The Republic of Uganda Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation (UCSAT) Project - P173296 Stakeholder Engagement Framework September 2022 i Table of Contents ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................................. v DEFINITIONS .......................................................................................................................................................... vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................... viii 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Development Objective-pdo..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Project Components.............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2.1 Component 1: Strengthen Climate-Smart Agricultural Research, Seed and agro-climatic information Systems. ...................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 Component 2: Promoting Adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture technologies and Practices. ...... 3 1.2.3 Component 3: investments in market development and linkages for selected value chains). ........ 6 1.2.4 component 4: contingency emergency response)............................................................................ 6 1.2.5 Component 5: project coordination, management, monitoring, evaluation and learning) ............. 7 2 Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework for Public Participation ................................................................ 8 2.1 Uganda policy framework ..................................................................................................................... 8 2.1.1 Uganda National ICT Policy 2012 ...................................................................................................... 8 2.1.2 The National Equal opportunities policy 2006 .................................................................................. 8 2.1.3 Guidelines for environmental impact assessment in Uganda 1997 ................................................. 8 2.2 Uganda’s Legislative Framework........................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 The Constitution of the republic of uganda 1995 ............................................................................. 8 2.2.2 The National Environment Act 2019 ................................................................................................. 8 2.2.3 The National Forest and Tree Planting Act of 2003 .......................................................................... 9 2.2.4 The Access to information of 2005 ................................................................................................... 9 2.2.5 MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL INDUSTRY AND FISHERIES EXTENSION GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS 2016 ........................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2.6 THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT (ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS, 2020 9 2.3 Regional conventions on access to information ................................................................................. 10 2.3.1 the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) ......................................................... 10 2.4 World bank environmental and social framework .............................................................................. 10 ii 2.5 International conventions on access to information .......................................................................... 10 3 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, CONSULTATIONS AND DISCLOSURE............................................................ 12 3.1 introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 12 3.2 Stakeholder Engagement tools ........................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Objectives and scope of the Stakeholder engangement Framework-sef ........................................... 13 3.3.1 Objectives of the sef ....................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.2 Scope of SEF .................................................................................................................................... 13 3.4 Stakeholders Identification and Analysis ............................................................................................ 14 3.4.1 Project Beneficiaries ....................................................................................................................... 14 3.4.2 Project stakeholders ....................................................................................................................... 16 3.5 Stakeholder Identification ................................................................................................................... 17 3.6 Stakeholder Categorization ................................................................................................................. 17 3.6.1 Affected Parties .............................................................................................................................. 17 3.7 Interested Parties ................................................................................................................................ 18 3.7.1 Stakeholder Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 18 3.7.2 Vulnerable Groups .......................................................................................................................... 46 3.7.3 Disadvantaged/vulnerable individuals or groups ........................................................................... 46 4 Past Stakeholder Engagement in the project ............................................................................................... 48 4.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 48 4.2 Engagement process with stakeholders ............................................................................................. 48 4.3 Consultation during project formulation and design .......................................................................... 48 4.3.1 Face to Face Consultations during safeguards documents preparation......................................... 48 4.4 Some of the Key Stakeholder Concerns and Views about UCSATP ..................................................... 49 4.5 Measures to Improve Stakeholder Engagement................................................................................. 51 4.6 Disclosures .......................................................................................................................................... 51 4.7 Disclosure of environmental and social safeguards documents ......................................................... 51 4.7.1 Grievance Mechanism .................................................................................................................... 52 4.7.2 Worker Grievance MEchanism ....................................................................................................... 56 5.1 Introduction/Project Description ....................................................................................................... 57 iii 5.2 Brief Summary of Previous Stakeholder Engagement Activities ...................................................... 57 5.3 Stakeholder Identification and Analysis ............................................................................................ 57 5.4 Affected Parties .................................................................................................................................. 57 5.5 Other Interested Parties ..................................................................................................................... 57 5.6 Disadvantaged / vulnerable individuals or groups ............................................................................ 58 5.7 Stakeholder Engagement Program .................................................................................................... 58 5.7.1 Purpose and timing of stakeholder engagement program ............................................................. 58 5.8 Proposed Strategy for Information Disclosure .................................................................................. 58 5.9 Proposed strategy for consultation ................................................................................................... 59 5.10 Proposed Strategy to Incorporate the Views of Vulnerable Groups ................................................ 59 5.11 Timelines ............................................................................................................................................. 59 5.12 Review of Comments ......................................................................................................................... 59 5.13 Future Phases of the Project .............................................................................................................. 59 5.14 Resources ............................................................................................................................................ 59 5.15 Management Functions and Responsibilities .................................................................................... 60 5.16 Grievance Mechanism ........................................................................................................................ 60 5.16.1 Monitoring and Reporting .......................................................................................................... 60 5.16.2 Monitoring Indicators ................................................................................................................. 61 5.16.3 Information Sharing.................................................................................................................... 61 5.17 Implementation Budget ...................................................................................................................... 61 6 ANNEXES ....................................................................................................................................................... 63 6.1 Annex 01: Summary of Proceedings from virtual meetings .............................................................. 63 6.2 Annex 02: GRIEVANCE TOOLS ............................................................................................................ 81 6.2.1 Grievance receipt Form ................................................................................................................... 81 6.2.2 Greviance Acknowledgement form ................................................................................................ 82 6.2.3 Close out Record for grievance ...................................................................................................... 83 iv ACRONYMS ACHPR African Chapter on Human and Peoples’ Rights CBO Community Based Organizations CDO Community Development Officer COVID-19 Corona Virus Disease-19 CSA Climate Smart Agriculture DARST District Adaptive Research Support Teams ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESF Environmental Social Framework ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework ESS Environmental and Social Standards FPI Free, Prior and Informed GBV Gender Based Violence GHGs Greenhouse gases GoU Government of Uganda IAP2 International Association of Public Participation ICT Information Communication Technology KPIs Key Performance Indicators LIPWs Labor Intensive Public Works MAAIF Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries MDAs Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government MIS Market Information Services MoFPED Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development MoGLSD Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development MRVs Monitoring Reporting and Verification MoTIC Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives MoWE Ministry of Water and Environment NARO National Agricultural Research Organization NARS National Agricultural Research System NGO Non-Government Organization PDO Project Development Objective PES Payment for Environmental Services PIM Project Implementation Manual SE Sexual Exploitation SEF Stakeholder Engagement Framework SH Sexual Harassment UCSATP Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project UNMA Uganda National Meteorological Authority TIMPs Technologies, Innovations and Management Practices WHO World Health Organization VMPF Vulnerable Marginalized People Framework VSLA Village Savings and Loan Associations ZARDIs Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institutes v DEFINITIONS For the purposes of this Framework, the following definitions apply: � Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA): an approach of transforming and reorienting agricultural development under the new realities of climate change. Others refer to it as “agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, enhances resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes Greenhouse gases (GHGs) (mitigation) where possible, and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals�. In all, the principal goal of CSA is attaining food security and development; while productivity, adaptation, and mitigation are identified as the three interlinked pillars necessary for attaining this goal. � Community: A community is a group of people who have a relationship or a shared interest � Engagement: Engagement is a planned process with the specific purpose of working with individuals and groups to encourage active involvement in the project. The term engagement is very broad and the purpose of engagement will be defined for each specific project phase. Engagement refers to the range of opportunities stakeholders and the community have to participate in the project. This ranges from educating individuals or groups about a project; obtaining community feedback at a key project stage or milestone; or working collaboratively with stakeholders to address local issues. It can also be referred to as public participation. The International Association of Public Participation’s (IAP2) core values of public participation include promoting sustainable decisions by recognizing the interests of all decision-makers; actively facilitating the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision; providing participants with the information they need to participate in a meaningful way; and communicating to participants how their input affected the decision. � Food security: United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, defines food security in terms of all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life. Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and. healthy life. � Grievance: An issue, concern, problem, or claim (perceived or actual) that an individual or community group wants a company or contractor to address and resolve. � Grievance Mechanism: A locally based, formalized way to receive, assess, and resolve stakeholder complaints about the performance or behavior of project proponents, including its contractors or employees. � Marginalized Groups: The term Marginalization generally describes the overt actions or tendencies of human societies whereby those perceived as being without desirability or function are removed or excluded (i.e., are "marginalized") from the prevalent systems of protection and integration, so limiting their opportunities and means for survival. � Project beneficiaries: those who will derive some benefit from the implementation of the project. Two types of beneficiaries can be defined i.e. direct and indirect beneficiaries. Direct beneficiaries: those who will participate directly in the project, and thus benefit from its existence while indirect beneficiaries sometimes also called secondary beneficiaries being/is someone who is not directly connected with the project, but will still benefit from it. � Public: Public: refers to members of the general public who may not belong to a specific community relevant to the project but they still have an interest in the project. � Stakeholders: Persons or groups who are directly or indirectly affected by a project as well as those who may have interests in a project and/or the ability to influence its outcome, either positively or negatively. They may include locally affected communities or individuals and their formal or informal representatives, national or local government authorities, politicians, religious leaders, civil society organizations and groups with special interests, the academic community, or other businesses. vi � Stakeholder Analysis: is a process of identifying the people before the project begins; grouping them according to their levels of participation, interest, and influence in the project; and determining how best to involve and communicate each of these stakeholder groups throughout the project cycle. � Stakeholder Mapping: The process of identifying a project’s stakeholders. � Vulnerable Groups: Vulnerability refers to the conditions determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors or processes, which increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazards. A vulnerable group is therefore a population that has some specific characteristics that make it at higher risk of falling into poverty than others. vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) is part of the environmental and social safeguards Frameworks developed for proposed Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project (UCSATP) and covers all Project activities that require engagement with local communities and other stakeholders. It covers subproject conceptualization, feasibility studies, planning and environmental and social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Resettlement Action plans, grievance redress, construction and later operations phases. This Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) is designed to ensure effective engagement with local communities and other key stakeholders throughout UCSATP life cycle. This SEF supports sub-project conceptualization, feasibility studies, planning and impact assessment processes, implementation, and operational and maintenance phases of the project. UCSATP will maintain dialogue with the relevant implementing agencies, regulatory agencies as well as with locally affected communities and their representatives including non-government organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and other interest groups. The preparation of this SEF is premised on Government of Uganda (GoU) policy and legal framework and World Bank Environmental and Social Framework of October 2018 amongst others. The Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines emphasize the need for public participation in the conduct of EIAs studies. The National Equal Opportunities Policy aims at promoting equality of development opportunities for all persons in Uganda. On the other hand, the National Information Communication Technology Policy 2012 provides for facilitation of the broad possible access to public domain information and is designed to support the attainment of this objective through several strategies for increasing accessibility to government information and ensuring uniform practices in its distribution. The Uganda Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2005 in Article 41 (1) guarantees that every citizen has a right to information regarding development. In addition, the Access to Information Act of Uganda of 2002 in its Article 5(1) further provides that, every citizen has a right of access to information and records in the possession of the state or any public body and such information and records shall be accurate and update so far as practicable. Above all, the National Environment Act 2019 in its Section 146 equally provides that, every person shall have a right of access to environmental information. The National Environment (Environmental and Social Assessment) Regulations, 2020 (statutory instruments 2020 No. 143) has it that, the developer shall, in undertaking the environmental and social impact study, carry out consultations with relevant stakeholders, communities likely to be affected by the project and the public. On the other hand, the World Bank Environmental and Social Standard 10 (ESS 10) on Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure recognizes the importance of open and transparent engagement between the Borrower and project stakeholders as an essential element of good international practice. This is because, effective stakeholder engagement can improve the environmental and social sustainability of projects, enhance project acceptance, and make a significant contribution to successful project design and implementation. Furthermore, stakeholder engagement ought to be an inclusive process conducted throughout the project life cycle. Where properly designed and implemented, it supports the development of strong, constructive and responsive relationships that are important for successful management of a project’s environmental and social risks. Stakeholder engagement is most effective when initiated at an early stage of the project development process, and is an integral part of early project decisions and the assessment, management and monitoring of the project’s environmental and viii social risks and impacts. All the call for the preparation of this SEF during this phase of UCSATP formulation and design with subsequent engagements expected to be held during its subsequent phases. Consultations for UGCSAT were held in during the months of January to April 2022 as part of overall project formulation and preparation. More specifically, during the project appraisal, preparation of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) under preparation, preparation of this Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEF) and Vulnerable and Marginalized Persons Framework (VMGF) more and focused consultations were held and the outcomes of those processes have informed these documents. It is noted that, during subsequent stages of the project appraisal and implementation, more consultations will be held. During the consultations for preparation of the SEF, a number of key issues/concerns were from stakeholders were documented and these included: � Expectant on employment opportunities: There are high expectations from the project in the communities in that, they look forward to some employment opportunities in its various activities. The project should provide information to the public with respect to possible employment that are likely to be generated; � Possible avenue for gaining on-job training and capacity building for those to be employed in the project. Implicit desire of affected people and the communities to develop new/existing skills needed for employment or to support entrepreneurial ambitions. However, skills development is part of the project interventions under its capacity building plans; � Potential to serve as source of income for local service providers who supply materials and other basic goods required during the execution of the project. It is clear the communities require support their businesses by availing right and update information on goods and services that will be required in the project; � Ensuring that, capacities of the beneficiaries to manage the investments at the end of the project cycle are built so that they are able replicate and adopt to their conditions; � The project should start as soon as it is approved so that, the communities are saved from the problems of rampant droughts, floods and related weather challenges that have affected food production; � The project will require extensive gender sensitization through training of staff, community sensitization and awareness creation on gender using gender sensitive language, gender sensitive and inclusive IEC material and radio talk shows. Need for adequate involvement of diverse stakeholders taking into gender and related vulnerabilities in the communities; ensuring that technologies to be promoted in the project should be easily adapted to the local settings; This will help get women to be part of the project for their meaningful engagement in the project interventions; � Value chain improvements interventions must incorporate measures and technologies for waste management which use technologies like rec-cycling etc. Outside most rice mills, there are heaps of straw which farmers are not able to effectively turn to usable products that can be used as fertilizers, sources of cooking fuel amongst others; � The livestock component has to come with technologies for Greenhouse gas management especially biogas technologies and applications; � One of the challenges in farming is erratic weather, how does the project ensure timely early warning weather information reaches the grass-root farmers so that they are able to synchronize their cropping schedule in line with the rains? ix � Issues of encroachment in swamps and wetlands by communities who grow rice growing hence, swamp reclamation. The project should come with alternatives so that people can easily get of wetlands if this CSA project is to meaningfully support environment and natural resource management. The question is, why have communities continued to be engaged in wetland encroachment despite them knowing the benefits from wetlands in terms of their values and uses, this is what should be looked at in the project to be able to have tangible project interventions; � Need for continued engagement with communities living near degraded and fragile ecosystems such as wetlands and forests so that, the project has responsive interventions that can enable communities abandon engaging in livelihoods in such ecosystems; � Issues of tree cutting by the communities for charcoal and firewood has degraded the environment, the need for the project to come clear with tangible measures of tree planting and the women be on the forefront on this as well as the youth. How are schools being targeted as well as tertiary training institutions as well as academia? � Need for continued sensitization and mobilization of the communities especially on the timelines of the project so that they are set to be meaningfully engaged in the project. The teams preparing the project should be providing such milestones; � Need for adequate involvement of diverse stakeholders taking into gender and related vulnerabilities in the communities; ensuring that technologies to be promoted in the project should be easily adapted to the local settings; � Enhancement of household livelihood initiatives under UCSATP; ensuring there is a clear and robust communication mechanism for managing grievances without reprimanding victims especially where there are instances of gender-based violence (GBV), sexual harassment (SH) and sexual exploitation (SE); � Wider stakeholder perceptions on the possible usage of safer pesticides especially in the event of pest invasions citing the current nationwide attacks by the ravaging Armyworms; � Insufficient water supply for farming purposes in that, farmers rely on rain water for irrigation therefore, irrigation technologies ought to be those which even the local communities can co-opt and operate; � Lack of mechanization is affecting farming. People have problems of opening up land by hand and others by oxen which oxen are not even available. There is urgent need for mechanization of agricultural operations so that agriculture is not seen as a burden but rather a venture that is enjoyable and profitable capable of attracting youth not when it has still its hand-hoe technology; � Ensuring that infrastructure constructed by UCSATP especially the Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPWs) are well operated and maintained, reviewing project designs to ensure they include community needs including needs of the vulnerable; � Interest groups and vulnerable categories ought to have their resources and involvement ring-fenced otherwise they are often left out during implementation. What is key, let there be clear provisions for interventions meant for vulnerable groups in view of their uniqueness. In NUSAF 2 and 3 there was a special program and approach meant for Karamoja which should be the case under UCSATP otherwise these groups tend to miss out from programs where they are included in the overall project interventions; � UCSATP in its PMU should amongst its staffing include a VMG Specialist who is to ensure information regarding the project is accordingly packaged and delivered to and from VMGs for their effective and meaningful involvement in UCSATP; � Improvement of information disclosure, more support to vulnerable persons and community training on safety awareness; x � Land holding and land use systems. It was noted that the average land holding varies per district and region. Land holding and tenure has impact on farming practices and use. By implication there is need to define an inclusive criterion for the choice of beneficiary farmers. Secondly the project will need to invest in mindset change to adopt land practices that will benefit farmers. Land for major project investments such as valley dams, access roads and value addition processing units etc. may require the development of the Resettlement Policy Framework that guides the identification and any resettlement issues around land acquisition; � Ability of the beneficiary communities to co-fund the selected investments. Initially the beneficiaries may be indifferent towards co-funding for investments but will adopt to the practice with thorough sensitization. There may also be need to link farmers to access credit from the financial institutions. Invest in mindset change and internal resource mobilization through internal savings; � Security issues. This was evident for some of the high value enterprises such as vanilla in Ntoroko. Security issues among the livestock rearing communities especially among the Karamojong, and the neighbouring communities namely the Teso, Langi, Sebei; and � Conflicts over some of the production resources such as; land – among refugees, men and women and youths within the households, wetlands due to a proposal for some of the value chains such as fish, rice, wild life and human settlements and farmer fields, refugees and host communities over agricultural resources, and for settlement water especially for irrigation and watering animals, and pasture especially among the pastoral communities that are doing communal grazing. Record of the preliminary stakeholder consultation is presented as Annex to this SEF. The Stakeholder Engagement Framework will be periodically revised and updated as necessary in the course project implementations in order to ensure that the information presented herein is consistent and is the most recent, and that the identified methods of engagement remain appropriate and effective in relation to the project context and specific phases of the development. Any major changes to the project related activities and to its schedule will be duly reflected in the SEF. xi 1 INTRODUCTION Uganda is one of the least adapted countries to climate change where the agriculture sector is heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture. Climate Shocks will continue to have significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural productivity and incomes. It is predicted that Uganda will continue to experience rising temperatures, which will increase to more than 20oC by 2030. Further, the growing variability of inter-annual rainfall is projected to continue and is likely to cause an increase in rainfall during the dry season as well as increase frequency and intensity of extreme events such as floods and landslides, all of which contribute to worsening land degradation. There is an urgent need to shift the way land, water, soil, animal, fish and plant resources are managed to build resilience to climatic shocks and sustainably increase productivity and incomes in the most efficient, effective, and equitable manner. This would require substantial investments into promoting uptake of existing Technologies, Innovations and Management Practices (TIMPs) of select value chains, promoting multiplication and/or replication of TIMPs at the user level to address potential supply constraints, promoting alternative sources of livelihoods, facilitating linkages with private sector actors, enhancing access and uptake of climate, addressing market and information asymmetries as well as coordination and institutional gaps that may exist. The proposed Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project interventions will target addressing the primary drivers of poverty in the north-eastern dry lands (Karamoja); north- eastern savannah grasslands covering areas of east Acholi and northern Lango; Kyoga plains in areas of SE Lango, Teso, Bukedi and northern Busoga sub-regions; western highlands, southern Highlands, Southern drylands, lake Albert crescent and eastern areas mainly Elgon highlands sub- regions of Bugisu and Sebei. These sub-regions and agro-ecological zones are targeted because of increasing and high levels of poverty, and land and natural resource degradation; as well as low value production, which are anchored in low productivity from engaging in low value economic activities making communities more vulnerable to climate change shocks. The project will support investments in technology and market-driven productivity increases in climate smart value chains. These investments will contribute to reversing the effects of climate change thereby sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and household incomes while enhancing resilience to climatic shocks. 