PS Nkeramihigo opens Uganda Evaluation Week

By Leticia Kahubire

KAMPALA

The Permanent Secretary (PS) in charge of Coordination in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Mr. Julius Victor Nkeramihingo, on Tuesday launched the 9^th Uganda Evaluation Week alongside the Commissioner for Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Timothy Lubanga, at Silver Springs Hotel in Kampala.

Mr. Nkeramihigo, who represented the Minister for General Duties, Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba said that Uganda’s challenge lies not in the quality of its plans, but in their implementation.

He urged stakeholders to keep their focus firmly on results, stressing that monitoring and evaluation methods must continuously improve to inform meaningful policy review and effective programme delivery.

Organised by OPM in partnership with the Uganda Evaluation Association, this annual event brings together evaluation practitioners from the public and private sectors, as well as development partners. It provides a platform to share evidence, exchange insights, and discuss lessons emerging from development evaluation in Uganda and beyond.

Mr. Nkeramihigo also called for greater utilisation of evaluation reports, emphasising that good findings must translate into action.

During the event, the PS also launched a new publication on the evaluation practice, challenging all stakeholders to treat it not merely as a reference document, but as a practical tool for strengthening evaluation as a service to the people of Uganda.

The Commissioner for Monitoring and Evaluation at OPM, Timothy Lubanga, encouraged the rollout of standardised evaluation modules across Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Local Governments, calling for broader participation to ensure that monitoring and evaluation deliver maximum benefit at all levels of government.

Ms Josephine Watera, the President of the Uganda Evaluation Association commended OPM for its role in moving Uganda away from donor-driven evaluation practices towards a nationally owned system.

Ms. Margaret Kakande, the founder of the Uganda Evaluation Association, reflected on the organisation’s humble beginnings in 2001, with just five members. She expressed pride in the growth and impact the association has achieved over the years.

Professor Rhoda Wanyeza, the Dean of Makerere University School of Public Health, highlighted the centrality of evaluation in driving evidence-informed development, noting that the shift from mere measurement to meaningful, lasting change lies at the heart of Uganda’s transformation agenda.