This section deals primarily with Government FMIs (FSSD, NFA, and LG DFOs). Nonetheless, other government institutions which may wish to establish/ manage their own forests or which provide services to the Government FMIs may find some of the provisions of this section useful in the management and administration of their own management institutions.
The Forestry Policy and the Forestry Act provide the institutional architecture of the forestry sector in Uganda. The Ministry responsible for forestry develops policies and macro-programmes, regulates and monitors the sector, and coordinates the activities of the different actors. The Directorate of Environmental Affairs plays a coordination role among the technical components of the Ministry (Environment Management, FSSD, NFA, NEMA, and Wetlands Department). FSSD is the Ministry’s technical arm for forestry.
NFA manages the CFRs, and has the mandate to provide technical support to District LGs and private forest owners, provided the necessary resources are available. District LGs manage LFRs, supervise the activities of, and provide technical support to private forest owners, and coordinate the activities of CSOs within their jurisdictions. The private forest owners manage their own forests, and the CSOs provide supportive technical and advocacy roles across the institutional framework. The National Forestry Research Institute (NaFORRI) is mandated to spearhead research in the forestry sector.
The Water and Environment Sector Working Group plays the roles of the “Coordination Structure” provided for in the Forestry Policy. The Group is composed of government institutions within the sector, CSOs, and Development Cooperation Agencies that are active in the Sector. The Working Group plays a planning and budgeting role, reviews sector performance, and considers performance of sector policies. The Environment and Natural Resources, and Water and Sanitation Sub-Sectors feed into the Water and Environment Sector Working Group.
At forestry level, the Forestry Policy provides for the “National Consultative Forum”, through which affected and interested parties are expected to discuss issues affecting the forestry sub-sector, collaboration in the sector, and exchange ideas regarding synergies with other national and sub-national policies and actions. The first steps have been made in establishing the Forum (terms of reference agreed and sub-forum committees formed), but it still requires some form of administrative edict to institutionalise it.
Instruction 372: The National Forestry Consultative Forum shall be formally established by the Ministry as an annual event to discuss forestry issues, in advance of the annual Sector/ Programme Performance Review Workshop. The annual Forum Conference shall be attended by representatives of as many stakeholder groups as possible, and the outcomes shall feed into the Sector Performance Review proceedings.
Instruction 373: The Ministry shall budget for the Forum to finance the core activities of the Conference, like venue, publicity, meals, stationery, etc. Participants should seek their own funding to transport them to and from the conference, meet their per diem, and take care of any incidental expenses.