1.1 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE -PDO To enhance production, productivity and marketable volumes of selected climate smart value chains for increased household income and resilience among targeted beneficiaries. Overall, the project seeks to increase productivity and marketed volumes of selected climate smart value chains and enhance resilience of beneficiaries in the project areas and it consists of five components: a. Promoting Adoption of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices and Value Chains, b. Strengthening Climate-Smart Agricultural Research and Seed Systems; c. Strengthening Agro-climatic Monitoring and Information Systems; d. Support to Refugee and Host Communities; and e. Project Coordination, Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. 1.2 PROJECT COMPONENTS 1 The project consists of five (5) components:(i) Strengthening Climate Smart Agricultural Research, Seed and Agro-Climatic Information Systems; (ii) Promoting Adoption of Climate Smart Agricultural Technologies and Practices; (iii) Investments in Market Development and Linkages to Selected Value Chains; (iv) Contingency Emergency Response, and (v) Project Coordination, Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. 1.2.1 COMPONENT 1: STRENGTHEN CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, SEED AND AGRO-CLIMATIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS. This component will support the development, validation, packaging, dissemination and adoption of context- specific CSA Technologies, Innovations & Management Practices (TIMPs) to target beneficiaries. It will facilitate investments to develop sustainable seed production, and marketing systems. It will enhance climate risk management to improve prediction of, response to, and planning capacity for climate change management at the national, local and community levels. The component will also strengthen technical and institutional capacity to deliver technologies and support the development of the seed delivery systems. 1.2.1.1 SUB-COMPONENT 1.1. SUPPORTING CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONS (US$8.8 MILLION – IDA) .  This subcomponent will finance the adaptation, validation, and dissemination of context-specific CSA TIMPs that will be developed and validated through demand-driven adaptive research and technology incubation approaches. More specifically, this sub-component will finance collaborative research programs to develop and promote CSA TIMPs. Under the sub-component, the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) will administer a Competitive Research Grant (CRG) scheme to finance adaptive and applied research activities for development of demanded CSA TIMPs and emerging technology needs. Funding will be provided through two critical windows: Window 1 - to support adaptation of generic technologies to various agro- ecologies and needs; and Window 2 - to support research addressing emerging climate change challenges for which technologies may not be readily available for uptake and adaptation. Research will be conducted through partnerships with the private sector, academia, and various players in the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) and will include TIMPs demanded by farmers from Refugee Hosting Districts (RHDs).  The subcomponent will also support training of MSC and PhD scientist to build critical capacity for Climate Smart Agriculture research. 1.2.1.2 SUB -COMPONENT 1.2: BUILDING COMPETITIVE AND SUSTAINABLE SEED SYSTEMS (US$12.9 MILLION – IDA; US$1 MILLION – WHR) This sub-component will facilitate partnerships between the National Agriculture Research System, the private sector, and farmer organizations to multiply seeds, planting materials and stocking materials that are climate smart. Support will be provided for capacity building of farmers and farmer organizations to multiply seeds and stocking materials, establish out-grower schemes in the community; and directly contract with private sector multipliers. The sub-component will finance crop, livestock, and aquaculture breeding programs; and promote private sector and community (farmers) involvement in production and distribution of commercial seed. Interventions will be aimed at strengthening seed, breed, and fingerling production systems including strengthening decentralized Artificial Insemination (AI) services by supporting service providers to acquire infrastructure, equipment, technology, and technical skills for seed production. Quality assurance of seeds and breeds will be undertaken by the relevant MAAIF institutions through established channels. Financial support will be provided through matching 2 grants depending on the seed and breed actors. Guidelines for matching grants will be developed as part of the Project Implementation Manual (PIM). 1.2.1.3 SUB-COMPONENT 1.3. STRENGTHENING AGRO-CLIMATE MONITORING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (US$12.6 MILLION-IDA). The sub-component will finance the production, transmission and timely delivery of accurate weather data and information. It will support the strengthening of agro-weather forecasting and its dissemination tools through: (a) improving agro-meteorological forecasting and monitoring; (b) using big data to develop a climate-smart, agro-weather information system and advisories; and (c) building the technical capacity for agro-meteorological observation and forecasting, and real time delivery of weather information and advisories to target farmers including refugees and host communities. The sub-component will finance: (iI) establishment of functional automated weather stations in locations where gaps have been identified; (ii) partnerships with local and international institutions to support climate information development using global data sources such as satellite data; (iii) developing agroclimatic and climate smart digital tools to facilitate access to early warning, agroclimatic, and pest and disease surveillance information; (ivii) establishment of soil organic carbon monitoring reporting and verification of Greenhouse Gas Removals including lab analysis for tracking application, adoption and impact of TIMPs; and (v) enhancement of UNMA’s capacity in agro-met data collection, management, analysis and dissemination. 1.2.1.4   SUB -COMPONENT 1.4. STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF CSA TIMPS (US$31.3 MILLION – IDA; US$1.3 MILLION – WHR). This sub-component will support strengthening technical and institutional capacity of the ZARDIs and the Animal Genetic Resources Centers (ANGRCs) to deliver CSA TIMPs, and support development of sustainable climate smart seed delivery systems to all the project districts including RHDs. Under technical capacity strengthening the sub-component will finance: (a) short- term training and re-tooling of staff (mainly from ZARDIs) in CSA research; (b) hiring interns in specialized areas to support the existing scientific staff at ZARDIs; (c) strengthening research- extension linkage through specified training of district subject matter specialists (SMSs) and improving knowledge management systems; and (d) training of district extension staff, and farmer producer organizations on use of weather and climate information and advisories. Institutional capacity building activities will finance the refurbishment and/or upgrading of selected facilities and infrastructure such as communication equipment, animal experimental structures, seed stores, small seed processing plants and fish fingerling production structures. Financing will be provided for upgrading and operationalizing the Weather Information Dissemination System (WIDS) using ICT platforms and provisions made for laboratory and value addition equipment, motor vehicles, and farm machinery for selected institutions. 1.2.2 COMPONENT 2: PROMOTING ADOPTION OF CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICES. The component will support investments in and adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA) technologies, innovations, and management practices (TIMPs), including sustainable land management (SLM) practices for improved resilience, agricultural productivity, and incomes in project areas. 3 1.2.2.1   SUB -COMPONENT 2.1: PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT AND RESILIENCE INVESTMENTS FOR INCOME GENERATION (US$168 MILLION – IDA; US20 MILLION - WHR) . This sub-component will finance CSA investments1 in the form of community micro-projects identified through participatory processes, and strategic district level sub-projects to help beneficiaries achieve the triple wins of increased productivity, enhanced resilience, and reduced GHG emissions. Financing will cover project districts including Refugee Hosting Districts (RHDs). To finance these investments, matching grants will be provided through two windows: (i) community-level investments to finance micro-projects; (ii) district-level investments to finance strategic larger sub-projects that benefit several sub-counties and communities. The sub-component will provide incentives at the district level to promote adoption of climate smart sustainable land management (SLM) technologies and practices on both communally and privately-owned lands. The sub-component will provide an incentive to small-holder farmers in their communities, to participate in the construction of recommended soil and water conservation (SWC) structures such as terraces, contour bunds, and water retention ditches, restoration of degraded wetlands, riverbanks, and lakeshores stabilization work on communally owned land. The sub-component will provide payments for Labor Intensive Public Works (LIPW) mainly during the agricultural off-season, to catalyze the promotion and adoption of appropriate SLM technologies. Communities participating in the LIPW will be encouraged to save some of the resources earned from the LIPW contracts in their group savings. They will be trained in the management of village revolving funds (VRFs) to be used in the sustainable maintenance of the established SLM structures. The sub-component will also provide financial incentives to farmers whose private lands constitute a large part of the watershed, that construct and adopt recommended SLM practices. This will enable implementation of a holistic and integrated watershed management approach. All promoted SLM practices will be applied to the selected value chains to ensure sustainable productivity increases.  Mechanization and irrigation services to enhance commercial production as well as weather information education will also be provided to target beneficiaries through appropriate financing arrangements. Non-state actors including private sector service providers will be contracted to provide services that the public extension system is not well placed to provide. 1.2.2.2   SUB-COMPONENT 2.2: PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT AND RESILIENCE FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS (US$ 5 MILLION – WHR). The sub-component will support refugees to access TIMPs for their selected crops, livestock including poultry and aquaculture including soil and water management, and agroforestry. Selected commodities will primarily focus on addressing food and nutrition requirements for refugee settlements given the critical challenges of food shortages and reduced funding to refugee settlements. A nutrition grant will be provided for investments in FGs micro-projects such as sourcing for foundation technologies for group multiplication and demonstrations. Given the poor food and nutrition status of especially the under 5-year-olds in the refugee camps, this subcomponent shall scale up existing food systems-based approaches for dietary diversity e.g., mainstreaming backyard/kitchen gardens for production of micronutrient-rich foods, adoption of micronutrient rich cultivars like iron rich beans, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, and production and consumption of Vitamin C rich foods. The production of such micro-nutrient foods by CIGs in refugee hosting districts for sale and supply to refugee settlements will also be supported. 4 Under the sub-component financing will be provided to partner organizations that support nutrition education to refugees and host communities with particular emphasis on children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. Funding will be provided to POs to enhance information and knowledge management on food and nutrition education in refugee settlements Secondary support will be provided through a matching grant to organized refugee farmer groups to access quality inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, micro-irrigation kits and mechanization among others, to enable them increase productivity of the selected value chains. Where necessary, this support would include facilitating refugee households’ access to financial services. At production level, appropriate mechanization and water for agricultural production technologies will be provided on a case-by-case basis. Refugee FGs will be supported through TA, to manage an internal savings mobilization scheme, which will double as revolving fund scheme. The scheme will be a source of financing for individual farmers’ needs including matching the micro-project grant for purchase of production inputs, equipment, and application of CSA TIMPs. 1.2.2.3 SUB -COMPONENT 2.3. BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT, RESILIENCE, AND STRENGTHENING SERVICE DELIVERY (US$4 MILLION-IDA; US$ 7.5 MILLION - WHR). This sub-component will build institutional capacity at the district, sub-county, parish, and community levels to plan, implement, manage, and monitor sub-county/district sub-projects and community micro-projects in project area. Specifically, the sub-component will invest in: (a) building the capacity of districts, sub-counties in CSA planning and prioritization of needs and mobilizing and organizing farmer groups and aggregating them into higher level institutions (Producer Associations and Producer Organizations); (b) strengthening the capacity of districts and sub-counties to deliver agricultural extension services and oversee implementation of sub- projects; and (c) contracting of non-state actors to support community mobilization and strengthening of farmer and community institutions in planning and implementation of micro- projects. The Community Driven Development (CDD) approach will be used to enable the project to re-orient community mindset towards climate change mitigation and adaptation for ecosystem protection and restoration, and to manage technology uptake and promotion. The sub- component will also facilitate the provision of information, knowledge and advice through farmer field schools and lead farmers established and selected for the purpose of last mile service delivery. Institutional capacity building and strengthening in refugee settlements and RHDs will be based on existing institutions established in refugee settlements and RHDs and/or modified to best suit promotion of CSA TIMPs. Relations between farmer institutions in refugee settlements and in host communities will be strengthened. Financing will support (i) capacity building of common interest farmer groups in refugee settlements and in host communities for increased productivity and resilience; (ii) strengthening relations between farmer institutions in refugee settlements and in host communities for efficient project implementation; (iii) strengthening capacity of the Refugee Hosting Districts (RHDs) local governments as well as humanitarian and development agencies in provision of agricultural extension services; (iv) recruitment of community-based facilitators (CBFs) in refugee settlements and host communities to provide last mile service delivery to beneficiaries; (v) support the development of Agricultural settlement land management plans  by MAAIF and OPM for each RHD with input from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); and (vi) developing partnerships between refugees and host communities for land utilization to increase access to land for agricultural production. 5 1.2.3 COMPONENT 3: INVESTMENTS IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT AND LINKAGES FOR SELECTED VALUE CHAINS). The objective of this component is to improve access to remunerative markets through increased access to harvesting, post-harvest handling, storage, value addition, and market linkage services, equipment, and infrastructure by higher-level institutions (Producer Associations and Producer Organizations (POs) established under sub-component 2.3. 1.2.3.1 SUB-COMPONENT 3.1: INVESTMENTS IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT AND LINKAGES FOR SELECTED VALUE CHAINS FOR NON-REFUGEE DISTRICTS (US$44 MILLION – IDA). The project will support farmers who are not refugees through investments in (i) Strengthening the institutional capacity of POs for demand articulation, business planning and market access; (ii) Business Development Services which include (i) strengthening of the POs in governance; and managerial and technical capacity; (ii) technical skills in entrepreneurship and business plan development; (iii) financial literacy and linkage to the formal financial sector; (iv) negotiation; and (v) partnership development and networking through Productive Alliances (PAs) with potential off-takers and other value chain stakeholders. Farmers in POs will receive services through Technical Assistance (TA) by the existing pluralistic agricultural extension system and private service providers and through Matching grants. Financing will also be provided for: (iii) Clean energy equipment, machinery and infrastructure for harvesting, post-harvest management and value addition to minimize losses, improve the quality and shelf-life of produce under a cost- sharing mechanism; (iv) Promoting market linkages to enable the production generated to access remunerative markets and (v) investments into market infrastructure and access roads, where such investments significantly improve enterprise viability and reduce commodity/product losses and where a clear need has been established.  This will improve efficiency, scale up operations and increase the profitability of enterprises while reducing the carbon footprint of the agri-food value chain. The project will also finance the rehabilitation of infrastructure for specific road bottlenecks and trouble spots on rural roads, which constrain access to physical input and produce markets. 1.2.3.2 SUB-COMPONENT 3.2: INVESTMENTS IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT FOR SELECTED VALUE CHAINS FOR REFUGEES AND HOST COMMUNITIES (US$13.3 MILLION – WHR) . The sub-component will provide the following services (i) Skills development for improved service delivery by selected youth; and district and sub-county local government extension staff; and (ii) Investments in clean-energy equipment, machinery, and infrastructure for harvesting, post- harvest, value addition to minimize losses, improve the quality and shelf-life of produce and market access facilities including rehabilitation of existing road chokes, where a clear need has been established. 1.2.4 COMPONENT 4: CONTINGENCY EMERGENCY RESPONSE ). This zero-cost component will finance eligible expenditures under the Immediate Response Mechanism (IRM) in case of natural or man-made crises or disasters such as severe droughts, floods, specific pest and disease outbreaks, severe economic shocks, or other crises and emergencies that may occur in Uganda. This contingency facility can be triggered through formal notification of an emergency by the relevant government authority and upon a formal request from the Government to the World Bank through the MoFPED. In such cases, funds from other project components will be reallocated to finance emergency response expenditures to meet 6 agricultural crises and emergency needs. The emergency response would include mitigation, recovery, and reconstruction following the crisis and disasters. Implementation of this subcomponent will follow a detailed Contingent Emergency Response Implementation Plan (CERIP) satisfactory to the World Bank that will be prepared for each Eligible Crisis of Emergency. 1.2.5 COMPONENT 5: PROJECT COORDINATION, MANAGEMENT, MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING) This component will support the operational expenditures related to the management and the monitoring and evaluation of the project, including E&S management. Specifically, the subcomponent will support: (i) Building the technical capacity of MAAIF staff and project stakeholders on World Bank Environment and Social standards applicable to the project; (ii) stakeholder engagements, preparation and implementation of site specific instruments and tools including mainstreaming of ESHS aspects in other sector operations (iii) Strengthening ESHS compliance monitoring and supervision; (iv) Enhancing MAAIF’s safeguards management infrastructure such as E-ESHS safeguards tracking system, hazardous waste disposal facilities and analytical monitoring equipment (such as Liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (LCMS), High performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), accessory equipment, glass wares, standards and reagents for testing the quality of pesticides, portable test kits for rapid detection of fake fertilizers among others); (v) Strengthening Grievance Redress Mechanism structures, (vi) Acquisition of ESHS safeguards statutory permits and certificates in respect of project components, (vii) Strengthening gender mainstreaming aspects in the project including SEA/GBV and (viii) Strengthening stakeholder, institutional participation, and mindset change including protection of vulnerable groups. 7 2 POLICY, LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION This Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) is underpinned by the Uganda’s policy and legal framework which guarantees the right to information and public participation. It is also supported by the World Bank ESF specifically Environmental and Social Standard 10: Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure. 2.1 UGANDA POLICY FRAMEWORK 2.1.1 UGANDA NATIONAL ICT POLICY 2012 One of the objectives of Uganda’s National ICT Policy is “to facilitate the broadest possible access to public domain information.� The policy is designed to support the attainment of this objective through several strategies, including conducting research to establish citizens’ information needs and the barriers to information use, and developing measures to overcome these barriers; and increasing accessibility to government information and ensuring uniform practices in its distribution. 2.1.2 THE NATIONAL EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY 2006 The National Equal Opportunities Policy aims at promoting equality of opportunities for all persons in Uganda, irrespective of gender, age, physical ability, health status or geographical location, in all activities, programmes, plans and policies of Government, private sector and Non- Governmental Organizations in all spheres of social, economic, political and civil life. The policy is to guide and direct planning processes, resource allocation and implementation of developmental activities in an equitable manner. 2.1.3 GUIDELINES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN UGANDA 1997 According to these Guidelines, during the ESIA process, its scoping phase to the extent possible, involve consultations with potentially affected communities, relevant government agencies, representatives of other interested parties including NGOs, private sector, independent experts and all other stakeholders including the general public. This will include meetings to obtain their comments on what should be included in the study amongst others. s 2.2 UGANDA’S LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK 2.2.1 THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA 1995 The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda is the supreme law, provides for and guarantees public participation as one of its core pillars and a constitutional right. Amongst its Fundamental and other human rights and freedoms, it is stated that, the State shall guarantee and respect institutions which are charged by the State with responsibility for protecting and promoting human rights by providing them with adequate resources to function effectively. In addition, the right to access information is enshrined in Article 41 of the Constitution which provides that, every citizen has a right of access to information in the possession of the state or any other organ of the state except where the release of the information is likely to interfere with the security of the state or the right to the privacy of any other person. 2.2.2 THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ACT 2019 The Act sets out the general legal framework and policy objectives for the sustainable management of the environment in Uganda. It encourages the participation by the people of 8 Uganda in the development of policies, plans and processes for the management of the environment as well as the equitable use of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. To co-ordinate and supervise all activities in the field of the environment the National Environment Agency (NEMA) was established under the Act as the principal agency for the management of the environment in Uganda. In its Article 146 (1) of the Act provides that, every person shall have a right of access to environmental information relating to the implementation of this Act, subject to the Constitution and the Access to Information Act, 2005. Under 146 (2) A person desiring information under subsection (1) shall request the Authority or a lead agency in writing, for the information and may be granted access on payment of the prescribed fee. 2.2.3 THE NATIONAL FOREST AND TREE PLANTING ACT OF 2003 Section 91 National Forestry and Tree Planting Act provides that, every citizen has a right of access to any information relating to the implementation of this Act, submitted to or in the possession of the State, a local council, the Authority or a responsible body. A person desiring information under subsection (1) shall apply to the relevant body under subsection (1), and shall be granted access to the information on the payment of the prescribed fee, if any in a prescribed manner. Freedom of access to information under this section does not extend to proprietary information which is treated as confidential. For purposes of this section, “proprietary information� shall mean information on research or practices initiated or paid for by an individual or private company or financial standing of an individual or private company which is not for public consumption. 2.2.4 THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF 2005 The Access to Information Act of 2005 further specifies the constitutional guarantee of access to information by determining the scope of citizen rights and the obligations of information offices in all public bodies. It prescribes the procedures for obtaining access to information and making complaints against a refusal to release information. In principle the Act applies to information and records of all government bodies at the national, regional and local level. It does not apply to cabinet records and the records of court proceedings before the conclusion of the case. The Act explicitly recognizes the link between the provision of timely, accessible and accurate information and transparent, accountable and participatory governance. In all, the Act was enacted to promote the right to access to information, promote an efficient, effective, transparent and accountable Government and to enable the public to effectively access and participate in decisions that affect them as citizens of the country. 