).

Thus, by 2008 and following the consolidation of the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and negotiations between a series of donor agencies, arrangements for a Joint water and environment sector support programme (JWESSP) were agreed. Eight components of this programme have been funded by a range of agencies. These focus on a series of main themes:

• overall sector programme support and capacity development;
• rural water supply and sanitation;
• urban water supply and sanitation;
• water for production;
• water resource monitoring, planning and regulation at central level;
• decentralised water management zones;
• natural resource management (including forestry);
• meteorological services and climate change.5

Within the joint programme the participating development partners (donor agencies) have established a division of labour which has entailed a focus for Danida on rural water supply, water resource management and climate change.

The evaluation entails examination of the changes that have taken place in the sub-sectors over the past 25 years, both in terms of results and in terms of “drivers” (causalities). This means that a wide range of topics are considered, notably:

• the main characteristics and modalities of Danida’s support in different phases;
• the changing development policy context in Uganda, including poverty reduction, rural livelihood improvement, etc.;
• regulatory frameworks, policies and strategies;
• the delivery of water, sanitation and resource management (including meteorological) services, including consideration of critical issues (e.g. in sanitation and hygiene);
• geographical and regional considerations, including the shifting priorities in terms of rural and urban water and sanitation;
• sector wide and donor coordination arrangements;
• performance of key partner institutions in the sub-sectors (both at central and local levels and including non-governmental actors);
• cross-cutting issues in the programmes, including gender and human rights as well as anti- corruption efforts;
• involvement of commercial enterprises and consultants;
• performance of technical assistance;
• working with civil society and modalities for supporting CSOs.

NCG will conduct the evaluation in consortium with Orbicon A/S and SAS Hydro Conseil with NCG as lead. The consortium presents a evaluation team with complementary skills and experiences. External NCG expert Elisabeth Kleemeier will be core team member and NCG Partner Per Kirkemann will be Quality Assurer.