[{"bbox": [72, 106, 1134, 158], "category": "Text", "text": "particular focus on women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups including refugees – in order to encourage them to create a more conducive environment for the engagement of CSOs."}, {"bbox": [72, 184, 1134, 237], "category": "Text", "text": "**Output 2:** The meaningful and structured participation of civil society in inclusive sub-national and national development processes is strengthened."}, {"bbox": [72, 262, 1134, 369], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action will provide capacity development services tailored to improve the organizational capacities, networking and cooperation among CSOs which represent the interests and proposals of their constituencies, including marginalized groups, and advocate on their behalf towards duty bearers at national and sub-national level with the aim of more inclusive and participatory development processes."}, {"bbox": [72, 394, 954, 420], "category": "Text", "text": "**Output 3:** Civil society organizations' responsiveness, sustainability and resilience are enhanced."}, {"bbox": [72, 445, 1134, 604], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action will also strengthen the managerial, organizational and methodological capacities of individual CSOs and their networks (umbrellas, coalitions), which will enhance their sustainability, resilience and responsiveness. This will positively impact on the quality and timeliness of their engagement with public decision makers on inclusive development processes. Interventions aimed at digital inclusion and skills should ensure that the Action does not inadvertently contribute to the widening digital gap, while capacity development on important cross-cutting issues will enhance CSO contributions to sustainability and to leaving no one behind."}, {"bbox": [72, 630, 1134, 999], "category": "Text", "text": "The main stakeholder of the Action will be the Ugandan civil society in its broadest definition, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), trade unions, professional associations, community-based organizations, women and youth associations and those representing marginalised groups, cooperatives, faith-based organizations, emerging social movements as well as umbrella or membership organizations. As regards governmental entities as duty-bearers, the National NGO Bureau shall constitute one of the main stakeholders of the Action. The National Planning Authority (NPA), the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development play vital roles in the coordination of public budgeting with (medium-term) development planning which are at the centre of the development processes. Furthermore, it is envisaged to bring on board selected other Ministries, Departments and Agencies that can ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups in development and governance processes, including the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. The Uganda Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Auditor General also have an intrinsic interest and motivation to cooperate with civil society and are, therefore, crucial allies in the fostering of a conducive environment and enhanced participation of civil society in development processes. The Action will also work with District Local Governments and other decentralised authorities."}, {"bbox": [72, 1057, 300, 1088], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2. RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [87, 1119, 219, 1145], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 2.1. Context"}, {"bbox": [72, 1189, 1157, 1322], "category": "Text", "text": "Uganda has ratified the major human rights instruments at international and African Union levels. The legal framework is, in principle, favourable to working on accountability, transparency and human rights and relevant national strategies, including the 3rd National Development Plan (NDP III), recognize the importance of involving civil society. Nevertheless, civic space remains challenging, including for CSOs active in the area of democratic governance and human rights which are sometimes portrayed as agents of foreign powers with a subversive agenda."}, {"bbox": [72, 1375, 1157, 1640], "category": "Text", "text": "The civil society sector in Uganda is relatively big and diverse. A large and more organised proportion are non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which are registered with the National NGO Bureau, but the majority are other CSOs such as community-based organisations (CBOs) registered at lower local government levels. Over the past few years, NGOs as a sub-group of CSOs have been more visible and more or less become synonymous with the term CSOs. It is generally acknowledged that CSOs provide much needed essential services to the citizens of Uganda. There is also a relatively vibrant woman's movement in Uganda with women's rights organizations present at all levels. Some faith-based organisations (FBOs) have also played an important role in shaping norms, in speaking out about injustices and violence and challenges in the provision of social services, especially in health and education. Furthermore, Uganda has one of the world's youngest populations and the last few years have also seen an increasing number of youth groups and youth-led organizations, though disparate and with varied capacities."}, {"bbox": [1051, 1663, 1157, 1687], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 19"}]