2.2.5 MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL INDUSTRY AND FISHERIES EXTENSION GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS 2016 This aim of these Guidelines and Standards is to establish a high quality, well-coordinated and harmonized pluralistic agricultural extension delivery system to promote application of appropriate information, knowledge, and technological innovations for commercialization of agriculture, ensuring food security, expanding exports and contributing to socio-economic transformation and welfare of the population. 2.2.6 THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT (ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS, 2020 9 The conduct of environmental impact assessments (preparation of project briefs, scoping reports and detailed Environmental and Social Impact Assessments including Auditing) as well as the process of approvals of these study out-puts are all deemed to be open participatory processes. Its Regulation 8(1) provide that, where the Authority deems that the Project Brief submitted under regulation 7(1) is complete, it shall, within seven days of receipt, transmit a copy of the Project Brief to the relevant lead agency for comments and the lead agency shall submit its comments on the Project Brief to the Authority within fourteen days from the date of receipt of the project brief. During detailed ESIA studies as under 13 (4) such study Terms of Reference (ToRs) are to include amongst others, stakeholder groups identified and how they are to be involved in the ESIA study, including details on the process and timeline to provide information to the public likely to be affected by the project; and the process of consultations and timeline to enable public consultations and submission of comments and during the study itself, it is required that, the number of people who are likely to be affected be established including indigenous people and local communities. 2.3 REGIONAL CONVENTIONS ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION 2.3.1 THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES' RIGHTS (ACHPR) At regional level, the right to access information is enshrined in Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR). Article 9 of the ACHPR states that every individual shall have the right to receive information and the right to express and disseminate his/her opinions within the law. 2.4 WORLD BANK ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL FRAMEWORK Specifically, the World Bank Environmental and Social Standard 10 (ESS 10) on Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure recognizes the importance of open and transparent engagement between the Borrower and project stakeholders as an essential element of good international practice. This is because, effective stakeholder engagement can improve the environmental and social sustainability of projects, enhance project acceptance, and make a significant contribution to successful project design and implementation. Furthermore, stakeholder engagement ought to be an inclusive process conducted throughout the project life cycle. Where properly designed and implemented, it supports the development of strong, constructive and responsive relationships that are important for successful management of a project’s environmental and social risks. 2.5 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION 2.5.1.1 PRINCIPLE 10 OF THE 1992 RIO DECLARATION Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level. At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision- making processes. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely available. 10 2.5.1.2 UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS Access to information is a fundamental human right recognized by international human rights instruments including article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provides that, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. 2.5.1.3 OTHER CONVENTIONS ON RIGHTS TO INFORMATION The right of access to information is also recognized by; article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; articles 13(1) and 17 of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child; article 15 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People; and the United Nations General Assembly Resolution, 59 (1). In 2012, the United Nations also recognized access to the internet as an important tool for the promotion of the right of access to information, while 2016 was the first year that UNESCO marked September 28 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).1 At regional level, the right to access information is enshrined in article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR). Article 9 of the ACHPR states that Every individual shall have the right to receive information and the right to express and disseminate his/her opinions within the law. 11 3 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, CONSULTATIONS AND DISCLOSURE 3.1 INTRODUCTION Stakeholder engagement is an inclusive process that will be conducted throughout the phases of the project. It is aimed to support the development of strong, constructive and responsive relationships which are important for the sustainability and acceptability of the project. Stakeholder engagement is most effective when initiated at an early stage of the project development process, and is an integral part of early project decisions and the assessment, management and monitoring of the project’s environmental and social risks and impacts. 3.2 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT TOOLS The two common stakeholder engagement tools are; a Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) and a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP). The SEF is designed to ensure effective engagement with local communities and other key stakeholders throughout project life cycle (in this case, the UCSATP) and seeks to support conceptualization, feasibility studies, planning and impact assessment processes, implementation, and operational and maintenance phases of the project. Ideally, the SEF commits an organization/developer strategically to effective and meaningful engagement with its stakeholders during initial phases of project development. It also seeks to enhance the way an organization interacts and engages with their stakeholders and to help deliver on its project objectives in subsequent project phases. On the other hand, the SEP seeks to define a structured, purposeful and appropriate approach to stakeholder consultation and disclosure. Its aim is to create an atmosphere of understanding that actively involves project-affected people and other stakeholders leading to improved decision making regarding a development intervention. Overall, the SEP will serve the purpose such as stakeholder identification and analysis; planning engagement modalities through effective communication, consultations and disclosure and defining roles and responsibilities for its implementation amongst others. As stated, the Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) is designed to ensure effective engagement with local communities and other key stakeholders throughout UCSATP life cycle. This SEF supports sub-project conceptualization, feasibility studies, planning and impact assessment processes, implementation, and operational and maintenance phases of the project. UCSAT will maintain dialogue with the relevant regulators and locally affected communities and their representatives as well as non-government organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and other interest groups. As seen under the ESS10 Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure under the ESF recognizes the importance of open and transparent engagement with project stakeholders. Success of any project is hinged on the level and quality of stakeholder engagement, which is to be an inclusive process expected to occur throughout the project life cycle. Engagement is more useful when introduced in the early phases of project development and is mainstreamed into all levels of decision-making. To this end, a Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) has been prepared and will be disclosed as part of the Project ESMF. Under Component 3 (Project Coordination, Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning), the project has allocated an adequate budget to undertake implementation of the environmental and social mitigation measures effective and meaningful stakeholder engagement with all of the project affected groups throughout the life cycle of the project. GoU through MAAIF and Ministry of Finance 12 Planning and Economic Development have committed to implement the project in compliance with the World Bank’s ESF as documented in the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan which forms part of the Financing Agreement. 3.3 OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE STAKEHOLDER ENGANGEMENT FRAMEWORK -SEF 3.3.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE SEF The broad objectives of this SEF are to: a. Describe the applicable regulatory and/or other requirements for disclosure, consultation and engagement with the Project’s stakeholders; b. To enable identify elaborately different stakeholders including their roles and develop an approach for reaching each of the sub groups; c. Identify, analyse and prioritize key stakeholder groups, focusing on Project directly affected local communities; d. To assess the level of stakeholder interest and support for the project and to enable stakeholders’ views to be considered in project design and environmental and social performance. e. To provides an appropriate approach for consultations and disclosure of Project information throughout the project cycle; f. To plan for engagement modalities and provide effective communication tools for consultations and disclosure of Project information at various stages of the project; g. To ensure that appropriate project information on environmental and social risks and impacts is disclosed to stakeholders in a timely, understandable, accessible, and appropriate manner and format. h. Provide a transparent and inclusive strategy, action plan and timetable for disclosure of information, ensuring that engagement with each group is undertaken without any form of discrimination i. Describe the processes for implementing stakeholder engagement and community liaison activities, including any special measures for engaging with vulnerable groups and integration of this SEF into UCSATP’s wider management systems; j. Establish an effective grievance mechanism, ensuring that stakeholders are properly informed of their rights and know how to communicate their concerns; k. Determine roles, responsibilities in project consultation, communication and information disclosure; l. Define monitoring and reporting procedures; and m. Ensure continuous improvement. 3.3.2 SCOPE OF SEF The SEF is part of the environmental and social safeguards Frameworks developed for the UCSATP and focuses on project activities that require engagement with local communities and other stakeholders. It covers (where applicable) subproject conceptualization, feasibility studies, planning and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Resettlement Action Plans, grievance redress, construction and later operations phases. UCSATP engagement principles and goals, and the IAP2 Spectrum have driven the development of a phased approach to engaging with community and stakeholders on the sub-projects. The table below sets out the six phases, engagement objectives and engagement outcomes. Table 3-1: Phased Engagement Program Phase Engagement objectives Engagement outcomes 13 Phase 01: Project a. Raise public awareness and understanding a. Community and stakeholders preparation- of the project and early engagement; understand and appreciate Design, scoping, b. Raise public awareness of the project and the project benefits and resettlement approval process; impacts; planning, ESMF, c. Inform community members of how they b. Framework for participation RPF, SEF can be involved; established. the project and disclosure. d. Gather inputs for project design process are motivated to be involved; and obtain feedback from stakeholders c. Project design improved for and the community; better outcomes; e. Raise public awareness and understanding b. Stakeholder input and about the project benefits and outcomes; understanding of the project and impacts and mitigation f. Participation in the project impact measures; and assessments and mitigation measures; and c. Approvals obtained. g. To obtain relevant approvals. Phase 2: a. Engagement to support project, a. Multiple communications Construction and procurements and any acquisitions as may channels and opportunities mobilization be applicable; provided for stakeholders activities b. Support landowners and tenants through and the community to ask the land acquisition process (where land questions about the project take is required); and raise issues; and c. Establish clear processes for notifying b. Community and stakeholders and the community about stakeholders are aware of potential impacts from works, including a the project benefits, timing transparent complaints management and impacts. process; d. Engage with and provide advance notice to local businesses, farmers and communities about the project activities or works; e. Support the detailed design work undertaken including providing opportunities for stakeholder and community input and feedback. Phase 3: Operation a. Support the transition from project a. Community and stakeholders and maintenance activities delivery to operation and are aware of the project’s maintenance. completion and understand b. Engage with and provide advance notice, how the new infrastructure including direct contact where required, to will operate; and local businesses, farmers, residents, users b. Community and stakeholders about operation of the new infrastructure. have the opportunity to take part in celebrating project achievements. 3.4 STAKEHOLDERS IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS 3.4.1 PROJECT BENEFICIARIES The project will be implemented in 69 districts and will directly benefit about 2,850,000 individuals. Given that project intervention areas will also cover refugee hosting districts, about 50,000 refugees are expected to directly benefit from project activities bringing the total number of direct beneficiaries to about 2.9 million. The direct beneficiaries of the project are the users of land and its resources including farmers, fish farmers, pastoralists, forest users, refugees and their host communities defined by their agro-ecologies, farming systems, socio-economic factors, geopolitics, and land tenure. Agro-ecological zones included are: (i)North-Eastern Dry Lands 14 (Karamoja); (ii) North-Eastern Savannah Grasslands (East Acholi and Northern Lango); (iii) Kyoga Plains (SE Lango, Teso, Bukedi and northern Busoga); Western highlands, southern Highlands, Southern drylands, lake Albert crescent (iv) Eastern (Elgon) Highlands (Bugisu and Sebei) (v)Western (Bunyoro) (vi) South Western (Kigezi) (vii) Northern Buganda and Ankole Sub-region. These sub-regions and agro-ecological zones are targeted because of increasing and high levels of poverty, and land and natural resource degradation; vulnerability to vagaries of climate change as well as low value production. The project will target individuals (smallholder and largescale farmers), farmer groups, cooperatives, and self-help groups. The project will also target the poor and vulnerable households as well as marginalized groups youth, women, and the elderly. Priority and attention shall be given to youth engagement and at least 40% of the direct beneficiaries are expected to be women. The indirect beneficiaries are the household members of the project participants and the users of the rehabilitated lands and sustainably managed natural resources that have not benefited directly from the project but benefitting directly from project activities. Table 3-2: Summary of the project areas and potential enterprises Sub-region Districts Enterprises Busoga Buyende, Kamuli, Luuka, Kaliro, fish farming (cages & ponds), Namutumba, Bugiri, Bugweri, Iganga, livestock (pigs, poultry, dairy, Mayuge, Namayingo beef cattle), avocado, macadamia Bukedi Tororo, Butaleja, Busia, Kibuku, Butebo, pond fish farming, cage fish Pallisa, Budaka farming, livestock (dairy, pigs, poultry), avocado, macadamia, vegetables Elgon Mbale, Bulambuli, Namisindwa, Bududa, livestock (pigs, dairy), avocado, Sironko, Kapchorwa, Kween, Bukwo, macadamia, vegetables Manafwa Karamoja Kaabong, Moroto, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit, livestock (goats, beef cattle), Amudat, Abim, Napak sorghum, apiculture, sunflower, cassava Teso Kumi, Bukedea, Ngora, Katakwi, Soroti, pond fish farming, cage fish Serere, Kapelebyong, Amuria, Kalaki, farming, livestock (poultry, pigs, Kaberamaido dairy, beef cattle), macadamia, citrus, mangoes Acholi Amuru, Lamwo, Nwoya, Omoro, Kitgum, pond fish farming, livestock Pader, Gulu, Agago (pigs, poultry, dairy, beef cattle), macadamia, citrus, mangoes Lango Sub- Apac, Oyam, Lira, Kwania, Dokolo, pond fish farming, livestock regions Amolatar, Alebtong, Kole, Otuke (pigs, poultry, beef cattle), pond fishing, avocado, citrus, mangoes West Nile Koboko, Maracha, Moyo, pond fish farming, (livestock Pakwach, Nebbi, Yumbe and Zombo, Madi- (beef cattle, pigs, poultry), okollo, Obongi mangoes Ankole Rwampara, Ntumgamo, Rukingiri, Kiruhura dairy Kigezi Kabale dairy North Nakasongola coffee, cage and pond fish Buganda farming, dairy 15 Rwenzori, Ntoroko coffee, dairy, macadamia Kamwenge Bunyoro Kamwenge coffee, pond and pond fish farming, beef, macadamia 3.4.2 PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS Project stakeholders are defined as individuals, groups or other entities who: � Are impacted or likely to be impacted directly or indirectly, positively or adversely, by the Project (also known as affected parties); and � May have an interest in the Project (interested parties). They include individuals or groups whose interests may be affected by the Project and who have the potential to influence the Project outcomes in any way. Cooperation and negotiation with the stakeholders throughout the Project development often also require the identification of persons within the groups who act as legitimate representatives of their respective stakeholder group, i.e. the individuals who have been entrusted by their fellow group members with advocating the groups’ interests in the process of engagement with the Project. Community representatives may provide helpful insight into the local settings and act as main conduits for dissemination of the Project-related information and as a primary communication/liaison link between the Project and targeted communities and their established networks. The legitimacy of such representatives may stem both from their official elected status and their informal and widely supported standing within the community that allows them to act as focal points of contact in Project’s interaction with its stakeholders. For UCSATP, some its stakeholder representatives include amongst others: a. members of parliament; b. technical staff from line MDAs and Statutory agencies; c. district political leaders; d. district technical heads of departments; e. sub-county political and technical staff; f. non-elected leaders that have wide recognition within their community, such as chairpersons of local initiative groups, committees, local cooperatives/village savings and loan associations (VSLA) etc.; g. leaders of community-based organizations, local NGOs, and youth and women’s groups; h. vulnerable and marginalized sections (indigenous groups such as Ik, Batwa, Benets, Tepeth and Toposa amongst others; i. the elders and veterans within the affected/beneficiary community; j. religious leaders as well as traditional faiths; and k. other opinion leaders in the local communities, etc. For some stakeholder groups, verification of their representatives (i.e. the process of confirming that they are legitimate and genuine advocates of the community they represent) is an important task in establishing contact with the community stakeholders. 16 3.5 STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION The UCSATP activities will attract interest from a broad cross section of the community, both within the project area and outside. Stakeholder identification and analysis is a core part of developing an engagement approach. It is important to note that stakeholders may change over the course of the project and different approaches may be required for effective engagement. The following criteria, adjusted to take account of local specific conditions, are proposed to be used for the identification of stakeholders: a. Liability: project implementation or on-going operations may result in legal, financial or other liabilities of the proponent to a social group; b. Influence: a social group may be able to substantially influence project implementation or ongoing operations; c. Partnership: there are opportunities for building partnership relations between the project developer and a given social group in the framework of the project implementation or ongoing operations; d. Dependency: project implementation may significantly affect a given social group, in particular, it may affect vital interests of its representatives if they are dependent on the project on-going operations in economic or financial terms; e. Representation: a social group may have a right to represent interests with regard to a project or on-going operations, and this right is legitimated through legislation, custom and and/or cultural specifics; and f. Expressed interest: a social group and/or individual may express interest to a project or ongoing operations, and this group is not necessarily directly affected by the planned or current activities 3.6 STAKEHOLDER CATEGORIZATION The various international standards being applied to this Project define two main categories of stakeholder; differentiating for example between “those who will be or are likely to be directly or indirectly affected, positively or negatively, by a project (commonly referred to as project- affected people, households or communities)� and “those who might have an interest in, or may influence the project�. Following this definition, the two principal groups of stakeholders in the UCSATP are broadly categorized as follows: Affected parties, and interested parties. 3.6.1 AFFECTED PARTIES Affected Parties include local communities, community members and other parties that may be subject to direct impacts from the UCSATP sub-projects. Affected parties are generally located within the Project’s defined area of influence but may be elsewhere (e.g. people who live outside of project area but have personal or business interests that may be directly affected by the development of the sub- projects). Affected parties under UCSATP include: � Directly affected: communities, groups and individuals displaced physically and/or economically by the Project, including any vulnerable or marginalized stakeholders. � Indirectly Affected: Residents, businesses, local government officials and administrators who may be indirectly affected by employment opportunities, influx and the related pressure on resources and services. Government officials, including district and sub-county administration in the project area, village administrations, environmental protection authorities. Community-based groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that 17 represent local residents and other local interest groups, and act on their behalf; and eemployees, their representatives and contractors to UCSATP. Local NGOs and initiative/advocacy groups represent the considerable capacity that the project(s) may tap for disseminating the information and raising awareness of the planned activities among the potentially affected communities in the project area. NGOs typically have well established interaction with the local communities, are able to propose the most effective and culturally appropriate methods of liaising based on the local customary norms and prevailing means of communication, and possess the facilitation skills that may be utilized as part of the project’s consultations. In addition, NGOs may lend assistance in disseminating information about the proposed project(s) to the local communities, including in the remote areas (e.g. by placing information materials about the project in their offices, distributing the project information lists during events that they are organizing), and provide venues for the engagement activities such as focus-group discussions. 3.7 INTERESTED PARTIES The projects’ stakeholders also include parties other than the directly affected communities: Individuals/groups/entities that may not experience direct impacts from the Project but who consider or perceive their interests as being affected by the project and/or who could affect the project and the process of its implementation in some way. These Interested parties may include: a. Residents of the other settlements within the project area, who can benefit from employment and training opportunities stemming from the project; b. Civil society groups and NGOs on the regional, national and local levels, that pursue environmental and socio-economic interests and may become partners of the project.; c. Business owners and providers of services, goods and materials within the project area that will be involved in the project’s wider supply chain or may be considered for the role of project’s suppliers in the future; d. Government officials, permitting and regulatory agencies at the National levels, including environmental, technical, social protection and labour authorities; e. Mass media and associated interest groups, including local, county and national printed and broadcasting media, digital/web-based entities, and their associations; f. Other notable projects in the region; g. Politicians at national/regional/local levels; h. Lenders’ to the Project; and i. Academics and other interest groups. The Ministry of Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) will be the lead implementing agency with primary operational guidance and implementation functions as well as the over responsibility for project implementation. The Table 2-3 broadly identifies the key stakeholder groups, their respective relevance to and interests in the project. 3.7.1 STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS A sound community relations approach to engagement with stakeholders, builds on in-depth and structured analysis of stakeholders. It also allows UCSATP to determine which stakeholder groups to prioritize within the stakeholder engagement/community relations strategy. For example, influential stakeholders who are significantly impacted by the Project typically make good partners for UCSATP to work with, while stakeholders with limited influence who are significantly 18 impacted are best approached through an empowerment or rights protection perspectives, as they may not have the capacity to represent themselves properly. Similarly, interested parties can be a low priority for community relations efforts, but their capacity to exert high influence over the Project, means that they need to be kept informed and involved, while building strategies to reduce any inappropriate demands that they place on the Project. UCSATP will continue to undertake analysis of its various stakeholder groups to identify any new stakeholders and determine/confirm the appropriate level and methods of consultation and engagement for each stakeholder group. The Head of Safeguards and the project Social safeguards Officer will be responsible for ongoing stakeholder identification, mapping and analysis. The project social safeguards officer will also be responsible for updating the stakeholder database and matrix as well as creating/updating Key Stakeholder Profiles. The analysis involves mapping stakeholder using the following three key determinants: a. The stakeholder’s projected level of interest in the Project; b. The Project’s potential impact on the stakeholder; and c. The stakeholder’s degree of influence/power on or value to the Project. By plotting influence together with impact/interest on a matrix and taking due account of further criteria such as expertise (i.e. knowledge to contribute and legitimacy) and the stakeholders’ willingness to engage, the relative needs of key stakeholders in terms of the level and type of consultation and engagement are determined and can therefore be properly planned. The UCSATP definitions of impact/interest and influence/power are described in Table 3-2 below. Table 3-3: Definitions for Stakeholder Analysis and Mapping Significance Impact/Interest axis Influence/Power axis High � The stakeholder will experience a high degree of The stakeholder has decision- impact as a result of the Project (e.g. resettlement, making powers regarding complete loss of livelihood, loss of pasture/water, whether the project will go etc.); or ahead or not and/or about the � The project is directly related to stakeholder’s adequacy of the ESIA process institutional field of interest and/or and/or UCSATP mitigation responsibilities. strategies. Medium � The stakeholder will experience some degree of The stakeholder can influence impact but impacts can be managed and/or the scope and timing of the ESIA mitigated, or and/or UCSATP’s mitigation � The project or aspect thereof has some relevance strategies. to the stakeholder’s institutional field of interest and/or responsibilities Low � The stakeholder will experience very few effects The stakeholder has very little as a result of the project; or control over the project. � The project has limited relevance to the stakeholder’s institutional field of interest and/or responsibilities 3.7.1.1 ENGAGEMENT GUIDELINES AND REFERENCES (IAP2 SPECTRUM) The IAP2 Spectrum is an internationally recognized tool for planning public participation in major projects. The Spectrum is designed to assist with the selection of the level of participation that defines the public's role in any community engagement program. The Spectrum shows that 19 differing levels of participation are legitimate depending on the goals, time frames, resources and levels of concern in the decision to be made. UCSATP and its service providers/contractors will use the IAP2 Spectrum to guide how the community and stakeholders will be engaged during the project planning and delivery phases. Table 3-4: IAP2 Spectrum No. Inform Consult Involve 01. Goal To provide the public To obtain public feedback on analysis, plans with balanced and feedback on analysis, and/or decisions To work objective information to plans and/or decisions directly with the community assist them in and stakeholders to ensure understanding the that concerns and problem, alternatives, aspirations are consistently opportunities and/or understood and considered. solutions. 