Capacity Development and Policy
In order for local people to effectively develop and implement sustainable livelihood strategies and protect the environment, it is essential to build and sustain their capacities (including: attitudes, knowledge and skills and social networks).
It is also imperative to establish enabling policies, good governance, supportive institutional mechanisms and secure resource rights.
SLINT-Uganda makes a contribution in this regard by implementing or supporting a number of strategic measures, including: community mobilisation, organization and support; public literacy and civic education, vocational and professional training, easy and timely access to information, research and documentation, advocacy for enabling policies, good governance and secure resource rights; community empowerment as well as partnership-building and networking.
| Community mobilization and institutional development. | Mobilizing and inspiring local people to form community groups, associations or cooperative societies in order to effectively handle common socio-economic and environmental issues and take advantages of existing opportunities. This is done through organization of community mobilization seminars and dialogue sessions, participatory rural appraisal, training and technical support in community institutional development and facilitation of access to relevant information and resources. |
| Vocational and formal education and training. | Promoting and supporting vocational and entrepreneurial skills training for self-employment, provision of scholarships and other support to brilliant but disadvantaged students to pursue higher education and professional career opportunities, provision of career guidance to students and facilitation of access to available internships/ apprenticeships, study tours and exchange programme opportunities. |
| Knowledge sharing and access to information. | Facilitating access available relevant information and knowledge (including: information on prices of agricultural products and farm inputs, new market opportunities, state of environment, education and employment opportunities and potential investments). This is achieved through assisting local communities to have access to radio, television, internet and local newspapers; establishment of community information centres/ telecentres; and training local people in basic information communication technology (ICT) skills, including internet and e-mail and basic computer skills. |
| Applied research and documentation. | Undertaking and/or supporting applied research and publication of reports, case studies and policy briefs aimed at analysing specific situational cases, deepening understanding of sustainable livelihood issues at different levels and ensuring that policies and programmes are informed by on-the-ground practical experiences and realities. |
| Policy advocacy. | Lobbying relevant authorities/ processes and advocating policies, practices, institutions, governance mechanisms and market systems that affect people's livelihoods and the environment and championing people's rights and access to productive assets and natural resources (e.g. land and water) and equitable access to employment and economic opportunities. This includes: organizing dialogue meetings on specific issues, preparing and disseminating advocacy and campaign materials, training local communities in strategic lobbying and advocacy skills and providing legal and technical advice and support to individuals and community groups whose access rights to land and water resources and other human rights are violated. |
| Gender and women empowerment. | Promoting gender equality and empowering women to play a more decisive role in improving household incomes, food security and environmental conservation through supporting initiatives of women groups, assisting women groups to access credit, available market opportunities and information and foster their greater involvement in the formulation and implementation of policies and projects that affect them. |
