Governance and Public Service Delivery in Uganda: A Case of Universal Primary and Secondary Programs in Uganda: Institutional Arrangements and School Performance

Abstract

Although Uganda has made significant progress in terms of improving access to education, there is considerable evidence to suggest that the country is still struggling with equity and quality issues. The country, through the Ministry of Education and Sports has undertaken several educational reforms in relation to educational governance as important ingredients for successful educational policy reforms. This study sought to analyze the effect of educational governance on the quality of education in Uganda and the objectives were hinged on four factors: decentralization, accountability, provision and financing, and incentives. A sample size of 370 respondents with which the use of a mixed-methods approach (using statistical techniques and semi-structured interviews with different key players in the education field) adopted to illuminate some very interesting mechanisms through which governance could influence on quality. The main findings are that, contrary to some assertions made by policymakers, institutional arrangements matter but a) they are not the main explanatory variable and b) when they matter, they do so in a multi- directional way. The study shows that the association between governance variables and performance accounts for a very small portion of the differences in performance in schools in Uganda. It is estimated that greater autonomy in the allocation of resources significantly accounts for the differences in mean performance. The study shows that the relationship between governance and performance is mediated through school progression. Thus,school progression in the schools largely explains the differences in the quality of education in the country.