02. Promise We will keep you We will keep you We will work with you to informed. informed, listen to and ensure that your concerns acknowledge and aspirations are directly concerns and reflected in the project and aspirations and provide feedback on how provide feedback on input influenced the how public input decision. influenced the decision. We will see your feedback on draft proposals. 03. Stakeholders Stakeholders interested All community and Key stakeholders, in engaging about the stakeholders including government agencies, project – educate on key directly impacted directly impacted elements of the project stakeholders– stakeholders and and explain how they can encourage feedback community-feedback on be involved. on fixed project options, benefits and elements. potential impacts. 04. Activities and Advertising Briefings/info sessions Interactive briefings/info tools Newsletters/publications Feedback forms sessions Feedback forms Displays/information Formal consultation Formal consultation (e.g. stalls e-News Letters (e.g. written written submissions) Online (direct mail/ letter drops) submissions) Social engagement. Working/ Media articles releases/ research Interviews reference groups kits Project website Site (phone/person) signage/posters Social Project info line media Videos/DVDs Project email (animations and enquiries photography) project Presentations Project notifications. documents and reports. Reports on engagement outcomes Online engagement 3.7.1.2 ENGAGEMENT METHODS AND TOOLS The project makes use of various methods of engagement a r e t o b e used by as part of its continuous interaction with the stakeholders. For the engagement process to be effective and meaningful, a range of various techniques need to be applied that are specifically tailored to the 20 identified stakeholder groups. The format of every consultation activity meets general requirements on accessibility, i.e. should be held at venues that are easily reachable and do not require long commute, entrance fee or preliminary access authorization, cultural appropriateness (i.e. with due respect to the local customs and norms), and inclusiveness, i.e. engaging all segments of the local society, including disabled persons, the elderly, minorities, and other vulnerable individuals. If necessary, logistical assistance can be provided to enable participants from the remote areas, persons with limited physical abilities and those with insufficient financial or transportation means to attend public meetings scheduled by the project. Ensuring the participation of vulnerable individuals and groups in project consultations may require the implementation of tailored techniques. Since their vulnerable status may lead to people’s diffidence and reluctance or physical incapacity to participate in large-scale community meetings, visiting such individuals/families at their homes or holding separate small group discussions with them at an easily accessible venue is a way for the project to reach out to the groups who, under standard circumstances, are likely to be insufficiently represented at community gatherings. Various methods of engagement are being used as part of the project’s interaction with the stakeholders, to ensure that different stakeholder groups are successfully reached and are involved in the process of consultation, decision-making and the development of impact management solutions. International standards increasingly emphasize the importance of a consultation being Free, Prior and Informed (FPI), which implies an accessible and unconstrained process that is accompanied by the timely provision of relevant and understandable information. In order to fulfil this requirement, a range of consultation methods are applied that specifically focus on this approach. Information that is communicated in advance of public consultations primarily includes an announcement thereof in the public media, local and national, as well as the distribution of invitations and full details of the forthcoming meeting well in advance, including the agenda. It is crucial that this information is widely available, readily accessible, clearly outlined, and reaches all areas and segments of the target community. 3.7.1.2.1 APPROACH TO FPI These parameters can be achieved by implementing the following approach: a. Advance public notification of an upcoming consultation meeting follows the same fundamental principles of communication, i.e. it should be made available via publicly accessible locations and channels. The primary means of notification may include mass media and the dissemination of posters/advertisements in public places. The project keeps proof of the publication (e.g. a copy of the newspaper announcement) for the accountability and reporting purposes. Existing notice boards in the communities may be particularly useful for distributing the announcements, such as boards adjacent to the widely visited public premises–district offices, trading canters, market places, stores, bus parks, and offices of the local NGOs. When the notifications are placed on public boards in open air, it should be remembered that the posters are exposed to weather, may be removed by by-passers or covered by other advertisements. The project’s staff will therefore maintain regular checks in order to ensure that the notifications provided on the public boards remain in place and legible; b. Another critical aspect of the meeting preparation process is selecting the methods of communication that reach the potential audience with lower levels of literacy or those who are not well-versed in the technical aspects of the proposed. Oral communication is an option that enables the information to be readily conveyed to such persons. This includes 21 involving the selected community representatives/community leaders/local NGOs and initiative groups to relay up-to-date information on the project and consultation meetings to other members of the community. Advertising the project and the associated meetings via radio or television and making direct calls (in case fixed-line or mobile phone communication is available) is another method that allows reaching out to most audiences. The announcement of a public meeting or a hearing is made sufficiently in advance, thereby enabling participants to make necessary arrangements, and provides all relevant details, including date, time, location/venue and contact persons. c. Placement of the project materials in the public domain is also accompanied by making available a register of comments and suggestions that can be used by any member of the affected community and general public to provide their written feedback on the contents of the presented materials. As a rule, the register is made available for the entire duration of the requisite disclosure period. Where necessary, a project representative or an appointed consultant should be made available to receive and record any verbal feedback in case some stakeholders experience a difficulty with providing comments in the written form. d. Drafting an agenda for the consultation meeting is an opportunity to provide a clear and itemized outline of the meeting’s structure, sequence, chairpersons, a range of issues that will be discussed and a format of the discussion (e.g. presentation/demonstration followed by a Questions & Answers – Q&A session, facilitated work in small groups, feature story and experience sharing, thematic sessions with a free speaking format enabling the exchange of ideas). A clearly defined scope of issues that will be covered at the meeting gives the prospective participants an opportunity to prepare their questions and comments in advance. It is essential to allocate a sufficient amount of time for a concluding Q&A session at the end of any public meeting or a hearing. This allows the audience to convey their comments and suggestions that can subsequently be incorporated into the design of the project. Keeping a record of all public comments received during the consultations meetings enables the project’s responsible staff to initiate necessary actions, thereby enhancing the project’s overall approach taking onto consideration the stakeholders’ priorities. The recorded comments and how they have been addressed by the project become an appropriate material for inclusion in the project’s regular reporting to the stakeholders; e. Distribution of targeted invitations to the consultation meeting or a hearing is an important element of the preparation process and is based on the list of participants that is compiled and agreed in advance of the consultation. Invitations may be sent both to certain individuals that have been specifically identified as relevant stakeholders (e.g. representatives of authorities, leaders of local NGOs and initiative groups, village/community chairpersons) and as public invites (e.g. addressed to initiative and professional bodies, local organizations, and other public entities). Text of individual invitations can be tailored to reflect the specifics of an invitee and their role in the process, whereas the text of public invitations normally indicates general details. Means of distributing the invitations should be appropriate to the customary methods of communication that prevail locally in the Project Area of Influence (PAI). Depending on the availability and technical feasibility, the following means of distribution can be used: direct mail (post); as an inclusion with other existing public mailings, utility bills, or circulates from a local authority. The invitation should typically contain a clear request for confirmation of the participation, also specifying a date by which the confirmation is expected. All invitations that will be sent out are tracked in order to determine and manage the response rate. If no response has been received, the invitation can be followed up by a telephone call or e-mail where possible. UCSATP will continue to use a range of techniques to fulfill the main purpose of its consultation activities aimed at raising the community’s and stakeholder awareness about the planned and current activities undertaken by the project, as well as to solicit public feedback that can 22 subsequently be input into the project’s mitigation and enhancement measures. As discussed above, due consideration will be given to the cultural appropriateness and inclusiveness of the consultation settings as well as gender and other sensitivities that may prevail in the local communities. Knowledge and advice of the community representatives and local NGOs are invaluable to ensure that these aspects are fully observed. If deemed necessary, separate meetings and focus group discussions will be held, as described above. An attendance list is made available at the commencement of the consultation/hearing in order to record all participants who are present at the meeting and their affiliation. Wherever possible, attendees’ signatures should be obtained as a proof of their participation. Details of the attendees who were not initially on the list (e.g. those participating in place of somebody else, or general public) should be included in addition to those who have registered for the meeting in advance. In most cases and as a general practice, the introductory initial part of the meeting or a hearing should be delivered in a format that is readily understandable to the audience of laypersons and should be free of excessive technical jargon. If necessary, preference should be given, whenever possible, to the oral and visual methods of communication (including presentations, pictorials, illustrations, graphics and animation) accompanied by hand-out materials imparting the relevant information in understandable terms rather than as text laden with technical intricacies. Where technical specifics of the project’s particular activities or solutions are required to be delivered in a greater level of detail, it will be ensured that the information conveyed remains comprehensible to all members of the audience and that the description of complex technicalities is adapted to their level of understanding, thereby enabling productive feedback and effective discussion. If a large audience is expected to attend a public meeting or a hearing, necessary arrangements will be made to ensure audibility and visibility of the presentation and any demonstrations involved. This includes provision of a microphone, proper illumination, projector, places allocated for the wheelchair users, etc. Taking records of the meeting is essential both for the purposes of transparency and the accuracy of capturing public comments. At least three ways of recording may be used, including: a. taking written minutes of the meeting by a specially assigned person or a secretary; b. audio recording (e.g. by means of voice recorders); and c. photographing. The latter should be implemented with a reasonable frequency throughout the meeting, allowing notable scenes to be captured but at the same time not distracting or disturbing the audience excessively. Where feasible, the video recording may also be undertaken. Combination of these methods assures that the course of the meeting is fully documented and that there are no significant gaps in the records which may result in some of the important comments received from the stakeholder audience being overlooked. As a possible option in addition to the Q&A session nearer the close of the public meeting/hearing, evaluation (feedback) forms may be distributed to participants in order to give them an opportunity to express their opinion and suggestions on the project. This is particularly helpful for capturing individual feedback from persons who may have refrained from expressing their views or concerns in public. Questions provided in the evaluation form may cover the following aspects: 23 a. Participant’s name and affiliation (these items are not mandatory if the participant b. prefers to keep the form confidential) c. How did they learn about the Project and the consultation meeting? d. Are they generally in favour of the Project? e. What are their main concerns or expectations/hopes associated with the Project or f. the particular activity discussed at the meeting? g. Do they think the Project will bring some advantages to their community as a whole? h. Is there anything in the Project and its design solutions that they would like to change or improve? i. Do they think that the consultation meeting has been useful in understanding the specific activities of the Project, as well as associated impacts and mitigation measures? j. What aspects of the meeting they particularly appreciated or would recommend for k. improvement? Bearing in mind that some of the participants might find completion of the Evaluation Form challenging due to the literacy constraints or concerns about their confidentiality, the distribution of the feedback forms should always be explained that filling the form is optional. Some persons may be willing to express their feedback verbally and in this case a member of Project staff will be allocated to take notes. A summary description of the engagement methods and techniques that will be applied by project developer is provided in Table 3-4 below. The summary presents a variety of approaches to facilitate the processes of information provision, information feedback as well as participation and consultation. 24 Table 3-5: Methods, Tools and Techniques for Stakeholder Engagement Method/Tool Description and Use Contents Dissemination Method Target Groups Distribution of printed public Used to convey information on � Printed materials present � Distribution as part of Households in Project Area of materials: leaflets, brochures, the Project and regular updates illustrative and written consultation meetings, Influence, as well as interested fact sheets. on its progress to local, regional information on Project public hearings, discussions parties. and national stakeholders. activities, facilities, and meetings with technologies and design stakeholders, as well as solutions, as well as impact household visits. mitigation measures; � Placement at the offices of � Presented contents are local administrations and concise and adapted to a NGOs, libraries and other layperson reader; and public venues. � Graphics and pictorials are widely used to describe technical aspects. Distribution of printed public A newsletter or an update Important highlights of project � Circulation of the newsletter � Households in project areas materials: newsletters/ circular sent out to project achievements, announcements or update sheet with a of Influence. updates. stakeholders on a regular basis of planned activities, changes, specified frequency in the � Public venues in project area to maintain awareness of the and overall progress. Project Area of Influence, as of influence-local Project development. well as to any other administrations, libraries. stakeholders that expressed � Residents in project area. their interest in receiving these periodicals. Means of distribution: post, emailing, electronic subscription, delivery in person. Printed advertisements in the Inserts, announcements, press � Notification of forthcoming Placement of paid information � Residents in project area media. releases, short articles or public events or in local, regional and national � Interested parties feature stories in the printed commencement of specific printed media, including those media –newspapers and Project activities. intended for general reader Magazines � General description of the and specialized audience. Project and its benefits to the community. Radio or television entries Short radio programmes, video � Description of the Project, Collaboration with media Residents in project area materials or documentary Project development producers that operate in the broadcast on TV. 25 updates, solutions for region and can reach local impact mitigation. audiences. � Advance announcement of the forthcoming public events or commencement of specific Project activities. Visual presentations Visually convey Project Description of the Project Presentations are widely used Affected communities in in the information to affected and related solutions/impact as part of the public hearings project area, participants of the communities and other management measures. and other consultation events public hearings, consultations, interested audiences. Updates on Project with various stakeholders. rounds tables, focus group development. discussions and other forums attended by Project stakeholders. Authorities and other governmental bodies. Notice boards Displays of printed information Advance announcements of Printed announcements and Directly affected communities in on notice boards in public the forthcoming public events, notifications are placed in the project area. places. commencement of specific visible and easily accessible Project activities, or changes to places frequented by the local the scheduled process. public, including libraries, village cultural centers, post offices, shop, local administrations. Information Feedback Information repositories Placement of Project- Various Project-related Deposition of materials in Directly affected accompanied by a Related information and materials, ESMF publicly available places communities in the project feedback mechanism printed materials in documentation, environmental (offices of local NGOs, local area. dedicated/designated and social action plans. administrations, public locations that also provide libraries) for the duration of a visitors and readers with disclosure period or an opportunity to leave their permanently. Audience are comments in a feedback also given free access to a register. register of comments and suggestions. 26 Dedicated telephone line Setting up a designated and Any issues that are of interest Telephone numbers are Local communities within the (hotline) manned telephone line that or concern to the local specified on the printed Project Area of Influence. Any can be used by the public to communities and other materials distributed to other stakeholders and obtain information, make stakeholders. Project stakeholders and are interested parties. enquiries, or provide feedback mentioned during public on the Project. Initially, meetings. Project’s designated telephone numbers of staff should be assigned to Project’s specialized staff can answer and respond to the be shared with the public, calls, and to direct callers to particularly staff involved in stakeholder engagement, specialist experts or to offer a public relations and call- back if a question requires environmental detailed consideration. protection. Internet/Digital Media Launch of Project website to Information about Project A link to the Project web-site Affected and interested promote various information operator and shareholders, should be specified on the parties. and updates on the overall project development printed materials distributed Project, impact assessment updates, health and to stakeholders. Other on- and impact management safety, community line based platforms can also process, procurement, relations, community be used, such as web employment opportunities, as updates, employment conferencing, webinar well as on Project’s and procurement, presentations, web-based engagement activities with environmental and social meetings, Internet the public. Web-site should h a v e a built-in feature aspects. surveys/polls etc. Limitation: that allows viewers t o leave Not all parties/stakeholders comments or ask have access to the internet. questions about the Project. Surveys, interviews and The use of public opinion Description of the proposed Soliciting participation in Directly affected households in Questionnaires surveys, interviews and Project and related surveys/interviews with the Project Area of Influence. questionnaires to obtain solutions/impact management specific stakeholder groups or Other communities within the stakeholder views and to measures. Questions communitywide. Project Area of Influence. complement the statutory targeting stakeholder Administering questionnaires process of public perception of the Project, as part of the household hearings. associated impacts and visits. 27 benefits, concerns and suggestions. Feedback and suggestion box A suggestion box can be used Any questions, queries or Appropriate location for a Directly affected households in to encourage residents in the concerns, especially for suggestion box should be the Project Area of Influence. affected communities to leave stakeholders that may have a selected in a safe public Other communities within the written feedback and difficulty expressing their views place to make it readily Project Area of Influence. comments about the Project. and issues during public accessible for the community. Contents of the suggestion box meetings. Information about the should be checked by availability of the suggestion designated Project staff on a box should be communicated regular basis to ensure timely as part of Project’s regular collection of input and response/action, as necessary. interaction with local stakeholders. Consultation & Participation Public hearings Project representatives, the Detailed information on the � Wide and prior Directly affected communities in affected public, authorities, activity and/or facility in announcement of the the Project Area of Influence. regulatory bodies and other question, including a public hearing and the Other communities within the stakeholders for detailed presentation and an interactive relevant details, including Project Area of Influence. discussion on a specific activity Questions & Answers session notifications in local, Residents of in the Project Area or facility that is planned by with the audience. regional and national of Influence the Project and which is mass media. Targeted subject to the statutory expert invitations are sent out to review. stakeholders. � Public disclosure of Project materials and associated impact assessment documentation in advance of the hearing. � Viewers/readers of the materials are also given free access to a register of comments and suggestions that is made 28 available during the disclosure period. Household visits Household-level visits can be Description of the Project and Visits should be conducted by Directly affected in the conducted to supplement the related solutions/impact Project’s designated staff with Project Area of Influence. statutory management measures. a specified periodicity. process of public hearings, Any questions, queries or Limitation: logistical challenges particularly to solicit feedback concerns, especially for in reaching households in from community members and stakeholders that may remote locations. vulnerable persons who may be have a difficulty expressing unable to attend the formal their views and issues during hearing events. formal community-wide meetings. Focus Group Discussions and Used to facilitate discussion on Project’s specific Announcements of the Directly affected households in Round Table Workshops Project’s specific issues that activities and plans, design forthcoming meetings are the Project Area of Influence, merit collective examination solutions and impact widely circulated to youth, elderly, women, and other with various groups of mitigation/management participants in advance. vulnerable groups. stakeholders. measures that require Targeted invitations are sent detailed discussions with out to stakeholders. affected stakeholders. Information c en t ers an d field Project’s designated Project-related materials. Any Information about the info Directly affected communities in offices venue for depositing issues that are of interest or center or a field office with the Project Area of Influence and Project-related information concern to the local open hours for the public, any other stakeholders and that also offers open hours communities and other together with contact details, interested parties. to the community and stakeholders. is provided on the Project’s other members of the printed materials distributed p u b l i c , with Project staff to stakeholders, as well as available to respond to queries during public meetings and or provide clarifications. household visits. Site Tours Visits to Project Site and Demonstration of specific Targeted invitations Local communities within the facilities organized for local examples of Project’s design distributed to selected Project Area of Influence. Elected communities, authorities and solutions and approaches to audience offering an officials. Media groups. NGOs the media to demonstrate managing impacts. opportunity to participate in a and other initiative groups. Project solutions. Visitors are visit to the Project Site. accompanied by the Project’s staff and specialists. 29 Table 3-6: Stakeholder category and their roles in CSATP Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation National Level Government Ministries Office of the Prime Overall coordination of Perform a coordination of High Continuous � Meetings, Minister-OPM Government Ministries, government ministries and � Workshops Departments and Agencies departments which are � Reports to ensure effective delivery stakeholders in the CSATP � Site inspections of services to the people of Uganda. Ministry of Finance, a. Formulate sound a. Mobilization of necessary High Continuous � Meetings, Planning and economic policies, bilateral financial for the � Workshops Economic revenue mobilization; project; � Reports Development- and b. Custodian of the financing � Site inspections MoFPED b. ensure efficient agreement; and allocation and c. support Strategic guidance to accountability for the project on matters of public resources so as finances including to achieve the most accountabilities. rapid and sustainable economic growth and development. Ministry of a. Creating an enabling a. Project Coordination Unit g. High Continuous � Meetings, Agriculture, Animal environment in the (PCU/PMU) will be established � Workshops Industry and Fisheries agricultural sector; within MAAIF to take on � Reports (MAAIF) b. Enhancing crop responsibility for day-to-day � Site inspections production, improving management of the project; food and nutrition b. Set the strategic direction for security, widening and oversee communications export base and and stakeholder engagement improved incomes of activities for the Project; the farmers; c. Review communications and c. Has a role in the engagement plans and formulation, review materials prepared by and monitoring of 30 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation policies, plans, contractors to support the strategies, and engagement approach; standards for the value d. Develop and implement chain of crops, livestock communications and and fisheries. engagement campaigns that increase awareness and understanding of the Project, and build relationships with key stakeholders, and encourage public participation; e. Manage media and government relations; and f. Monitoring and reporting. Ministry of Land, a. responsible for a. Guide any process relating to Medium Continuous � Meetings, Housing and Urban providing policy matters of land acquisition in � Workshops Development direction, national the project where it could � Reports (MoLHUD) standards and arise; and � Site inspections coordination of all b. Sets standards for matters concerning compensation which should be fair, adequate and timely. lands, housing and urban development; b. putting in place policies and initiating laws that ensure sustainable land management; c. promote sustainable housing for all and foster orderly urban development in the country; and d. Initiate, review and make amendments to existing legislation in 31 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation lands, housing and urban development sub sectors. Ministry of Water and e. management and a. Provide catchment High Continuous � Meetings, Environment-MoWE sustainable utilization management plans that will be � Workshops of water and updated to confirm the � Reports environment resources hotspots that need � Site inspections for the betterment; intervention and as well as for f. To improve the quality preparing plans for micro Water resources for catchments; population; and b. The project will also support g. To ensure better access the creation of catchment of water and management organizations environment resources where they do not exist; and in all parts of the c. Coordination and country. implementation project functions relating to water (irrigation, wetlands restoration drives including restoration of degraded lands). Ministry of Gender, a. Ministry has the Provide mechanisms for effective Medium Continuous � Meetings, Labor and Social responsibility to mainstreaming of cross-cutting � Workshops Development- empower communities themes such as: � Reports MoGLSD in diverse areas; � HIV/AIDS, � Site inspections b. It is to promote cultural � gender, growth, skills � OSH, development and � PWDs, labour productivity; � Contract and employment c. Promote gender aspects, equality, labour � GBV interventions i.e. VAC administration, social SE/SH etc protection and � Vulnerabilities etc transformation of communities; and 32 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation d. to ensure that all Ugandans enjoy better standards of living, especially the disadvantages and vulnerable groups. Ministry of Local a. To inspect, monitor, Coordinate the effective High Continuous � Meetings, Government-MoLG and where necessary participation of lower government � Workshops offer technical agencies (districts, sub-counties � Reports advice/assistance, and parish levels as well as � Site inspections support supervision communities) in the project. and training to all Local Governments; b. To coordinate and advise on matters of harmonization and advocacy with regard to development; and c. To act as a Liaison/Linkage with the Central Government, MDAs, Private Sector and local governments with regard to development. Ministry of Trade, a. The Ministry is Put in place, mechanisms for Medium Continuous � Meetings, Industry and responsible for marketing of CSATP supported � Workshops Cooperatives-MoTIC promoting trade and products. � Reports industry and � Site inspections cooperatives for the development of the country; and b. To ensure expansion and diversification of 33 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation trade, cooperatives, environmentally sustainable industrialization, appropriate technology, conservation and preservation of other tradable national products. Security agencies Uganda Peoples To preserve and defend the Cooperate with other security High Continuous � Meetings, Defence Forces-UPDF sovereignty and interior agencies to ensure safety and � Workshops integrity of Uganda. To co- security of people and their � Reports operate with civilian property in project areas especially � Site inspections authority in emergency in those areas with with pockets of situations in cases of natural insecurity such as Karamoja and disasters. Sebei. Uganda Police-UPF The mandate of Uganda UPF will assume key responsibility High Continuous � Meetings, Police Force as provided in in the project with respect to � Workshops the Constitution of the prevention of crime, maintenance � Reports Republic of Uganda, and of law and order in the � Site inspections Uganda Police Force Act Cap communities. It’s Child and Family 303, is protection of life and Protection Unit (CFPU) will property, prevention and undertake investigate all cases detection of crime, keeping related to the abuse of children and law and order, and women’s rights including; maintenance of overall � domestic violence, security and public safety in � rape Uganda. � defilement, � sexual harassment, � child abuse and neglect, � child labor incidences, � indecent assault, 34 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation � child desertion, � children offenders, � trafficking in women and children as well as; Creating awareness on the rights of women and children, iii) Counseling children and women victims of abuse. Statutory agencies � National Environment a. Play coordination, Review and approvals of High Monthly � Reports Management monitoring and Environmental Assessments for � Site inspections Authority-NEMA. supervision of sub-project activities relating to � Meetings environmental aspects CSATP interventions. with its stakeholders; and b. Promote the integration of environmental considerations into development policies, plans, programmes and projects, with a view to ensuring the proper management and rational utilization of environmental resources, on sustainable yield basis, for the improvement of the quality of human life in Uganda. 