“Why didn’t you come sooner?”

1. “Why didn’t you come sooner?” Experience of working with sectors to raise their attention to environment in their budgets and plans. PEI Uganda

2. Context 1Linkages between PRSP (PEAP) and Sectoral plans and budgets? • Sector plans and budgets are for implementing the PEAP and reaching its goals. • The PEAP implementation is tied to the Budget process • Budget allocations respond to the challenges identified in the PEAP. • The PEAP re-affirms sector priorities as in their plans

3. Context 1, continued: Linkages between PRSP (PEAP) and Sectoral plans and budgets, • PEAP identifies priority actions to achieve sector priorities. • The Sector Working Groups (SWGs) which recommend sector plans and budgets, work within the PEAP framework. • Sector plans and priorities feed into the PEAP and should be within the PEAP framework. • The PEAP secretariat works closely with the personnel in the sectoral planning units.

4. Context 2.How well are the links made? • But, do not always, e.g. in the following circumstances: • Disasters, natural and man-made calamities. • Strategic priorities stated in BFPs • Emergency and extraordinary plans e.g. CHOGM event. • Politically motivated programmes e.g. Prosperity For All (Bonna Bagaggawale). • Failures in spending discipline;- sectoral priorities are ignored Ideally, the Sector plans are perfectly linked to the PRSP (PEAP) and the budgets.

5. Context 3. Mechanisms for Harmonisation Between PRSP/PEAP and Sectoral plans • Annual budget call circulars, based on the PEAP, that guide the whole budgeting process. • Ministerial Policy Statements-linked to Sector BFPs. • Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF); a framework for medium-term(3-year) budget planning • MTEF Ceilings • The sectors contribute to preparing the PEAP. • PEAP Evaluation. • Sector Investment Plans. • Sector performance reviews. • Budget framework papers.

6. Context 4. Key entry points for integrating environment into sector plans and budgets • Annual Budgeting process. • Annual Work plan making process. • Sector Investment Planning Process. • Sector policy reviews and formulation. • PRSP reviews and formulation processes. • Programme reviews e.g. the NAADS. • Identifying and exploiting emerging issues and challenges e.g. Climate change. • Policy development and reviews. • Environmental screening of plans and budgets by Environmental focal point officers. • Central govt assessment of local govt performance.

7. Experience • Since the 1992 Rio Conference • Sectoral policies and Sector Strategic Plans have been made. • Attempts were made to mainstream environment concerns into them. • Since 1997 Uganda has been implementing PEAPs i.e. the coverage of environmental concerns has been improving in each subsequent PEAP • PEAP 2 (2000): environment recognised as a cross-cutting issue • PEAP 3 (2004); environment recognised as both a cross cutting issue as well as important for enhancing production, incomes and competitiveness. • Success has been achieved in environmental mainstreaming, however, the budgeting for environmental priorities is still very low. • Awareness and willingness of sectors including the MFPED to mainstream environment has increased. • Greater awareness by the MFPED, NPA that environment is weakly treated as a cross –cutting issue in many sectors and there is willingness to increase attention to it.

8. How? Approaches • Integrating environmental concerns into the Budget Call Circular • Participation in all stages of the budgeting cycle. • Reviewing, policies, plans and BFPs and identify gaps. • Holding discussion meetings with sectors and getting their commitment to address the gaps identified. • Preparing separate summary comments and proposals for change. • Lobbying influential people in relevant sector e.g. Policy makers,the Director of Budget, Sectoral Planners. • Building the capacity of Planners, Chief Finance Officers, Ministry of Finance to appreciate and mainstream environment. • Study visits with delegations from MFPED, NPA, Parliamentarians and Executives. • Lobbying for policies on environmental incentives/ disincentives

9. How ? – 2.Tools • Environmental mainstreaming guidelines • Relevant reading materials to sectoral planners and MFPED. • Environment policies for Local Governments • Generating evidence (using studies) showing the links between environment, poverty reduction, and other development goals.

10. Mandate of ENR sector • ENR Sector as the Champion of environmental mainstreaming must; • Identify ENR sector priorities. • Develop ENR Sector Investment Plan (SIP). • Lobby other sectors to integrate environmental issues. • Mobilize resources from Govt, development partners • Presents the case for increased budget allocation • Generate evidence on linkages between environment and national development. • Increase visibility of environment in all Government plans and programmes including the PEAP/NDP.

11. Lessons • Mainstreaming environment in sector policies, plans and PRSPs is not sufficient, it needs to be followed by budgetary allocations. • BFP documents tell us more precisely what sectors are doing than other plans (SIP, draft NDP papers). • Need to generate quantitative evidence- environmental statistics. • Vital to maintain continuous dialogue with the MFPED, CFOs, Planners. • Taking environment as a cross-cutting issue is not enough, it should as well be taken as one of the pillars in the PRSPs.

12. Lessons continued • Support of development partners is essential. • Need for continuous interactions with the sectors at all stages of the budgeting cycle, in sector reviews, policy formulation. • Where environmental concerns are taken on board they tend to be isolated to projects in selected geographical/admin areas – not an overall strategy or policy of the sector. • Inadequate engagement of donors to other sectors. • The sectors recognise the need to mainstream environment, the existing gaps and are willing to address them. They even asked;- “Why didn’t you come sooner?”

13. Challenges • Keeping a continuous dialogue with the sectors. • Keeping momentum and interest of all stakeholders in the process. • Capacity building at Local Government (critical mass) level to propose strategies and put forward budget proposals for environmental activities. • Generating quantitative evidence. • Communicating with MFPED, Planners and CFOs.

14. Challenges Contd. • Documenting evidence and sharing it out with all stakeholders. • Identifying what works in different sectors. • Global challenges e.g. bio-fuels, nuclear energy, and GMOs, Climate change: supporting sectors to plan for addressing them. • Capacity building (public and private) at all levels.

15. There is a huge job to be done Next steps • Greater engagement of MFPED, Parliament, Accounting Officers, CFOs, Planners • Full participation of ENR in the National budget cycle –Environmental Budgeting Guidelines • Evidence based lobbying- Generate Statistics • Integrate PEI into the UNDP country programme • Strengthen environmental visibility in donor country support programmes to other sectors

16. We are up to the challenge.

17. Required UNDP-UNEP PEI Support • Facilitate networking, sharing of knowledge and international best practices • Facilitate south-south cooperation • Enhance the generation of supportive evidence • UNDP to use its position to • lobby the donors to mainstream environment in their country programmes • facilitate PEI to participate in high level policy meetings