The Fair Business Practices_List of publications

To all our stakeholders, and Friends of CoST Uganda,

We are coming back to you with a thank you note. Thank you for engaging with us in the last few weeks, we have been blessed to have your audience and contribution in the efforts to enhance transparency and fair business practices in Uganda.

4th Assurance Report launched on 10th February 2021 We were very honoured to have you on 10th February 2021 as we launched the 4th Assurance report on 10th February 2021 in the presence of 89 participants from Government, Private Sector and Civil Society. A Ray of sunshine into the Infrastructure sector in Uganda. Please read here for details about the launch;

Indeed, as revealed by the report, the culture of transparency in the public infrastructure sector is taking strides in Uganda, with the increase in disclosure by 20% in one year, moreover, a year of great tabulances of COVID-19. Following the validation and completion of the 4th Assurance process, sector representatives  gathered at the Protea  Hotel in Kampala, to discuss the results of the Assurance Process. We are grateful to all media houses, and journalists who have since taken interest to further write, and speak about the findings, we call on you and many others to keep the discussions growing. We believe the more we speak about these issues, the more we will find a middle ground for transparency and accountability in the public infrastructure sector.

Following the launch of the report, we received credible feedback and remarks which we are including in the final report that will be distributed to stakeholders in March 2021.  We extend our appreciation to all media houses, individuals, journalists who have used this information to publish blogs, air out news bulletins and we encourage you to do more. Please read about the 4th Assurance Report in the media;

Stakeholder engagements; On 17th February, we organized a platform for the contractors and consulting engineers to engage with the Government. The event was attended by 68 representatives. There were commitments made and suggestions for addressing issues affecting private sector participation in public infrastructure procurement processes were documented and will be shared accordingly.

A moment with the press on the 4th Assurance results; Following the release of the Assurance report, on 12th February 2021, in partnership with PPDA, we engaged the press/journalists to further create awareness and demand for action on findings and recommendations in the report. We are grateful to all those journalists and media houses that have and are still speaking about these results, this is indeed a sign that CoST is an enabler of data use. We pledge to continue providing information for us all to engage. We have so far documented over 20 blogs/online articles, over 30 radios and 10 Televisions have aired the results. Our paid target media engagements have also reached across the country, we will be sharing more statistics. Our social media coverage has also increased with more 3000 people following us on Facebook via @CoST Uganda and over 100 people have followed us on Twitter @CostUgChapter. We encourage you all to visit our platforms and website www.cost.or.ug for frequent updates about Infrastructure Transparency.

Learning and reflection on Fair Business practices; On 19th February, 2021, we held a learning event, to harvest what stakeholders picked up as experiences, lessons and areas of improvement as we journey in this work of promoting transparency in the sector. Key takeaways include; disclosure haas improved, meaning there is a growing culture of transparency, data use is also improving observed by the interest of stakeholders to use disclose data to engage, many commitments made by Government revealing an interest to see the sector flourish, a platform for engagement established, and a growing level of trust that, transformation in the sector is possible.

An action matrix on Fair Business practices; Following the events, stakeholders agreed to develop an action matrix. The draft matrix is being reviewed by a select committee and shall be shared at an appropriate time to inform joint advocacy. We invite you all to support the CoST Uganda programme, speak about the findings in the Assurance Report, and fair business practices and let us jointly engage for better results of the investments put into infrastructure projects in Uganda.

Below is a list of publications, presentations from the most recent engagements, use them to join our advocacy for Infrastructure transparency, and business integrity.

CoST Uganda _Draft findings on factors affecting Private sector pptn

Fair_Business_Practices_GPP_Infrastructure Data analysis Report_June 2020 _Press

Infrastructure Procurement Disclosure Trends in the Year 2020_PP by Michael Chengkuru

Joint statement by UACE and UNABCEC on Fair Business practices at the high level meeting

Learning and Reflections of the Fair Business Practices _Business Intergrity Initiative in Uganda

PPDAs Presentation on Fair Business practicies

Presentation 4th Assurance_Process Results

Remarks by the Eng In Chief _MoWT at the Launch of the 4th Assurance Report

Remarks of the Senior Regional Manager Africa_CoST International at the Launch of the 4th Assurance Report

Speech by Permanent Sec MoWT at the launch of the 4th Assurance Report

Speech by the Min of Works and Transport at the Launch of the 4th Assurance Report

Statement from the OPM Permanent Secretary_on the 4th Assurance Report

UNABCEC Presentation at the High level panel on Fair Business practices

UNRA Presentation at the Launch of 4th Assurance Report_Local Content

https://www.cost.or.ug/4th-assurance-report-in-the-media/