35 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation National Forestry f. responsible for Coordination of activities relating Monthly � Reports Authority-NFA managing the country's to ecosystem restoration in the � Site inspections Central Forest Reserves; project; and � Meetings g. to establish procedures Lead in setting up measures for for the sustainable payment for ecosystem services utilization of Uganda’s (PES) forestry resources by and for the benefit of the people of Uganda; and h. to enter into an agreement or other arrangement with any such person for the provision of forestry services, subject to such charges as may be agreed upon. Uganda National a. collection, analysis and Responsible for establishing and Medium Continuous � Reports Meteorological production of weather maintaining weather and climate � Workshops Authority-UNMA and climate observing stations network, � Radios, TVs information, (including collection, analysis and production � Meetings warnings/advisories) to of weather and climate support social and information, (including economic warnings/advisories) to support development; and social and economic development. b. To promote, monitor weather and climate as well as provide weather predictions and advisories to Government and other stakeholders for use in sustainable 36 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation development of the country. Uganda National a. The role of UNBS is the Has a role in guiding on standards Medium Monthly � Reports Bureau of Standards- formulation and for the products that will arise from � Inspections UNBS promotion of the use of the value chains in the project? � Meetings standards; � Workshops b. enforcing standards in protection of the public health and safety and the environment against dangerous, counterfeit and substandard products; c. strengthening Uganda's economy by enhancing competitiveness of local industries and promotion of quality exports through standardization, quality assurance. National Agricultural a. to coordinate and Will champion research through its Medium Continuous � Meetings Research oversee all aspects of institutional framework (especially � Reports Organization-NARO public funded the ZARDIs) on the project value � Bulletins agricultural research in chains and products. � Workshops Uganda; and � Field visits b. undertake research in all aspects of � Study Tours agriculture including � Radios, TVs crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, agro-machinery, 37 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation natural resources and socio-economics. Diary Development a. develop and regulate Will be pivotal in the development Low Monthly � Meetings Authority-DDA the Dairy Industry in of value chains relating to dairy � Reports the country; products. � Workshops b. provision of dairy � Field visits development and � Study Tours regulatory services, � News letters c. promote increased, � Radios, TVs sustainable milk production and consumption; d. attainment of a profitable dairy industry sector; and e. increased economic development and improved nutritional status of Ugandans. Uganda Export a. Export promotion and The eventual growth and Low Bi-monthly � Meetings Promotion Board- development; development of the envisaged � Reports UEPB b. help in export of value chains products will be poised � Workshops products and services towards foreign markets. � Field visits out of Uganda; � News letters c. offer support services � Study Tours to exporters in Uganda � Radios, TVs and foreign buyers in terms of market information, assistance with entering and establishing in new export markets, business linkages, export product 38 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation development and capacity building. Private sector Private Sector a. a focal point for private The Foundation will be important Medium Bi-monthly � Meetings Foundation sector advocacy as well when it comes to mobilizing private � Reports as capacity building and players under CSAT to align with the � Workshops continues to sustain a objectives of development. � News bulletins positive dialogue with � Field visits Government on behalf � Study Tours of the private sector; � Radios, TVs b. aimed at strengthening the private sector as an engine of economic growth in Uganda. Uganda National a. Lobby and advocate for Will be pivotal in mobilizing and Low Bi-monthly � Reports Farmers’ Association- farmer friendly sensitizing farmers on the � Workshops UNFA agricultural policies; opportunities and their effective � FGDs b. Build and develop participation in CSATP. � News bulletins capacity of farmer � Field visits organizations to render � Radios, TVs effective services; and c. Increase farmers accessibility to income opportunities and agricultural information. National Project The committee will approve Will be Chaired by the Permanent High Bi-annually � Annual workplans Steering Committee the project’s Annual Work Secretary (PS) MoFPED and the PS � Budgets Plans and Budgets MAAIF responsible for providing � Workshops (AWP&BS). strategic guidance to the project. It � Reports will comprise of Permanent � Fieldworks Secretaries (PS) of MAAIF, Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), MoFPED, Ministry of Trade, Industry and 39 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation Cooperatives (MoTIC), Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE). The committee shall also include Directors of National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA), Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), a representative of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) with the National Project Coordinator being an ex-officio and Secretary to the committee. National Technical a. The advisory committee National Technical Advisory High Quarterly � Reports Advisory Committee, will be responsible for Committee, comprising (among � Workshops providing technical support others) Commissioners of relevant � FGDs to overall project line Ministries and departments - � News bulletins implementation and Commissioner Refugees, including, � Field visits approving the national, NAGRC, CRRF, UNMA, NARO � Radios, TVs zonal and district level Director for Technical Promotion investments and selected and Outreach, Inter-governmental CSA research proposals. Technical Working Group responsible for Projects/Programs as well as private sector and farmer organization representation. The committee shall be chaired by the Director of Agricultural Extension Services 40 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation Project coordination a. This committee will Project coordination and High Monthly � Reports and implementation provide project implementation at the Zonal level � Workshops at the Zonal level implementation oversight will be overseen by a Zonal � FGDs and convening authority in Technical committee comprised of � News bulletins the respective zones. The the ZARDI Director; the District � Field visits committee will be Production Officers (DPOs) of � Radios, TVs responsible for supporting participating districts in that zone; adaptive research activities Regional Animal Genetic Resource and strengthening the Centers (AnGRCs); and with research, development, representation from private sector extension, private sector and farmer organizations. The DPOs linkage continuum. shall elect from amongst themselves a co-chair to work with the ZARDI Director. Multi-Stakeholder Provide a forum for Each MSCP will comprise High Quarterly � Annual workplans Coordination planning, dialogue, and representatives from the involved � Workshops Platform participatory priority setting districts, farmers’ organizations, � Reports among the stakeholders and relevant private sector entities. � Fieldworks and forge a common way Each district authority will be � forward to develop the represented by: the Local Counsel selected investments in the V, the Chief Administrative Officer zones/regions in an (CAO), and the District Production integrated manner Officer (DPO). Farmers’ organizations and the private sector. The chair elected from the private sector. The secretariat function of the MSCP will be provided by one of the participating districts on a rotational basis. District level category Chief Administrative a. Ensuring a. The overall coordination and High Continuous � Reports Officer-CAO proper use and supervision of the project at � Workshops accountability of the district level; � Inspections 41 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation resources and revenues b. Responsible for all issues of in the District; accountability of CSATP b. Supervising, resources at district and local monitoring and levels; and coordinating c. Coordinate monitoring and development activities reporting on project activities at the District and and resources. Lower Council’s and ensuring accountability and transparency in the management and delivery of Council services. District Play a multi-sectoral role of To be composed of relevant Medium Continuous � Reports Implementation coordinating and steering technical staff at the District, led by � Workshops Support Team-DIST development program the District Environment and � Meetings Natural Resources Officer with a � Site visits role to regularly discuss � Case studies implementation of the project activities. District Production a. To coordinate, manage a. To coordination of production Medium Continuous � Reports Officer-DPO and monitor the and marketing of project � Workshops production and interventions in the District; � Meetings marketing b. Coordinating the preparation � Site visits programmes, projects of production and marketing � Case studies and activities in the Strategic Action Plans for the District; district; b. Coordinating the c. Coordinating the preparation of implementation of production and Government production and marketing Strategic marketing policies, Action Plans for the programmes, projects; and district; 42 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation c. Coordinating the d. Coordinating the delivery of implementation of production and marketing Government extension services in the production and District. marketing policies, programmes, projects; and d. Coordinating the delivery of production and marketing extension services in the District. Community a. Organizing local a. Mobilizing local communities Medium Continuous � Reports Development Officer- communities to to � Workshops CDO effectively participate effectively participate in CSATP � Training sessions in development project; � Meetings initiatives; b. Support effective � Site visits b. Sensitizing mainstreaming of gender and � Case studies communities on gender social rights into the project; issues, c. Monitoring and reporting on social rights, roles and community involvement in obligations; CSATP interventions; and c. Monitoring, evaluating d. Devising means to promote and reporting on equal participation of different community groups and individuals in the development communities in the project. programmes and projects; and d. Promoting the equal participation of all communities in development programmes. 43 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation District Natural a. To manage the a. Support CSATP initiatives in the Medium d. Continuous � Reports Resources Officer sustainable harnessing communities in renewable and � Workshops of the environment sustainable energy activities; � Training sessions within the District; b. support to local environment � Meetings b. Supporting community- communities on the � Site visits based initiatives on the implementation of � Case studies renewal and environmental policies and sustainability of the programmes; and natural environment; c. Lead in the delivery of CSATP c. Providing technical interventions aimed at support to local restoration of degraded lands environment (forests, wetlands and committees on the ecosystems). implementation of environmental policies and programmes. District Environment a. To support Management of awareness and Medium Continuous � Reports Officer-DEO environmental sensitization on environmental � Workshops conservation sustainability in the districts. � Training sessions programmes in the � Meetings District; � Site visits b. Ensure effective � Case studies integration of environmental and social concerns into district development agenda; and c. Supervision of development projects in the district in line with applicable laws and policies on environment. Subcounty level 44 Organization/Agency Role Specific functions (relating to Degree of impact Frequency, timing Methods of CSATP implementation) and influence engagement/Consultation Sub County Chief To manage and coordinate Oversight role over the activities Medium Continuous � Reports (Senior Assistant the implementation of and functioning of Sub-county � Workshops Secretary) policies, programmes, Implementation Support Team � Training sessions projects and laws of (SIST) with respect to CSATP � Meetings Government and Local activities at sub-county and lower � Site visits Council III for the general government levels. welfare and development of the population. Community level category Farmers, catchment Implementers and a. Participate in the Community Medium Continuous c. Reports management beneficiaries Based Watershed d. Workshops organizations, NGOS, Development (CBWD) model e. Training sessions CBOs and pastoralists developed by ministry of water f. Meetings etc. and environments under g. Site visits guidance of the District Natural Resource and Environmental Officer; b. Adoption and implementation of project activities. The Vulnerable Vulnerable groups often Mainstream measures for Low Continuous � Reports Groups (Please sidelined in development meaningful inclusion on VMMGs � Meetings indicate these groups interventions into UCSTP � Training sessions here) � Case studies/Study tours Development Partners The World Bank is to a. Counter financing of CSATP; High Continuous � Reports especially provide financing and b. Technical support towards � Meetings World Bank technical assistance to effective and efficient � Inspections government (GoU/MAAIF) implementation of the project � Workshops towards operationalization in line with lending agreement; of CSATP. c. Support supervision 45 3.7.2 VULNERABLE GROUPS 3.7.3 DISADVANTAGED/VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS Vulnerable Groups in the Project refer to those who are likely to be adversely affected by project impacts and/or are more limited than others in their ability to take advantage of Project benefits. Such individuals or groups are susceptible to exclusion from, and/or are unable to fully participate in the mainstreaming consultation process and as such may require specific measures and assistance to ensure adequate inclusion in Program activities. Vulnerable Groups include hunter- gatherer communities, pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities which in this project include groups like Ik/Teuso of Kabong, Batwa, Tepeth, the Benet of Mt. Elgon, female headed households, people with disabilities, elderly persons amongst others. The Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups Framework (VMGF) that has been prepared alongside this SEF is to be a guide for fully engaging Vulnerable and marginalized Groups Communities in specific plans that will be developed during the implementation of CSATP at the community level. Therefore, the implementation of the VMGF in the Project will help the Vulnerable Groups to create important opportunities for improving their quality of life and wellbeing. The Program will have potential benefits to Vulnerable Groups with minor negative impacts of less significance and magnitude. The Program is aimed at maintaining and strengthening positive outcomes and mitigating negative impacts. The CSATP Project Management Unit (PMU) will establish a monitoring system involving mainly CSATP staff at national, as well as at district, sub-county and community levels to ensure effective implementation of VMGFs at all levels. The Grievance Redress Mechanism is to provide a formal channel for community members to air grievances and to improve performance and provide a high level of accountability. Vulnerable groups within the communities affected by the project will be further confirmed and consulted during Environmental and Social Assessment preparation through dedicated means, as appropriate. Vulnerable stakeholders require an open and inclusive approach to engagement that provides them with suitable opportunities to participate and voice their concerns. Some vulnerable stakeholders will need special attention in this SEF due to the factors that define their vulnerability. Accordingly, differentiated measures may be applied to ensure effective participation and obtain feedback from vulnerable stakeholders. 3.7.3.1 IDENTIFICATION OF VULNERABLE GROUPS UCSATP will continue identify individuals and groups who may be differentially or disproportionately affected by operations due to their disadvantaged, isolated or vulnerable status and consider specific and proactive engagement measures for these groups. The outcomes of the various socio-economic baseline and impact studies (including the applicability of Environmental and Social Standard 7: Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Communities) identified the following potentially vulnerable groups as being within or near to the UCSATP project’s area of influence (Table 3 -6). Table 3-7: Uganda Vvulnerable People Groups Conflict related Demographic categories Poverty related � Refugees � Asset- less widows and � Urban and rural poor; � Internally displaced widowers; � Urban unemployed; Persons � Orphans and abandoned � Low paid workers � War orphans children; � Informal sector workers � Abductees � Beggars 46 Households living near conflict � Female headed � Squatters zones. households; � Landless � Child headed households; � Nomadic pastoralists � People with disabilities Peasants [PWD) � Plantation workers � The chronically sick; � Unemployed Youth � HIV/AIDS infected and affected persons; � Victims of domestic violence; � Ethnic minorities; � Street children (Source: The National Equal Opportunities Policy, 2006, -MoGLSD-Kampala). 3.7.3.2 PRINCIPLES AND GOALS OF ENGAGEMENT UCSATP recognizes that, its progress and decisions can be enhanced through dialogue with the community and relevant stakeholders, including residents, businesses, government and other interested parties. Therefore, understanding the interests, concerns, requirements and preferred outcomes of these groups enables UCSATP and its service providers and contractors to find solutions to the issues and challenges likely to arise in delivering the sub-projects. Table 3-7 sets out the core principles and goals of UCSATP’s Community and Stakeholder Engagement Management Framework throughout its planning and subsequent implementation phases. Table 3-8: Principles of Goals of UCSATP Engagement No. Principle Goal 01. Effective Engagement is open, consistent, inclusive, accessible and transparent throughout planning and delivery of the project. 02. Timely Engagement spans all stages of the project, ensuring information is provided to stakeholders as the project develops and feedback is responded to and incorporated in the project’s development. 03. Meaningful Engagement is clear on the elements of the project that can be influenced by the community and stakeholders, how the feedback will be used and is explicit on which elements of the project are fixed and the reason for this. 04. No surprises Engage early to gain understanding of interests, concerns, requirements and preferred outcomes. Close the loop to demonstrate how feedback has been considered. 47 4 PAST STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN THE PROJECT 4.1 OVERVIEW Initial consultations under the UCSATP have been held as part of project preparation as well as during the preparation of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Vulnerable and Marginalized People Framework (VMPF), Resettlement Policy Framework-RPF as well as this SEF. The project will continue with its stakeholder engagement the subsequent follow up phases. Issues from these engagements will continue to inform UCSATP in terms of its design and finer formulation. More detailed stakeholder engagement will be undertaken once the project details emerge and interventions clarified. 4.2 ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WITH STAKEHOLDERS During the preparation of the Environmental and Social Safeguards documents for the CSATP, the following methods of engagement were used to inform the various stakeholders and public about the proposed Project, specifically its key components and activities. The public consultation period began on 6th January 2022 to March 2022. The process served to provide information about the project and the purpose of the ESMF as well as a framework for environment and social compliance during project implementation. The design team held introductory meetings with the Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists for ACDP which helped to map out stakeholders to be contacted and their contacts as well. The ACDP Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists also did raise the district stakeholders on phone to inform them about the study which paved way for subsequent engagements by the ESMF Consultant, besides the letters sent to the participating Chief Administration Officers (CAOs) to introduce the Consultants. 4.3 CONSULTATION DURING PROJECT FORMULATION AND DESIGN At this stage, MAAIF project team took a center stage to consult key stakeholders both the national and local governments (LGs). These consultations covered a number of aspects which were key in the formulation and design of CSATP. This helped in creating understanding of agricultural production challenges triggered by erratic weather changes, people perceptions and their input to possible interventions, clarifying project objectives, possible project activities, access criteria, implementation modalities and inspire stakeholders to actively participate in Project implementation. The project preparation process was done through electronic, print and traditional media, workshops, seminars and community meetings. The sensitization and mobilization campaigns are expected to initially stimulate community interest in the project support as well as promote effective stakeholder participation, transparency and accountability in Project implementation throughout the subproject cycle. To this end, the communities have willingly so far expressed their interest and support for the project. This project has cascaded from national, regional, district, sub-county up to village establishments. 4.3.1 FACE TO FACE CONSULTATIONS DURING SAFEGUARDS DOCUMENTS PREPARATION Where it was deemed feasible and safe, face to face consultative meetings were held following Ministry of Health COVID-19 Standard Operation Procedures alongside WHO Guidelines as well as World Bank COVID-19 Guidelines1. At its bare minimum, the meetings observed the following: a. Those attending were made to ensure that, a distance of at least one meter between each other was observed during the consultation meetings (Figures 4-1&4-2); b. At the entrance to the meeting places, there were adequate hand washing facilities with soap and water and whoever entered the meeting venue had to hand wash and sanitize before admission; c. All participants were required to wear a face mask at all times, ensuring complete coverage of the nose, and mouth; 1 Technical Note: Public Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement in WB-supported operations when there are constraints on conducting public meetings March20, 2020 48 d. The meeting areas were clean and hygienic and surfaces of plastic chairs and tables were regularly cleaned with disinfectants (soap and water) i.e., at least before and after the meeting; e. During the meetings, some meeting DO’S and DON’TS were explained to participants such as: � Covering your mouth and nose with tissue or a handkerchief when coughing and sneezing; � The handkerchief once used is wrapped properly in a polyethene bag for washing and ironing after leaving the meeting. Those with disposable tissues should dispose used tissues into provided waste bins to protect others from any virus released through cough and sneezing; � Wash hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand rub immediately after using the tissue or handkerchief; � Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth at all times. Hands touch many surfaces including money which can be contaminated with the virus and you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself; � AVOID hand-shakes and hugging at all times; and � DO NOT SPIT in public. Identify secluded places like pit latrines or toilets for purposes of spitting and wash your hands immediately with soap and water. Figure 4-1: Consultative meetings with farmers in Figure 4-2: Consultative meetings in Namayingo Iganga in Eastern Uganda areas during ESMF study 4.4 SOME OF THE KEY STAKEHOLDER CONCERNS AND VIEWS ABOUT UCSATP The stakeholders raised some concerns which can summarized as follows and details of the meetings are in Annex 5.1 (summary of virtual meetings conducted): � There are high expectations from the project in the communities in that, they look forward to some employment opportunities in its various activities. The project should provide information to the public with respect to possible employment that are likely to be generated; � Possible avenue for gaining on-job training and capacity building for those to be employed in the project. Implicit desire of affected people and the communities to develop new/existing skills needed for employment or to support entrepreneurial ambitions. However, skills development is part of the project interventions under its capacity building plans; � Potential to serve as source of income for local service providers who supply materials and other basic goods required to the operations of the project. It is clear they communities require support their businesses by availing right and update information on goods and services that will be required in the project; � ensuring that, capacities of the beneficiaries to manage the investments at the end of the project cycle are built so that they are able replicate and adopt to their conditions; � The project should start as soon as it is approved so that, the communities are saved from the problems of rampant droughts, floods and related weather challenges that have affected food production; � The project will require extensive gender sensitization through training of staff, community sensitization and awareness creation on gender using gender sensitive language, gender sensitive and inclusive IEC material and radio talk shows. Need for adequate involvement of diverse 49 stakeholders taking into gender and related vulnerabilities in the communities; ensuring that technologies to be promoted in the project should be easily adapted to the local settings; This will help get women to be part of the project for their meaningful engagement in the project interventions; � Value chain improvements interventions must incorporate measures and technologies for waste management which use technologies like rec-cycling etc. Outside most rice mills, there are heaps of straw which farmers are not able to effectively turn to usable products that can be used as fertilizers, sources of cooking fuel amongst others; � The livestock component has to come with technologies for Greenhouse gas management especially biogas technologies and applications; � One of the challenges in farming is erratic weather, how does the project ensure timely early warning weather information reaches the grass-root farmers so that they are able to synchronize their cropping schedule in line with the rains? � Issues of encroachment in swamps and wetlands by communities who grow rice growing hence, swamp reclamation. The project should come with alternatives so that people can easily get of wetlands if this CSA project is to meaningfully support environment and natural resource management. The question is, why have communities continued to be engaged in wetland encroachment despite them knowing the benefits from wetlands in terms of their values and uses, this is what should be looked at in the project to be able to have tangible project interventions; � Need for continued engagement with communities living near degraded and fragile ecosystems such as wetlands and forests so that, the project has responsive interventions that can enable communities abandon engaging in livelihoods in such ecosystems; � Issues of tree cutting by the communities for charcoal and firewood has degraded the environment, the need for the project to come clear with tangible measures of tree planting and the women be on the forefront on this as well as the youth. How are schools being targeted as well as tertiary training institutions as well as academia? � Need for continued sensitization and mobilization of the communities especially on the timelines of the project so that they are set to be meaningfully engaged in the project. The teams preparing the project should be providing such milestones; � Need for adequate involvement of diverse stakeholders taking into gender and related vulnerabilities in the communities; ensuring that technologies to be promoted in the project should be easily adapted to the local settings; � Enhancement of household livelihood initiatives under UCSATP; ensuring there is a clear and robust communication mechanism for managing grievances without reprimanding victims especially where there are instances of gender-based violence (GBV), sexual harassment (SH) and sexual exploitation (SE); � Wider stakeholder perceptions on the possible usage of safer pesticides especially in the event of pest invasions citing the current nationwide attacks by the ravaging Armyworms; � Insufficient water supply for farming purposes in that, farmers rely on rain water for irrigation therefore, irrigation technologies ought to be those which even the local communities can co-opt and operate; � Lack of mechanization is affecting farming. People have problems of opening up land by hand and others by oxen which oxen are not even available. There is urgent need for mechanization of agricultural operations so that agriculture is not seen as a burden but rather a venture that is enjoyable and profitable capable of attracting youth not when it has still its hand-hoe technology; � ensuring that infrastructure constructed by UCSATP especially the Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPWs) are well operated and maintained, reviewing project designs to ensure they include community needs including needs of the vulnerable; � Interest groups and vulnerable categories ought to have their resources and involvement ring- fenced otherwise they are often left out during implementation. What is key, let there be clear provisions for interventions meant for vulnerable groups in view of their uniqueness. In NUSAF 2 and 3 there was a special program and approach meant for Karamoja which should be the case under 50 UCSATP otherwise these groups tend to miss out from programs where they are included in the overall project interventions; � UCSATP in its PMU should amongst its staffing include a VMG Specialist who is to ensure information regarding the project is accordingly packaged and delivered to and from VMGs for their effective and meaningful involvement in UCSATP; and � improvement of information disclosure, more support to vulnerable persons and community training on safety awareness. 