In 2007, Uganda had one of the lowest levels of access to electricity in the world. Given the influence of multilateral and bilateral agencies in Uganda; the strong international reputation and domestic influence of its President; the country’s historic achievements in public sector and economic reform; and the intimate connection between economic performance, social well-being and access to electricity, the problems with Uganda’s electricity sector have proven deeply frustrating and, indeed, puzzling. Following increased scholarly attention to the relationship between political change, policymaking, and public sector reform in sub-Saharan Africa and the developing world generally, this thesis examines the multilevel politics of Uganda’s electricity sector reform process. This study contends that explanations for Uganda’s electricity sector reform problems generally, and hydroelectric dam construction efforts specifically, must move beyond technical and financial factors. Problems in this sector have also been the result of a model of reform (promoted by the World Bank) that failed adequately to account for the character of political change. Indeed, the model of reform that was promoted and implemented was risky and it was deeply antagonistic to domestic and international civil society organizations. In addition, it was presented as a linear, technical, apolitical exercise. Finally the model was inconsistent with key principles the Bank itself, and public policy literature generally, suggest are needed for success. Based on this analysis, the thesis contends that policymaking and reform must be understood as deeply political processes, which not only define access to services, but also participation in, and exclusion from, national debates. Future approaches to reform and policymaking must anticipate the complex, multilevel, non-linear character of ‘second-generation’ policy issues like electricity, and the political and institutional capacity needed to increase the potential for success. At the heart of this approach is a need to carefully consider how the character of state-society relations in the country – “governance” – will influence reform processes and outcomes.

Uganda has a predominantly young population, and there is a need for targeted HIV/AIDS prevention programming. Peer education is a health intervention style that has been used with appreciable success in adolescent groups, but some issues exist. We hypothesize that more can be done in the program planning stages to increase the chances of sustained success, and have completed two different types of cross-sectional analyses to investigate this aspect. We used Social Network Analysis to examine the social structure of two secondary schools in Fort Portal, Uganda. We identified existing modes of influence and natural channels of communication, and used these to create a feasible model of peer educator selection. We also studied present levels of communication about sexual and reproductive health within youth relationships, and found that youth are willing to talk to their friends, but high levels of communication do not generally occur. This provides an important point of entry for health promotion programs. / Population Health

Internationally, many public sector reform initiatives have been undertaken over the last three decades under the label New Public Management (NPM), with improvements in accountability and management among their main objectives. This thesis draws on social capital theory to examine the potential of a Ugandan community-led HIV/AIDS programme to supplement NPM approaches to public service delivery and accountability. Hermeneutics methodology is used to guide the research design and the interpretation of evidence.The findings of this study suggest that Uganda's community-led HIV/AIDS initiatives operate within a "bottom-up" accountability framework, characterized by the community taking a role in budgeting, program implementation, reporting, project-oversight, and audit activities. In regard to accounting practices, this study reveals that Ugandan community projects use basic and simple accounting procedures. The findings suggest that simple communal accountability mechanisms can compensate for the types of formal control mechanisms typically promoted within NPM-style reforms. The findings also suggest that multiple accountability relationships can operate in the form of both hierarchical and lateral accountability practices and that these multiple accountability relationships lead to tighter control and accurate accountability, even though formal accountability mechanisms may be weak.This study identified some challenges for community-led service delivery initiatives, including the potential for corrupt practices in some community groups and variations in the level of participation of group members in the execution of various tasks. Further, several areas for further research have been identified. These include the measurement of social capital within community groups and the establishment of measures of group capacities.This study has revealed the latent accountability technology of a "bottom-up" communitarian accountability framework and demonstrated its potential as a complement to NPM models of service delivery and accountability. As an accountability innovation, it needs to be keenly watched as further field experiences emerge over time and reveal more of its potential in developing countries, and perhaps beyond.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 207-225). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. Göteborg : University.

Diss. (sammanfattning). Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2004. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2006. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.