Institutionalisation of resilience measurement and analysis in Uganda through the establishment of a Resilience Measurement Unit (RMU)

Abstract

Despite Uganda’s flourishing economy, food insecurity remains a challenge in many parts of the country, particularly in the northeastern region of Karamoja. As in other fragile contexts, understanding and measuring the resilience of affected populations is crucial in order to provide better and more informed solutions and to empower vulnerable populations to withstand shocks. As such, an institutional set-up for resilience policy is essential for tackling chronic vulnerability to food insecurity. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) addresses the effects of drought and related shocks in the IGAD region. This initiative provides a necessary framework to coordinate action and enhance partnerships at national, regional and international level to develop resilience-building interventions. Informed by the IDDRSI strategy, Uganda developed its Country Programming Paper (CPP), a 15-year resilience strategy that identifies priority areas for intervention at both national and regional level. Uganda has since seen substantial investments made toward implementation of the CPP. Against this backdrop, a Resilience Measurement Unit (RMU) was set up in Uganda in 2016 by FAO. It was tasked with coordinating and undertaking national resilience measurement efforts. It systematically measures the returns on investments aimed at increasing the resilience of vulnerable households in Uganda through the application of appropriate tools. The RMU receives technical guidance from FAO and IGAD through the Resilience Analysis Unit (RAU) (see Key Facts) on the design of tools for data collection, analysis and reporting, following the Resilience Index Measurement Analysis (RIMA) model.