4.5 MEASURES TO IMPROVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT � To improve its stakeholder engagement methodology, integrating it within its management systems and meeting the international standards required by the World Bank, the following will be introduced: Review of existing stakeholder database and identification records to include consideration of stakeholders’ � rights and/or duties as well as their capacity to engage meaningfully with UCSATP (i.e. factors such vulnerability, literacy, traditional lifestyle and decision-making via village elders, etc.). Records will be reviewed and updated to reflect any notable changes in stakeholder status or circumstances; � A Commitments Register is introduced to collate and track all new environmental and social commitments made by the project to its various stakeholders over the life of the project and ensure timely follow-through on its promises. This is an essential tool for building trust and establishing good working relationships with stakeholders and will sit alongside the Framework ESMP and its Consolidated Register of ESIA Obligations; � Implement a Stakeholder categorization to facilitate the prioritization of both “affected communities, groups and individuals� and “other interested parties� in order to ensure the effective of planned engagement and liaison activities. A stakeholder mapping process is being added to help define appropriate levels and types of engagement required for each defined stakeholder category, facilitating due attention to vulnerable or marginalized groups; � Key Stakeholder Profiles will be maintained for both designated key informants and those affected parties which have influence or are subject to high impacts, the knowledge and legitimacy, and are capable and willing to engage with the project; � A Vulnerability Screening Checklist to facilitate evaluation of capacity and identify any future change in status to facilitate a re-evaluation of mitigation assistance where essential; � Stakeholder Engagement introduced to ensure proper preparation of each event or activity, including consideration of range of practical issues, the potential risks associated and a culturally appropriate approach; and � Contact Reports are being introduced to record all interactions with stakeholders, except for grievances which are recorded and processed as per the GRM. This form will be completed by the Social Safeguards Specialist or any other employee or consultant undertaking stakeholder engagement activities. The stakeholder database will be updated with information from the Contact Reports to facilitate key word searches on specific topics, generate lists of target stakeholder groups and support the planning of engagement and liaison activities. 4.6 DISCLOSURES The UCSATP website will be used to disclose project documents, including those on environmental and social performance. This will begin with disclosure of this draft SEF and the draft ESMF and RPF. Besides the draft disclosure documents (and the final documents in future), project brochures and updates will be posted. An easy- to-understand guide to the terminology used in the environmental and social reports or documents will also be posted on the website. In addition, the site will provide details about the Grievance Redress Mechanism and contact details for the Social Safeguards Specialist. UCSATP will update and maintain the website regularly. 4.7 DISCLOSURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS DOCUMENTS 51 Project environmental and social safeguards documents (ESMF, ESMP, SEF, RFP, VMGF) shall be disclosed for public review and comment. UCSATP will continue applying the similar approach to disclosure for any additional E&S appraisal materials that will be prepared as part of the project development. The ESMF report (together with its associated environmental and social management plan – ESMP), RPF, VMGF and SEF shall be made available for public review for the period of 60 days in accordance with the international requirements. a. Distribution of the disclosure materials will be accomplished by making them available at venues and locations frequented by the community and places to which public have unhindered access. Free printed copies of the ESMF/ESMPs, VMGF/VMGP, RPF/RAP and the SEF will be made accessible for the general public at the following locations such as: The Project Management Unit offices; b. All the District Project Offices; c. At the Sub-county offices in the project areas d. e. Local NGO offices where available; and f. Other designated public locations to ensure wide dissemination of the materials. Electronic copies of the ESMF, ESMP, VMGF, RFP, RAP (as required) and SEF shall be uploaded on the UCSATP website: http://www. https://www.agriculture.go.ug/contact/ucsatp/. This allows stakeholders with access to Internet to view information about the planned development and to initiate their involvement in the public consultation process. The mechanisms used for facilitating input from stakeholders include press releases and announcements in the media, notifications of the aforementioned disclosed materials to local, regional and national NGOs as well as other interested parties. The disclosure process will include the following: a. Placement of the ESMF, RPF, and SEF in public domain 60-day disclosure period b. Public consultation meetings in project affected communities and with other stakeholders to present and discuss findings of the documents. c. Addressing stakeholder feedback received on the entire disclosure package. The SEF will remain in the public domain for the entire period of project development and will be updated on a regular basis as the project progresses through its various phases, in order to ensure timely identification of any new stakeholders and interested parties and their involvement in the process of collaboration with the project. The methods of engagement will also be revised periodically to maintain their effectiveness and relevance to the project’s evolving environment. Apart from disclosure in the project areas, the safeguard instruments will also be disclosed in the World Bank external website. 4.7.1 GRIEVANCE MECHANISM Effective and timely response to community complaints is essential for maintaining good community relations UCSATP is committed to having an effective complaint handling system that reflects the needs, expectations and rights of complainants (Annex 02). The guiding principles for managing complaints are: a. Fairness: The grievance redress system will treat complainants with respect and courtesy. The rules of natural justice apply and, where appropriate, all parties involved in the complaint will be given the opportunity to respond to any issues raised. b. Transparency and accessibility: The complaints handling system will be well known to stakeholders, staff and contractors. It includes information about the right to complain, how to do it, where to do it and how the complaint will be handled. Details on the complaints handling process will be available to all. There is no charge to the complainant for accessing the complaints handling system. The complaints handling system and supporting information aims to be easy to understand, use, and be in plain language. Interpreter services should be provided, where possible, for people from a non-English speaking background. 52 c. Responsiveness: Complaints will be dealt with quickly, courteously, fairly and within established timelines. Complainants will be advised of how long it will take to deal with the complaint in accordance with complaint handling timelines and kept informed of the progress. If additional time is required to resolve the issues the complainant will be kept informed and advised of the additional time required and the reasons for the delay. If the complaint is still not resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction, we will explain our decision clearly, and offer any possible alternative actions or review opportunities. d. Privacy and confidentiality: The complaint handling process will ensure complainant confidentiality and also ensure confidentiality in the case of complaints against staff. Details of complaints should only be known by those directly concerned. e. Accountability: The complaint handling system is open to scrutiny by members of the public and other oversight bodies e.g. the Inspectorate of Government-IGG (Ombudsman). An appropriate reporting mechanism on the operation of the complaints process will be maintained. UCSATP shall maintain a complaint register and regularly audit the complaints handling system with appropriate action plans formulated to address any deficiencies. UCSATP has a developed methodology of recording and resolving grievances in the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) based on the lessons learnt in UCSATP. The channels of uptake at all levels will include walk- ins, face-to-face communication, toll-free calls, letters, e-mails, text messages, WhatsApp, etc. The mediation process shall be confidential, transparent and objective, as well as accountable, easy, fast, accurate and participative. The general steps of the grievance process have been summarized as follows: � Registration/receipt/Acknowledgment of Complaints � Investigate and determine solution to the complaint � Implementing the Redress Action; � Verifying the Redress Action; � Monitoring and Evaluation; and � Recourse or Alternatives PROJECT LEVEL GRIEVANCE MECHANISM When local people present a grievance, they generally expect to receive one or more of the following: acknowledgment of their problem, honest response to questions about project activities, apology, compensation, modification of the conduct that caused the grievance and some other fair remedy. In voicing their concerns, they also expect to be heard and taken seriously. PROCEDURES AND TIME FRAMES There is no ideal model or one�size�fits�all approach to grievance resolution. The best solutions to conflicts are generally achieved through localized mechanisms that take account of the specific issues, cultural context, local customs, and project conditions and scale. In its simplest form, a grievance mechanism can be broken down into the following primary components: a. Receive and register a complaint. b. Screen and validate the complaint. c. Formulate a response. d. Select a resolution approach, based on consultation with affected person/group. e. Implement the approach. f. Settle the issues. g. Track and evaluate results. Learn from the experience and communicate back to all parties involved Level 1: Local grievance redress committees (LGRC) will be initiated at the village level to record grievances and also help in mediation. This committee will comprise the LC I Chairperson, a trusted village elder, a religious representative, an elected PAP representative, representative of Farmer Group and specific vulnerable group representatives of relevance to the village i.e. women, youth and the disabled. 53 Disputes will be resolved at the village level as far as possible. The project will prioritize use of existing Grievance Redress Structures/ Committees as opposed to forming new ones. In such cases, the project will be introduced to the existing GRCs and taken through the project specific GRM requirements. Level 2: The Grievance Redress Committee at the Sub County level This will be established at sub county level to deal with grievances unsettled at the community or farmer groups level. It will comprise of approximately 5 members; a. The Sub County Chief, Chairperson to the committee b. The Community Development Officer, Secretary to the committee c. Secretary for Production, as member d. A representative of vulnerable groups (women etc.), as member e. Agriculture extension officer, as member Level 3: District Level Grievance Redress Committee This will be established to deal with any grievances unsettled at the Farmer Group or Sub County levels. the GRC at the district will comprise of 7 members; a. Chief Administrative Officer, shall be the Chairperson to the committee b. District Community Development Officer, shall be the Secretary c. Secretary for Production, as member d. District Production and Marketing Officer, as member e. District Project Focal Person, as member f. District Environment Officer, as member g. District Labour Officer, as member The PIU through the Social Development Specialist will technically guide the formation and selection of GRCs and continually build their capacities to receive and handle complaints first hand. The Social Development Specialist will be supported by the National Grievance Redress Committee that will be established to handle all referral complaints. The Chairperson of the Village GRC shall have responsibility to liaise with the Sub County Community Development Officer who shall coordinate the functioning of all farmer groups GRCs in the Sub County including documentation and reporting to the district Focal Person. The District Community Development Officer or as designated at the discretion of the CAO shall be the Technical Focal Officer for the GRM. The mechanism will utilize tools and devices such as Logbooks, Complaints Registration Form (ANNEX 12.2), E-GRM developed under Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP), telephones, opinion/suggestion boxes, emails, letters, and walk-ins. The grievance mechanism implementation process is as follows for the project: a. The Local Grievance Redress Committee (LGRC) will interrogate the PAP/Complainant in the local language and complete a Grievance Form which will be signed by the leader of the LGRC and the PAP/complainant. This will then be lodged in the Grievance Log/Register provided by the Grievance focal Officer; b. The PAP should expect a response from the LGRC within seven days of filing the complaint. If the issue is not resolved, the LGRC will forward the complaint to the GRC at the Sub County, and accordingly inform the Complainant; c. The GRC at the Sub County will be given a fourteen-day notice to hold a meeting. Two days after the meeting, the Sub County GRC will call the PAP and LGRC for discussions, feedback and resolution. The resolution will be presented to the PAP in written form within the same day of the meeting. If there is no resolution to the grievance, the GRC at the Sub County and the PAP shall then refer the matter to the GRC at the District level; d. The GRC at the District will be given a fourteen-day notice to hold a meeting. Two days after the meeting, the GRC will call the PAP and LGRC for discussions and resolution. The resolution will be presented to the PAP in written form within the same day of the meeting; 54 e. If there is no resolution to the grievance, the GRC at the district level and the PAP shall then refer the matter to the District Land Tribunal for land-related issues and to MAAIF head office for all other grievances; and Appeal to Court - The Ugandan laws allow any aggrieved person the right to access to Court of law. If the complainant still remains dissatisfied with the District Land Tribunal or MAAIF top management in Entebbe, the complainant has the option to pursue appropriate recourse via judicial process in Uganda. Courts of law will be a “last resort� option, in view of the above mechanism. The Process Flow Chart of Grievance Redress Mechanism Registration of grievance by secretary of LGRC Closure of grievance by LGRC Is Complainant Closure of complaint Satisfied Refer to the Subcounty committee Is Complainant Closure of complaint Satisfied Refer to the District committee Is the complainant satisfied Closure of complaint Resort to courts of Law 55 4.7.2 WORKER GRIEVANCE MECHANISM The Project is committed to enforcing comprehensive labor and employment policies, including its requirements on workplace discrimination and harassment, across the entire workforce. This policy requires that all employees and contractor/service providers workers are to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, and have equal employment opportunities. Breast The project implementers/contractors will be required to develop a Labor Management Plan that includes an authorized process for workers to raise grievances and concerns to senior management, covering any issues that are work related, that affect an employee or contractor, or that an employee deems unfair. Such concerns may relate (but are not limited) to the following: � Management decisions; � Occupational health and safety concerns; � The behaviour or conduct of another employee, manager, or contractor; and � The effects of UCSATP’s contractors’ Human Resources policy or procedures. UCSATP will ensure that all grievances raised by workers are treated impartially, respectfully and confidentially. The employee grievance process is separate from the aforementioned RAP grievance procedures. 56 5 STEP BY STEP PROCESS IN PREPARING THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGAEMENT PLAN (SEP) 5.1 INTRODUCTION/PROJECT DESCRIPTION Brief description of CSATP project, the stage of the project, its purpose, and what decisions are currently under consideration on which public input is sought. Describe location and, where possible, include a map of the project site(s) and surrounding area, showing communities and proximity to sensitive sites, and including any worker accommodation, lay-down yards, or other temporary activities that also may impact stakeholders. Provide a link to, or attach a nontechnical summary of, the potential social and environmental risks and impacts of the project. 5.2 BRIEF SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES If consultation or disclosure activities have been undertaken to date, including information disclosure and informal or formal meetings/or consultation, provide a summary of those activities (no more than half a page), the information disclosed, and where more detailed information on these previous activities can be obtained (for example, a link, or physical location, or make available on request). 5.3 STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS Identify key stakeholders who will be informed and consulted about the project, including individuals, groups, or communities that: are affected or likely to be affected by the project (project-affected parties); and may have an interest in the project (other interested parties). Depending on the nature and scope of the project and its potential risks and impacts, examples of other potential stakeholders may include government authorities, local organizations, NGOs, and companies, and nearby communities. Stakeholders may also include politicians, labor unions, academics, religious groups, national social and environmental public-sector agencies, and the media. 5.4 AFFECTED PARTIES Identify individuals, groups, local communities, and other stakeholders that may be directly or indirectly affected by the project, positively or negatively. The SEP should focus particularly on those directly and adversely affected by project activities. Mapping the impact zones by placing the affected communities within a geographic area can help define or refine the project’s area of influence. The SEP should identify others who think they may be affected, and who will need additional information to understand the limits of project impacts. 5.5 OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES Identify broader stakeholders who may be interested in the project because of its location, its proximity to natural or other resources, or because of the sector or parties involved in the project. These may be local government officials, community leaders, and civil society organizations, particularly those who work in or with the affected communities. While these groups may not be directly affected by the project, they may have a role in the project preparation (for example, government permitting) or be in a community affected by the project and have a broader concern than their individual household. Moreover, civil society and nongovernmental organizations may have in-depth knowledge about the environmental and social characteristics of the project area and the nearby populations, and can help play a role in identifying risks, potential impacts, and opportunities for the Borrower to consider and address in the assessment process. Some groups may be interested in the project because of the sector it is in (for example health care), and others may wish to have information simply because public finance is being proposed to support the project. It is not important to identify the underlying reasons why people or groups want information about a project—if the information is in the public domain, it should be open to anyone interested. 57 5.6 DISADVANTAGED / VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS It is particularly important to understand project impacts and whether they may disproportionately fall on disadvantaged or vulnerable individuals or groups, who often do not have a voice to express their concerns or understand the impacts of a project. The following can help outline an approach to understand the viewpoints of these groups: a) Identify vulnerable or disadvantaged individuals or groups and the limitations they may have in participating and/or in understanding the project information or participating in the consultation process. b) What might prevent these individuals or groups from participating in the planned process? (For example, language differences, lack of transportation to events, accessibility of venues, disability, lack of understanding of a consultation process). c) How do they normally get information about the community, projects, activities? d) Do they have limitations about time of day or location for public consultation? e) What additional support or resources might be needed to enable these people to participate in the consultation process? (Examples are providing translation into a minority language, sign language, large print or branded information; choosing accessible venues for events; providing transportation for people in remote areas to the nearest meeting; having small, focused meetings where vulnerable stakeholders are more comfortable asking questions or raising concerns.) f) If there are no organizations active in the project area that work with vulnerable groups, such as persons with disability, contact medical providers, who may be more aware of marginalized groups and how best to communicate with them. What recent engagement has the project had with vulnerable stakeholders and their representatives? 5.7 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM 5.7.1 PURPOSE AND TIMING OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM Summarize the main goals of the stakeholder engagement program and the envisaged schedule for the various stakeholder engagement activities: at what stages throughout the project’s life they will take place, with what periodicity, and what decision is being undertaken on which people’s comments and concerns. If decisions on public meetings, locations, and timing of meetings have not yet been made, provide specific information on how people will be made aware of forthcoming opportunities to review information and provide their views. Include the ESCP as part of such information. 5.8 PROPOSED STRATEGY FOR INFORMATION DISCLOSURE Methods used may vary according to target audience. For each media example, identify the specific names, for example, The Daily Monitor and Capital FM, NTV. Table 5-1: Information Disclosure Channels Stakeholder Proposed Media to be used during information disclosure Categorization Urban Areas TV’s (NTV, NBS, UBC among others), Newspapers, letters, emails, phone calls, physical visits Rural Areas Radios (Capital FM or local radio stations), Use of Local councilors, physical visits, meetings, Women FGDs, Meetings, physical visits, phone calls, women representatives, Indigenous People FGD’s, use of local distinct language and trusted leaders. Use of skilled translators. PAPs Newspapers, TV’s, Radio’s, physical visits, local councilors, Ministries, Letters, emails, phone calls, reports, meetings, physical field visits among others Departments and Agencies NGO’s GRM’s, General public Newspapers, radio’s, TV’s, 58 The project routinely gets information and may include a more central information source for national interest. A variety of methods of communication should be used to reach the majority of stakeholders. The project should select those that are most appropriate and have a clear rationale for their choices. The plan should include a statement welcoming comment on the proposed engagement plan and suggestions for improvement. For remote stakeholders, it may be necessary to provide for an additional newspaper outlet or separate meeting, or additional documents that should be placed in the public domain. The public domain includes: i. Newspapers, posters, radio, television; ii. Information centers and exhibitions or other visual displays; iii. Brochures, leaflets, posters, nontechnical summary documents and reports; iv. Official correspondence, meetings; v. Website, social media. The strategy should include means to consult with project-affected stakeholders if there are significant changes to the project resulting in additional risks and impacts. Following such consultation, an updated commitment plan will be disclosed. 5.9 PROPOSED STRATEGY FOR CONSULTATION Briefly describe the methods that will be used to consult with each of the stakeholder groups. Methods used may vary according to target audience, for example: i. Interviews with stakeholders and relevant organization; ii. Surveys, polls, and questionnaires; iii. Public meetings, workshops, and/or focus groups on specific topic; and iv. Participatory methods. 5.10 PROPOSED STRATEGY TO INCORPORATE THE VIEWS OF VULNERABLE GROUPS Describe how the views of vulnerable or disadvantaged groups will be sought during the consultation process. Which measures will be used to remove obstacles to participation? This may include separate mechanisms for consultation and grievances, developing measures that allow access to project benefits, and so forth. 5.11 TIMELINES Provide information on timelines for project phases and key decisions. Provide deadlines for comments. 5.12 REVIEW OF COMMENTS Explain how comments will be gathered (written and oral comments) and reviewed, and commit to reporting back to stakeholders on the final decision and a summary of how comments were considered. 5.13 FUTURE PHASES OF THE PROJECT Explain that people will be kept informed as the project develops, including reporting on project environmental and social performance and implementation of the stakeholder engagement plan and grievance mechanism. Projects should report at least annually to stakeholders, but often will report more frequently during particularly active periods, when the public may experience more impacts or when phases are changing (for example, quarterly reports during construction, then annual reports during implementation). 5.14 RESOURCES Indicate what resources will be devoted to managing and implementing the Stakeholder Engagement Plan, in particular: a. Which people are in charge of the SEP? 59 b. Confirm that an adequate budget has been allocated toward stakeholder engagement c. Provide contact information if people have comments or questions about the project or the consultation process; that is, phone number, address, e-mail address, title of responsible person. 5.15 MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES Describe how stakeholder engagement activities will be incorporated into the project’s management system and indicate what staff will be devoted to managing and implementing the Stakeholder Engagement Plan: a. Who will be responsible for carrying out each of the stakeholder engagement activities and what are the qualifications of those responsible? b. How involved will management be in stakeholder engagement? c. How will the process be documented, tracked, and managed (for example, stakeholder database, commitments register, and so forth)? 5.16 GRIEVANCE MECHANISM Describe the process by which people affected by the project can bring their grievances and concerns to the project management’s attention, and how they will be considered and addressed: a) Is there an existing formal or informal grievance mechanism, and does it meet the requirements of ESS10? Can it be adapted or does something new need to be established? b) Is the grievance mechanism culturally appropriate, that is, is it designed to consider culturally appropriate ways of handling community concerns? For example, in cultures where men and women have separate meetings, can a woman raise a concern to a woman in the project grievance process? c) What process will be used to document complaints and concerns? Who will receive public grievances? How will they be logged and monitored? d) What time commitments will be made to acknowledge and resolve issues? Will there be ongoing communication with the complainant throughout the process? e) How will the existence of the grievance mechanism be communicated to all stakeholder groups? Are separate processes needed for vulnerable stakeholders? f) If a complaint is not considered appropriate to investigate, will an explanation be provided to the complainant on why it could not be pursued? g) Will there be an appeal process if the complainant is not satisfied with the proposed resolution of the complaint? Not all projects will necessarily have an appeals process, but it is advisable to include one for more complex projects. In all cases, complainants need to be reassured that they still have all their legal rights under their national judicial process. h) A summary of implementation of the grievance mechanism should be provided to the public on a regular basis, after removing identifying information on individuals to protect their identities. How often will reports go into the public domain to show that the process is being implemented? 5.16.1 MONITORING AND REPORTING The Stakeholder Engagement Plan will be periodically revised and updated as necessary in the course project implementations in order to ensure that the information presented herein is consistent and is the most recent, and that the identified methods of engagement remain appropriate and effective in relation to the project context and specific phases of the development. Any major changes to the project related activities and to its schedule will be duly reflected in the SEF. Monthly summaries and internal reports on public grievances, enquiries and related incidents, together with the status of implementation of associated corrective/preventative actions will be collated by responsible staff and referred to the senior management of the project(s). The monthly summaries will provide a mechanism for assessing both the number and the nature of complaints and requests for information, along with the Project’s ability to address those in a timely and effective manner. 60 Contact Reports are to be prepared by Social Safeguards Specialist for the project or other relevant function whenever an external consultation event is conducted. Meeting minutes are also to be kept for community meetings and other ESHS engagement activities held with affected stakeholders. Where considered beneficial, participative community monitoring programmes will be introduced to check project impacts and the effectiveness of mitigation programs). The Safeguards Teams will establish suitable environmental and/or social topics for this approach, identify potential participants from amongst the affected communities, and provide any capacity building/training. The output (reports from participants) from such monitoring is likely to be verbal (meetings or telephones) and will be recorded. Other project teams shall maintain suitable monitoring measures for engagement with interested parties/ other stakeholders such as national government and its agencies, NGOs and the general public. All new commitments made by UCSATP or its representatives to stakeholders are to be entered into the Commitments Register. Information on public engagement activities undertaken by the Project during the year may be conveyed to the stakeholders in a standalone annual report on project’s interaction with the stakeholders. 5.16.2 MONITORING INDICATORS A number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will also be monitored by the project on a regular basis, including the following parameters: a. Number of public hearings, consultation meetings and other public discussions/forums conducted within a reporting period (e.g. monthly, quarterly, or annually); b. Number of participants attending consultation meetings and other forums disaggregated to show women, and vulnerable and marginalized persons; a. Frequency of public engagement activities; c. Geographical coverage of public engagement activities – number of locations and settlements covered by the consultation process, including the settlements in remote areas within the Project Area of Influence (PAI); d. Number of public grievances received within a reporting period (e.g. monthly, quarterly, or annually) and number of those resolved within the prescribed timeline; e. Type of public grievances received; and Number of press materials published/broadcasted in the local, regional, and national media. 5.16.3 INFORMATION SHARING Information sharing and knowledge transfer is an important part of the successful transition from the planning and design phase to detailed design and delivery phase of the sub-projects. UCSATP and its sub- projects will work together to ensure the contractors have a strong understanding of the project’s stakeholders and their interests, concerns and desired outcomes for the project, based on engagement undertaken to date. This will minimize the need for contractors to revisit matters that stakeholders have previously raised with UCSATP. 5.17 IMPLEMENTATION BUDGET The implementation of the SEF is to be led by MAAIF through a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and the budget for its implementation is proposed as herein. No. Activities Approx. Cost (USD) 1 Stakeholder consultation meetings 52,000.00 2 Information products e.g. brochures 66,000.00 3 Publicity/media 30,000.00 61 4 Capacity building 55,000.00 5 Monitoring and evaluation 65,000.00 6 Engagement of Liaison Specialists/Officers in project areas 150,000.00 TOTAL 418,000.00 62 6 ANNEXES 6.1 ANNEX 01: SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS FROM VIRTUAL MEETINGS Meeting with the CSOs working with the Batwa. DATE 20th April 2022 START 10:00 am MEETING END 10:45 am MINUTES BY Ms. Nelson Omagor Venue of meeting A virtual Meeting by Mr. Nelson Omagor, Environmental and Social Safeguards Consultant and Ms. Penninah Zaninka Coordinator CSOs working with Batwa (0772660810). Subject of the Meeting Stakeholder consultations on the planned Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project with specific reference to involvement of the Batwa who are Vulnerable and Marginalized Group. The Meeting focused on the following aspects: A. Agenda: a. Self-Introductions b. Introduction of the project; its objectives, activities and beneficiaries as well as focus on Batwa involvement c. Submission by Thomas addressing agricultural challenges amongst the Ik with climate challenges and how they expect the project to be implemented with respect to Batwa and vulnerable people. d. Closure of the Meeting. B. Self-Introductions Self-introductions by the meeting and the subject of the Meeting was shared. The Consultant introduced the Project and outlined its objectives, planned activities as well as coverage of the Batwa people amongst the vulnerable people. The project is called Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project and MAAIF and that, services of JBN Consults and Planners Ltd had been retained for these services in keeping the World Bank requirements during project preparations. He added the project is answer to dwindling agricultural production occasioned largely by erratic climatic changes. As part of the project preparation process, its required that some of the key environmental and social safeguards documents need to be prepared and these include; ESMF, SEF and VMGF which is why the meeting now to provide input to these processes. C. Overview on the proposed project a. In Uganda Agriculture is mainly dependent on rain therefore the climate shocks will continue to have significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural productivity and incomes so there is need to build resilience to climatic shocks; b. The consultant informed Ms. Penninah how the project will support investments in technologies and market driven productivity in climate smart value chains which will contribute to reversing of climate change hence increase in agriculture productivity and household incomes; and c. Some of the project components are promoting adoption of climate smart agriculture practices and value chains, strengthening climate smart agricultural research and seeds systems, strengthening agro-climatic monitoring and information systems and project coordination management, monitoring and evaluation and learning. D. Submission by Ms. Penniah on addressing agriculture production challenges amongst the Batwa Communities with a focus on climate change risks and how they would expect the project to be implemented with respect to Ik and vulnerable people. In the discussion Ms. Penninah submitted that: a. Land size and fertility are major constraints towards agricultural yields and contributors to food insecurity amongst the Batwa communities. It is also compounded by poorer fertility of Batwa cultivation plots compared with how the cultivation plots of other communities in neighboring districts in Kanungu are. This is all part of well-known historical injustices where the Batwa were pushed out of their productive lands for the sake of conservation; 63 b. Due to land scarcity, Batwa households do practice over-cultivation, that depreciates their land fertility thereby depriving of them of good yields and food insecurity. c. Sometimes the Batwa communities do have good food harvests and good food access in terms of both quantity and quality and these happens during times of good rains and supply of good seed supply and absence of extreme weather events (e.g. drought, hailstorms), pests and crop raiding by wildlife from nearby national parks; d. Extreme weather events in both the dry and rainy seasons are some of the most frequent hazards in Batwa areas. During the dry season, many food crops dry up and the people have poor harvest and limited food items to eat. Some years, people plant millet it can rain heavily and all the seeds get washed by the storms; e. Droughts are perceived to be particularly difficult as they impact both food and water security: “We are affected by drought [a month or longer], like once a year. Dry seasons don’t only affect the crops but also our water sources dry up, yet most of the work and activities we do at home all rely on using water� (…..reported by Penninah Zannika pers.com.,); f. Awareness of potential coping strategies is key and the Batwa should be given tailormade programs addressing; crop rotation, inter-cropping, crop diversification, tree planting, cash crops growing such as tea and coffee, animal husbandry, support towards bee-keeping, provision of agricultural inputs to support improved yields, post-harvest technologies and long-term planning can be potential strategies to address improved crop production in the communities of the Batwa; g. However, lack of land to a very big extent restrict implementation of food production coping mechanisms. For example, different harvesting cycles of vegetables and legumes can provide food year-round if timed appropriately, but small plots cannot support such a diversity of crops. Sometimes communities are not able to produce adequate crop yields, they can grow food crops and after harvesting, they can survive on them for about a month and they get finished. They can never grow crops that can last for over a year whereas non-Indigenous neighboring (Bakiga) population are able to plant both staple and cash crops (coffee, tea), which lead to food security and improved cash wealth. The Batwa equally want to grow such crops and be wealthy but the question of land is a problem; h. By and large, amongst the Batwa members, there is a feeling that, they are systematically excluded from the political processes in Uganda due to systemic and structural barriers. For instance, many of them don’t have national identification cards and this makes it hard for them to access Government programs because those without national Identity cards are not recognized as Ugandan citizens. A number of them lack access to quality education in private schools because of school fees; i. To address the challenges of climate change, Uganda implemented an adaptation agenda through a number of policy measures including the National Adaptation Plan and periodic National Development Plans. However, from the discussions, it emerged that, the Batwa we’re not included meaningfully in the decision-making processes of these plans. This means that the interventions that target them are poorly designed and implemented; j. Amongst the communities of the Batwa, rainwater harvesting investments in the form of household roof tanks or community tanks only work for Batwa who live in permanent houses who are just a handful as such, that intervention in terms of climate mitigation is not realistic to the Batwa but there are resources by Government and development partners meant to relieve water scarcity through such but they get excluded. Worse, they are by large, mostly landless who live in temporary houses and won’t benefit at all; k. In one area in where there they are settled, they on relatively barren, steep slopes. Here they were expected to live and do farming and how can they participate in meaningful and rewarding agriculture? In another cases, they are provided interventions in terms of high yielding crop seeds to their households but a number of them do not even have any farmland. What can work and how UCSATP can be implemented should be: a. It is vital that, the Project has a tailor-made approach which is responsive to the needs and set up of the Batwa. Some sections of the Batwa communities do not have national identity cards and if have the identity cards is a compliance requirement to access project financing or otherwise, such groups will miss out; b. To Penninah, it would also be worthwhile to draw on best practices and lessons from similar cases where similar types of interventions have worked amongst marginalized and vulnerable communities such as Batwa rather than to simply fit these groups into a program, that may not work well. A case of the world’s first national indigenous climate platform in Peru which is reported to have some success stories and such stories could as well inform UCSATP program. Through such stories, impetus is to prioritize these groups and to even strengthen the role of VMG in mitigating and adapting to climate change could get well informed; 64 c. Based on her experience, climate adaptation responses must pay more and specific attention to the issues of recognition, participation and deliberate processes geared towards creating and building sustainability in the marginalized and vulnerable communities rather than some approaches focusing on distribution of food aid and handouts; d. Deliberate drive to grow alternate cash crops such as coffee, tea and agro-forestry is critical for the sustainability of these communities and the project needs to factor such into their plan for Batwa; e. Ms. Penninah recommends that, UCSATP in its PMU should amongst its staffing should include a VMG Specialist who amongst others, is to ensure information regarding the project is accordingly packaged and delivered to and from VMGs for their effective and meaningful involvement in UCSATP; f. Finally, within available lands amongst the Batwa, UCSATP and MAAIF should focus on maximizing production more efforts are needed to end discrimination and domination against Indigenous communities and promote inclusive structures and processes through legal and policy reforms. E. Reaction from JBN consults The Consultant informed Ms. Penninah that the project was still at its preparation stage and these ideas will be passed on to the Ministry for consideration. F. Meeting Closure The Meeting was closed at 09:59pm 65 Meeting with the Sub-county Chief Ik/Distict Commercial Officer Kotido district DATE 19th April 2022 START 09:50 am MEETING END 10:20 am MINUTES BY Ms. Nelson Omagor Venue of meeting A virtual Meeting by Mr. Nelson Omagor, Environmental and Social Safeguards Consultant and Mr. Thomas Lemu Sub-county Chief Kabong/Ik Community Liaison Officer (0772199992). Subject of the Meeting Stakeholder consultations on the planned Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project with specific reference to involvement of the Ik who are Vulnerable and Marginalized Group. The Meeting focused on the following aspects: G. Agenda: e. Self-Introductions f. Introduction of the project; its objectives, activities and beneficiaries as well as focus on Ik involvement g. Submission by Thomas addressing agricultural challenges amongst the Ik with climate challenges and how they expect the project to be implemented with respect to Ik and vulnerable people. h. Closure of the Meeting. H. Self-Introductions Self-introductions by the meeting and the subject of the Meeting was shared. The Consultant introduced the Project and outlined its objectives, planned activities as well as coverage of the Ik people amongst the vulnerable people. The project is called Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project and MAAIF and that, services of JBN Consults and Planners Ltd had been retained for these services in keeping the World Bank requirements during project preparations. He added the project is answer to dwindling agricultural production occasioned largely by erratic climatic changes. As part of the project preparation process, its required that some of the key environmental and social safeguards documents need to be prepared and these include; ESMF, SEF and VMP which is why the meeting now to provide input to these processes. I. Overview on the proposed project d. In Uganda Agriculture is mainly dependent on rain therefore the climate shocks will continue to have significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural productivity and incomes so there is need to build resilience to climatic shocks; e. The consultant informed the key person how the project will support investments in technologies and market driven productivity in climate smart value chains which will contribute to reversing of climate change hence increase in agriculture productivity and household incomes; and f. Some of the project components are promoting adoption of climate smart agriculture practices and value chains, strengthening climate smart agricultural research and seeds systems, strengthening agro- climatic monitoring and information systems and project coordination management, monitoring and evaluation and learning. a. Submission by Thomas Lemu addressing agricultural challenges amongst the Ik with climate challenges and how they expect the project to be implemented with respect to Ik and vulnerable people. In the discussion Thomas submitted that: � The production went up because UPDF Disarmament was a reality in that, there was peace and people were really settled; � Over the last 10 years people of Kabong and Ik people have been producing millet, sorgum and maize in good quantities because their soils are good and the weather has been favourable; � The farming calendar amongst the Ik starts in February with land preparation and ploughing but cattle rustlers have virtually taken all oxen in the communities so opening land is a nightmare; 66 � One the problem the Ik have is access to accurate weather information and such information ought to be readily available in their local dialects so that they are able to synchronize their cropping calendars. Unfortunately, the Weather Station constructed by Government in Kabong has not been equipped and non-functional. The UCSATP should avail programs of early warning to the communities so as to address cropping timings; � The project should be careful in its design, operations and management of its revolving funds. For instance, when Government came with its Emyoga funds for small-scale interventions, the beneficiary community took it as a political hand-out and an appreciation after the elections. It is critical, that there is adequate mobilization and sensitization and a high level of readiness otherwise the intervention can come to nothing; � Literature has it that, Karamoja has benefitted from a number of assistance programs but there isn’t much to show on the ground except lately NUSAF and DRDIP projects in OPM. Lately, the Ik communities urge that, technical staff managing project interventions in their areas should be from Ik people unless it really emerges that, there are no such specialities amongst then a person originating from Kabong could be considered this is because they know the special needs of their people and their cultural implications of dealing with outside world; � Lately, cattle rustling has taken another dimension and become commercialized involving local leaders, it has even become cross-border in nature and the net effect is, the factor of agricultural production has been taken i.e. oxen so famine will be worse in a few years to come; � Cattle are raided and taken in waiting trucks guarded by soldiers and this has had its impact on farming; and � The other problem is, there thieves all-over the villages stealing food in granaries, uprooting crops in gardens. What is worse, even the Village Saving and Loan Associations (VLSA) thought are being frustrated by some members themselves in some areas amongst the IK and across the district. Some members go and alert thieves about what a group has saved and they come for the box. So, managing a revolving fund must be well thought of before starting or having it as part of the project. The following are some of the suggestions regarding the UCSATP as per the Ik Community Mobilzer: b. Because of rampant cattle raids, the Ik are more comfortable with enterprises to do with bee keeping and there is a claim that, the Ik people or communities have best honey in the world� c. The cattle raids have left the communities exposed to worse famine than ever and it would be good, the project works hand in hand with OPM to also deliver food assistance to the beneficiary communities in the project otherwise, they can end up selling project in-puts for quick funds for their survival; d. The community structures to a very large extent should be used amongt the Ik to opertaionliza the project. For instance, the elderly men (Ikasukoun), youth (Ikaracuna) and women (A’ngoria) have different and clear roles in the communities and should be targeted differently for different development aspect. The Elders are usual in mobilization of youth because their special place and respect in society, the youth fear to oppose anything the elders advance; e. Let UCSATP provide Ik with simple mechanized agricultural equipment because lately cattle rustling has swept virtually all cows amongst the Ik people and they begin to feel safe without cattle for fear of rustlers; f. Interest groups and vulnerable categories ought to have their resources and involvement be ring- fenced others often they are left out during implementation. What is key, let there be clear provisions for interventions meant for vulnerable groups in view of their uniqueness. In NUSAF 2 and 3 there was a special program and approach meant for Karamoja which should be the case under UCSATP otherwise these groups tend to miss out from programs where they are included in the overall project interventions; and g. The last intervention of restocking should occur after successfully having in place sound disarmament program by UPDF otherwise the cows will simply be stolen by the raiders and this can upset all projects meant for VGMs and Karamoja at large. 67 J. Reaction from JBN consults The Consultant informed Mr. Thomas that the project was still at its preparation stage and these ideas will be passed on to the Ministry for consideration. The Consultant appreciated the CDO for the information shared and the time spared towards the success of the project K. Meeting Closure The Meeting was closed at 09:59pm 68 Meeting with Environment officer of Kakumiro district DATE 10th February 2022 START 16: 09 MEETING END 16:23 MINUTES BY Ms. Drolence Nandagi. Venue of meeting Meeting called by Ms. Drolence and it was a virtual meeting with (Mr Tibagwana Peter) Kakumiro Environment Officer. (0772108877) Subject of the Meeting Consultation of the stakeholder on the planned Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project A. Agenda: a. Self-Introductions b. Introduction of the project c. Consultant’s response d. Closure B. Self-Introductions a. Introductions were made by Ms. Drolence the Consultant sociologist b. The Consultant gave a background information about the project under preparation and it is Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project to be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and services of M/S. JBN Consults ad Planners Ltd have been retained to prepared environmental and social safeguards documents namely; the ESMF, Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Vulnerable and Marginalized People Plan (VMPP) and Gender Based Action Plan (GBVAP). and VMP for the proposed project. c. The purpose of the Meeting therefore was to pick areas of concerns that need to be built into the project to improve its compliance with both GoU and World Bank Environmental and Social safeguards. Overview on the proposed project a. In Uganda Agriculture is mainly dependent on rain therefore the climate shocks will continue to have significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural productivity and incomes so there is need to build resilience to the current rampant climatic shocks. b. The Consultant informed the DEO that the project will support investments in technologies and market driven productivity in climate smart value chains which will contribute to reversing of climate change hence increase in agriculture productivity and household incomes. c. Some of the project components according to the discussion are to promote adoption of climate smart agriculture practices and value chains, strengthening climate smart agricultural research and seeds systems, strengthening agro-climatic monitoring and information systems and project coordination management, monitoring and evaluation and learning. C. Reactions from the District Environmental Officer (environmental and social concerns) a. The DEO informed the Consultant that, the project is a timely intervention by Government and its partners and it focuses on areas that are key lately in view of short rains and poor harvests by the farmers bringing about sustained harvests and household food security b. The Environment Officer appreciated the Team for having involved him at the planning stage because most projects don’t involve them which leaves a very big gap in many projects and end up failing and related difficulties on matters of compliance. c. There is an issue of low budgeting where by the funders fail to facilitate for the local government and assume they have their own facilitation which slows down the monitoring and follow up on the project during implementation. d. The environment officer advised that there is need for the project implementers to involve them and facilitate their participation so that, input from the communities is built into the project because they are the ones on ground and have all the necessary information. e. He advised that, that capacity building is necessary for both technical team and the local community for effective compliance. f. He suggested that for the success of the project roles and responsibilities should be clear for different stakeholders. 69 The following are the fears expressed and how best they could be addressed: a. The DEO’s greatest fear was exciting people about the project and in the end Ministry of agriculture just keeps quiet without the project proceeding any further; b. Secondly, using the local people momentarily and before the end of the project, they are left out without any clear procedures and payments; and c. There is fear of failure to be planned for in terms of facilitation for the key stakeholders therefore for better in out puts they need proper input. Reaction from the Consultant In a nutshell, the Consultant appreciated the DEOs input and pledged to integrate his concerns into the project by both the Bank and MAAIF. Thereafter, the Meeting ended at 16:23pm 70 Meeting with DEO of Kumi district DATE 7th February 2022 START 12:00 noon MEETING END 01:00 pm MINUTES BY Ms. Drolence Nandagi. Venue of meeting It was a virtual meeting between Ms. Drolence (Consultant) and Mr. Opio Moses the Kumi District Environment Officer. (0784362155) Subject of the Meeting Consultation of the stakeholder about the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project The interview was between Drolence and Opio Moses the District Education officer of Kumi district. A. Agenda: 1. Self-Introductions 2. Introduction of the project 3. Consultant’s response 4. Closure B. Self-Introductions Introductions were made by Ms. Drolence the Consultant sociologist The Consultant informed the DEO that GoU was preparing the safe guard documentation that is going to help us in preparing the Environmental and Social tools, ESMF, SEP and VMP for the proposed project. Overview on the proposed project The Consultant gave a background information about the project under preparation and it is Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project to be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and services of M/S. JBN Consults ad Planners Ltd have been retained to prepared environmental and social safeguards documents namely; the ESMF, Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Vulnerable and Marginalized People Plan (VMPP) and Gender Based Action Plan (GBVAP). and VMP for the proposed project. The purpose of the Meeting therefore was to pick areas of concerns that need to be built into the project to improve its compliance with both GoU and World Bank Environmental and Social safeguards. C. Reaction from the DEO a. The DEO was very happy to hear of the above project and was gladly waiting for the project to be implemented and promised to give all the necessary support in his capacity in regards to documentation of Environmental and social tools. b. He explained that it would be a great idea to work with the right structures on the ground forever example fisheries officers, veterinary officers and community members should be involved at this preparatory stage for the project. c. The DEO was concerned that, in many cases projects are designed without building in measures for their sustainability to the extent that, once the project closes, everything about such projects end. The other issue is, sustainability is key in that, even when equipment for the project breaks down, the locals whose capacity will have been built can support the project otherwise projects end up being huge white elephants just because of simple breakdowns which could easily be fixed. The following are the fears and how best they should be addressed a. There is an issue of sustainability in a way that projects are time bound so there is concern that that when the project time elapses the project would just come to an end once and for all. b. There is need to use the existing structures in the district for the project area to ensure success of the project c. The DEO asked about the main beneficiaries and during implementation, such beneficiaries be targeted. Reaction from JBN consults The Consultant informed the DEO that the beneficiaries have been identified and they will involve in the project throughout the project as in the project documents. There are also plans for deliberate capacity building in the project to ensure its sustainability beyond the life of the project. The Meeting was adjourned at 15:50pm. 71 Meeting with DCDO of Lira district DATE 9th February 2022 START 09:50 am MEETING END 10:20 am MINUTES BY Ms. Drolence Nandagi. Venue of meeting A virtual Meeting by Ms. Drolence a Consultant Sociologist and Mrs. Anono Christine the Lira District Community Development Officer (0772672792 ) (CDO) Subject of the Meeting Consultation of the stakeholder on the planned Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project The interview was between Ms. Drolence and Mrs. Anono Christine the District Community Development Officer of Lira District. Agenda: i. Self-Introductions j. Introduction of the project k. Consultants’ response l. Closure Self-Introductions a. They members did self -introductions thereafter, the meeting proceeded. b. The Consultant Sociologist informed the CDO that the Ministry was preparing safeguard documentation as part of the overall project preparation process and these included; ESMF, SEP and VMP for the proposed project. c. The project is called Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project and MAAIF and that, services of JBN Consults and Planners Ltd had been retained for these services in keeping the World Bank requirements during project preparations. L. Reaction from the District Community Development Officer The DCDO was welcomed the above project and informed the Consultant that they were looking forward to seeing it implemented for the benefit of the target communities for improved household incomes and food security;She informed the sociologist that the best people to be contacted first would be the agricultural officer and the natural resources officers as their sectors are in line with the project targets. The following are the fears and how best they should be addressed h. There is fear for the community members to left them being the key people to directly benefit from this project. i. There is need to look for a wide market for crops grown so that farmers are able to sell their crops to avoid losses since crops grown on a large scale are not only for consumption but also commercial. j. There is need to create enough training time for agriculturists not just limited time so that they are able to cope up with the new technologies and methods of Smart Agriculture; and k. The DCDO wanted to know when ministry of Agriculture would be going on ground to put all what the project says on ground. M. Reaction from JBN consults The sociologist informed the DCDO that the project is still at its design/formative stages therefore, all these concerns will be taken into consideration and inbuilt into it. The Consultant appreciated the CDO for the information shared and the time spared towards the success of the project N. Meeting Closure The Meeting was closed at 09:59pm 72 Meeting with Environment officer of Palisa district DATE 9th February 2022 START 16: 15 MEETING END 16:23 MINUTES BY Ms. Drolence Nandagi Venue of meeting This was a virtual meeting between Ms. Drolence and Mr. Samuka Muhamed the DEO Pallisa District (0782556952) Subject of the Meeting Consultation of the stakeholder about the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project The interview was between Drolence and the Environmental officer of Pallisa District. A. Agenda: a. Self-Introductions b. Introduction of the project c. Consultants’ response d. Closure B. Self-Introductions Introductions were made by Drolence the consultant sociologist The sociologist informed the environmental officer that, GoU through MAAIF was preparing environmental and social safeguard documents as part of the overall project preparation and the tools under preparation were; ESMF, SEP, GBVAP and VMP for the proposed project. The project is the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project under MAAIF and that role is being undertaken by M/S. JBN Consults and Planners Ltd and it is to be financed by the World Bank. C. Overview of the project a. In Uganda Agriculture is mainly dependent on rain therefore the climate shocks will continue to have significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural productivity and incomes so there is need to shift way land, water soil and other agricultural activities to build resilience to climatic shocks b. The Consultant informed the key DEO how the project will support investments in technologies and market driven productivity in climate smart value chains which will contribute to reversing of climate change hence increase in agriculture productivity and household incomes. c. Some of the project components are promoting adoption of climate smart agriculture practices and value chains, strengthening climate smart agricultural research and seeds systems, strengthening agro climatic monitoring and information systems and project coordination management, monitoring and evaluation and learning. D. Some of the concerns from the DEO. a. The project should come with technologies that will help address climate change risks and ensure its sustainability and most important, the technologies should be easily adapted by the local farmers. Some projects have complicated technologies which cannot easily adapted by the local communities; b. Value chain improvements interventions must incorporate measures and technologies for aste management which use technologies like rec-cycling etc; The livestock component has to come with technologies for Greenhouse gas management especially biogas technologies and applications; c. The SLM measures should equally look at supporting local governments with respect to wetland protection in view of current encroachment. We need to get people from wetlands but give them what alternate sources of income at household levels; d. Interest groups and vulnerable categories ought to have their resources and involvement be ring-fenced others often they are left out during implementation. Reaction from JBN consults The consultant appreciated the Pallisa environment officer for his time and the information shared will be of great use in the success of the project. E. Meeting Closure The Meeting was closed at 16:23pm 73 APAC MINUTES DATE 24th February, 2022 START 12:43 MEETING END 12:58 MINUTES BY Ms Drolence Nandagi. Subject of the Meeting Stakeholder consultation Introduction The meeting took place between the District Community Development Officer Apac and the consultant. (Mr Okello Tom 0772660023). Fears He noted fears of land conflicts amongst the community members in Apac. Concerns a. Issues of encroachment in swamps and wetlands by communities who grow rice growing hence, swamp reclamation. The project should come with alternatives that get people out of wetlands if this CSA project is to meaningfully support environment and natural resource management. b. Rampant bush fires leading to soil erosion and the project could help address this through community sensitization in the project; c. Tree cutting by communities has degraded the environment, the need the project come clear with measures of tree planting and the women be on the forefront on this as well as the youth. How are schools being targeted as well as tertiary training institutions as well as academia? d. Insufficient water supply as many farmers rely on rain water for irrigation therefore, irrigation technologies ought to be those even local communities can co-opt and operate. e. Lack of mechanization. There is urgent need for mechanize of agricultural operations so that agriculture is not seen as a burden but rather a venture that is enjoyable and profitable capable of attracting youth not when it has still its hand hoe technology. Some thoughts on making the project sustainable a. Farmer’s Education is vital. Many farmers are unaware of better methods of farming b. He emphasized use of sustainable Clean Energy for example Bio-gas to combat the practice of deforestation/Tree cutting. c. Modernization in Agriculture through introducing modern technology hence boost efficiency, productivity and quality. d. Encourage forest management. e. Enterprise diversification working on cottage industries in Apac. f. There is need for restricting gender relations of production to promote gender equality in access to productive resources. g. There is need to put pressures related to food supply security and consumer demands for affordable and higher quality food. Concerns a. The stakeholder informed that the soil testing usually takes long for results to be brought back from the Laboratory. b. There is need to improve food storage. c. There is the concern of undefined weather (climate change) where by people are not sure when the dry and wet season will come for proper planning in agriculture terms d. There is an issue of tree cutting in the community where by cut trees are used for firewood, burning of charcoal which contributes to soil erosion 74 MUBENDE MINUTES 1st DATE March ,2022 START 14:48 MEETING END 15:05 MINUTES BY Drolence Nandagi e. There is need to sensitize the community about projects which bring about development in an area because the local community are ignorant about development and it’s not a priority. f. The stake holder informed that there is an issue of insufficient water supply as many farmers rely on rain water for irrigation.so he advised that if the above project could improve on the water problem, it will boost agriculture g. There is a problem of poor roads where by. Farmers fail to access roads easily which hinders marketing Recommendation a. The stakeholder emphasized the use of sustainable Clean Energy for example Bio-gas to combat the practice of deforestation/Tree cutting. b. The stakeholder encouraged sensitization of the local community about the reliable and easy new methods of farming where by even the vulnerable people are able to benefit from the project. c. The stakeholder shared that, issues of transportation should be solved after constructing better roads and provision of access routes d. There is a need to construct water reserve tanks, valley dams and irrigation schemes to prevent the problem of insufficient water supply. Meeting venue Virtual interview between the consultant and the stakeholder of Mubende district Subject of the Meeting Stakeholder consultation Introduction The dialogue was between Senior Environment Officer and the Sociologist. The stakeholder welcomed the project and informed that there is availability of the construction block from grass roots that can accommodate the farmers and officials. Fears a. The stake holder expressed concern the need to consult and engage rural communities on the planning adaptation techniques, adaptation of technologies will costly usually after completion of the project. b. He also revealed that community members know that most government projects take a lot of time and when officials leave sites, they do not come back to implement the projects. Views a. There is an issue of poor farming methods which need to be improved when the smart agriculture project starts. b. Increased uptake as most stakeholders are willingly and ready to engage and serve. c. There is need to promote coordinated actions by farmers, researchers, private sectors and civil society d. Tree cutting by community members for firewood, charcoal for home consumption resulting to soil erosion. e. There is an issue of using chemicals which emits the soil. f. Insufficient water supply as many farmers rely on rain water for irrigation. g. Waste disposal which degrades the soil. h. The stakeholder informed that there is a concern of bush burning which degrades the soil 75 i. She explained that most agriculturists don’t have enough land where to practice agriculture so the resolution is to farm in wetlands which is against the government rules Recommendation a. She emphasized use of sustainable Clean Energy for example Bio-gas to combat the practice of deforestation/Tree cutting. b. she encouraged sensitization of farmers about better methods of farming c. There is need to sensitize the community members about forest management, reafforestation and its uses to boost smart agriculture d. There is need to encourage enterprise diversification in order for the project to benefit people e. Improvement on chemical management. 76 Meeting with Environment officer of Nwoya district DATE 17h February 2022 START 12:12 MEETING END 12:30 MINUTES BY Drolence Nandagi. Venue of meeting Meeting chaired by Drolence and it was virtual interview from JBN Board room to the district environment officer Nwoya (0782687036) Subject of the Meeting Consultation of the stake holder about the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project The interview was between the sociologist and the district community officer of Nwoya district. A. Agenda: • Self-Introductions • Introduction of the project • Consultant’s response • Closure B. Self-Introductions Introductions were made by Drolence the consultant sociologist The sociologist informed the environmental officer that we are preparing the safe guard documentation that is going to help us in preparing the Environmental and Social tools, ESMF, SEP and VMP for the proposed project. The project is called Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project and ministry of Agriculture hired JBN consults to prepare the above tools for the smooth running of a project and it financed by the World Bank C. Project brief In Uganda Agriculture is mainly dependent on rain therefore the climate shocks will continue to have significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural productivity and incomes so there is need to shift way land, water soil and other agricultural activities to build resilience to climatic shocks The sociologist informed the key person how the project will support investments in technologies and market driven productivity in climate smart value chains which will contribute to reversing of climate change hence increase in agriculture productivity and household incomes Some of the project components are promoting adoption of climate smart agriculture practices and value chains, strengthening climate smart agricultural research and seeds systems, strengthening agro climatic monitoring and information systems and project coordination management, monitoring and evaluation and learning D. Reactions from the District Environmental Officer (environmental and social concerns) The environment officer informed the sociologist that he was very happy to hear about the above project and he was looking forward for it to be implemented and willing to put all the necessary input required. The stakeholder informed that people in Nwoya district grow annual crops mainly and other few practices like mulching. The stakeholder advised that it would be so important to do household mentoring and encourage empowerment of women as them being a major lead in the agricultural sector He also informed that lately perennial crops are being grown but not so much on a large scale as it has just come up. The following are the fears and how best they should be addressed a. The stake holder expressed the fear of promoting unapplicable technology which may fail to promote commercialization and gave an example of masalai farmers in their area b. He expressed the fear of insufficient market for the ready goods and emphasized that smart agriculture may help them and increase the quantity of crops grown but they might fail to improve on the market and crops will be just wasted. c. There is fear of failure to be planned for in terms of facilitation for the key stakeholders therefore for better in out puts they need proper input. d. He informed that when the project comes, it shouldn’t be so expensive because the local people need free things for all people to benefit from it Reaction from JBN consults The sociologist appreciated the district environment officer for his time and the information shared will be of great use in the success of the project. 77 E. Meeting Closure The Meeting was closed at 12:30pm Meeting with agriculture officer of Yumbe district DATE 7th February 2022 START 15:00 MEETING END 15:15 MINUTES BY Drolence Nandagi Venue of meeting Meeting chaired by the sociologist and it was phone interview from JBN Board room to Mr. Bakole Stephen of Yumbe the agriculture officer Subject of the Meeting Consultation of the stake holder about the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project The interview was between Drolence and Bakole Stephen the District agricultural officer A. Agenda: • Self-Introductions • Introduction of the project • Consultant’s response • Closure Self-Introductions Introductions were made by Drolence the consultant sociologist The sociologist informed the DEO that we are preparing the safe guard documentation that is going to help us in preparing the Environmental and Social tools, ESMF, SEP and VMP for the proposed project. The project is called Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project and ministry of Agriculture hired JBN consults to prepare the above tools for the smooth running of a project and it financed by the world bank Project brief In Uganda Agriculture is mainly dependent on rain therefore the climate shocks will continue to have significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural productivity and incomes so there is need to shift way land, water soil and other agricultural activities to build resilience to climatic shocks Drolence informed the key person how the project will support investments in technologies and market driven productivity in climate smart value chains which will contribute to reversing of climate change hence increase in agriculture productivity and household incomes Some of the project components are promoting adoption of climate smart agriculture practices and value chains, strengthening climate smart agricultural research and seeds systems, Strengthening agro climatic monitoring and information systems and project coordination management, monitoring and evaluation and learning Reaction from District Agriculture officer (environmental and social concerns) The agriculture officer welcomed the project and informed that the locals are ready to give all the necessary support needed in order for the project to proceed. He informed that their religion has its own crops so when the project comes, they expect them to just improve what they have instead of introducing completely new crops and breeds. He informed that ministry of land should be put on board because of the problem of land encumbrances in their area. He informed that the government should appoint the right and truthful people who will not embezzle government funds and fail the beautiful project. The stakeholder informed that irrigation is a key in farming which must be put across because it is among the major concerns his people face and during the dry season that happens in January, February and March then August and September affect the community badly where by people lack food The following are the fears and how best they should be addressed • There is a fear of failure for the project to be centralized by ministry of agriculture entirely so he advised that the ministry should come on ground and monitor the whole process of smart agriculture project. • He advised that the multi sectoral and pilot scheme approach should be applied • He informed that when the project is implemented, the local government should be provided some logistics which will smoothen the process of the project 78 Reaction from JBN consults The sociologist appreciated the District Agricultural Officer, Yumbe Agriculture Officer for the information shared Meeting Closure The Meeting was closed at 15:15pm MASAKA MINUTES 1st DATE March ,2022 START 14:32 MEETING END 14:56 MINUTES BY Ms Drolence Nandagi Meeting venue Virtual Subject of the Meeting Stakeholder consultation Introduction The consultation was between the consultant and Dennis SSebinojjo the District Community Development Officer Masaka and he promised to work hand in hand for success of the project (0704580231) Fears The stakeholder expressed a concern that there is need to increase demand for productivity, efficiency and sustainability to ensure food security hence improving farming systems which will benefit the agriculturists The stakeholder expressed the concern of failure to continue with smart agriculture project when the project implementors leave the project ground hence there is no sustainability of the project after officials leaving the ground She went ahead to inform that there is an issue of land conflicts among the community members which is a very big threat to the project and the community Resolution 1.There is need to identify the true owner of the land with evidence of ownership through the local leaders 2.There is need to involve community members and district officials as well as the local leaders all the techniques used in implementing the project so that when ministry of agriculture leaves the ground the community members continue to benefit from the project 3.There is need to create ready market in agriculture. Conclusion The stakeholder thanked the sociologist on behalf of the world bank and the ministry of agriculture for the good project that is coming up and they are ready to work hand in hand with the officials to implement the project The sociologist appreciated the stakeholder for the information shared and assured him to take all what discussed seriously. MBALE DISTRICT MINUTES DATE 9th February 2022 START 12:18 am MEETING END 12:30 pm MINUTES BY Drolence Nandagi Venue of meeting Meeting chaired by Drolence and it was phone interview from JBN Board room to Mrs. Nakayenze Anita the district environment officer of Mbale Subject of the Meeting Consultation of the stakeholder about the Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project The interview was between the sociologist and environment officer Mbale D. Agenda: 1. Self-Introductions 2. Introduction of the project 3. Consultants’ response 4. Closure E. Self-Introductions Introductions were made by Drolence the consultant sociologist 79 The sociologist informed the stakeholder that we are preparing the safe guard documentation that is going to help us in preparing the Environmental and Social tools, ESMF, SEP and VMP for the proposed project. The project is called Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project and ministry of Agriculture hired JBN consults to prepare the above tools for the smooth running of a project and it financed by the world bank F. Project brief In Uganda Agriculture is mainly dependent on rain therefore the climate shocks will continue to have significant direct and indirect impacts on agricultural productivity and incomes so there is need to shift way land, water soil and other agricultural activities to build resilience to climatic shocks Drolence informed the key person how the project will support investments in technologies and market driven productivity in climate smart value chains which will contribute to reversing of climate change hence increase in agriculture productivity and household incomes Some of the project components are promoting adoption of climate smart agriculture practices and value chains, strengthening climate smart agricultural research and seeds systems, strengthening agro climatic monitoring and information systems and project coordination management, monitoring and evaluation and learning G. Reaction from key District Community environment officer (environmental and social concerns) The stakeholder welcomed the above project and informed the sociologist that they were looking forward to seeing it implemented on behalf of the community The stakeholder informed that Mbale has a land management issue which has to be a addressed before project implementation The following are the fears and how best they should be addressed a. The stakeholder they lack water for production which has slowed down agriculture in Mbale district. b. She informed that there is need to use agro chemicals to avoid pollution c. The stakeholder informed that demand for agriculture products is so high but due to lack of enough land for farming and grazing farmers get limited to use a very small piece of land which affects agriculture out put on a large scale. d. She informed that there is need to plan for all farmers in Mbale instead of sampling a few of them so that everyone practicing agriculture can benefit from the project e. The environment officer that local government lack logistics and they should be included in the budgeting hence allowing proper monitoring of the project H. Reaction from JBN consults The sociologist informed the stakeholder that the project is in its planning phase and the information shared will be of great use in implementing the project. I. Meeting Closure The Meeting was closed at 12:30pm 80 6.2 ANNEX 02: GRIEVANCE TOOLS 6.2.1 GRIEVANCE RECEIPT FORM Grievance Form Reference: Date Received: Complainant /site details Name (or withhold name if you wish to be anonymous): Address: Telephone / other contact details: Details of complaint: Form completed by: Name: Position: Location /Organisation: Actions required and details of complaint passed to: Name: Position: Sub-project/Department/Organisation: Project/site: Date: Resolution and notification of completion to be sent on: 81 6.2.2 GREVIANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM Grievance Acknowledgement Template (use if formal reply needed, otherwise telephone) Claimant Address Date: Reference: Dear Claimant (name): I refer to [correspondence / meeting] on [date, month]. We understand that you wish to lodge a complaint associated with the UCSATP Project in relation to [subject of grievance]. We will attempt to contact you within 14 days of the date of this letter in order to discuss your concerns and to decide up an appropriate course of action should this be appropriate. This will be without prejudice to your statutory rights. Sincerely yours, Social Safeguards Specialist/Officer [or other respondent] UCSATP 82 6.2.3 CLOSE OUT RECORD FOR GRIEVANCE Close-out Records (where legal record required) Reference Details: Grievance Reference Number: Safeguards Specialist/Officer: Summary of Grievance: Steps Identified for Corrective Action: Due Date: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Resolution Actions and Close-out: Notes: Complainant (Title-Name- Signature) UCSATP Representative (Title- Official Witness (Title-Name- Name-Signature) Signature) Date: 83 Example Monitoring Indicators Step Indicator Result Corrective against action indicator Confirm receipt of Percentage of total number of grievances grievance received identified as requiring resolution. Percentage of total number of grievances received being confirmed in writing by the Social Safeguards Specialist within 7 days of receipt (target 100%). Investigate and seeking of Percentage o f total grievances ( requiring resolution resolution) for each identified grievance category. Percentage of meetings with claimant held within 14 days of receipt of grievance (target 100%). Percentage of grievances (requiring resolution) resolved by grievance officer within 7 days of meeting the claimant (target 100%). Percentage of grievances (requiring resolution) resolved by grievance officer in more than 7 days of meeting the claimant. Involve senior project Percentage of grievances requiring the management or third- involvement of senior KISIP management party authorities where resolved within 14 days from the grievance required officer meeting with the claimant (target 100%) Percentage of grievances requiring the involvement of senior project management resolved in more than 14 days from the grievance officer meeting with the claimant. Percentage of grievances requiring the involvement of third-party authorities resolved within 30 days from receipt of grievance (target 100%). Percentage of grievances requiring the involvement of third-party authorities resolved in more than 30 days from receipt of grievance. Close Out N/A Facilitate provision of N/A adjusted entitlements (if required) Follow up N/A Legal redress Percentage of grievances (requiring resolution) resulting in legal action (target 0) 84