Mackinnon, JohnReinikka, Ritva2015-01-262015-01-262000-09https://hdl.handle.net/10986/21352Countries receiving debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative will be among the first to benefit from the new World Bank -- International Monetary Fund approach to strengthening the impact on poverty of concessional assistance in low-income countries. The new approach features a more inclusive and participatory process for helping recipient countries develop poverty reduction strategies. From these strategies, joint Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) will bring together the country's own priorities and Bank-Fund assistance to the country. In Uganda, such a strategy has existed for several years. Uganda was one of the first low-income countries to prepare a comprehensive national strategy for poverty reduction using a participatory approach. Indeed, its experience contributed substantially to the design of the PRSPs. Uganda's top leadership is heavily committed to poverty reduction. Formulation of Uganda's Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) in 1996-97 was the executive branch's effort to make that commitment and vision operational. The authors draw lessons from the drafting of Uganda's PEAP. First, the plan made extensive use of existing data and research about Uganda to refocus a range of public policies and interventions relevant to poverty reduction. Second, the government's approach was highly participatory, with central and local governments, the donor community, nongovernmental organizations and civil society, and academics invited to contribute. Third, the government was quick to translate the plan into its budget and medium-term spending framework. Public expenditures on basic services were significantly increased after adoption of the PEAP in 1997. The authors discuss the general characteristics of a poverty reduction action plan, drawing on Uganda's experience; discuss what is known about poverty in Uganda and identify shortcomings in the data; examine the macroeconomic and fiscal policies that were considered most important to poverty reduction during the participatory process; discuss the delivery of public services, especially those that directly affect the poor; and highlight problems associated with land issues, including problems with access to credit and financial services and with the security of productive assets.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOabsolute povertyabsolute termsadjustment policiesagricultural exportsagricultural extensionagricultural productionagricultural tradeassessing povertybudgetary commitmentscapital goodscivic educationcivil societyclinicscommercial bankscommoditiesCPIdebtdebt reliefdevelopment indicatorsDevelopment Researchdistributional patterndonor agenciesdonor communityeconomic analysiseconomic consequenceseconomic growtheconomic reformeconomic reformseconomic sectorseconomic structureEconomicsemploymentequilibriumEradication Action Planexchange rateexpenditure dataexport taxesfinancial assetsfinancial liberalizationfinancial servicesfiscal policiesfishforeign exchangegender inequalityGini coefficientgrowth rategrowth rateshealth servicesHealth Surveyhealth workershigh growthhigh inflationhome-produced foodhousehold behaviorhousehold incomehousehold levelhousehold surveyhuman developmentImport liberalizationincome countriesincome growthincome taxesInfant mortalityinflationinput useinstitutional reformslabor marketLife expectancyliving standardsLocal peoplelong-term trendslow-income countriesmacro stabilitymacroeconomic policiesmacroeconomic policymacroeconomic stabilitymarket powermean consumptionmean incomesmedical servicesnongovernmental organizationsparticipatory approachparticipatory methodsparticipatory povertyparticipatory poverty assessmentper capita incomepolicy changespolicy objectivepolicy researchpolitical stabilitypoor communitypoor countriespoor householdspoor peoplePoverty EradicationPoverty Eradication Action Planpoverty impactpoverty issuespoverty linepoverty profilepoverty reductionpoverty reduction strategiesPoverty Reduction Strategypoverty trendsprice changesprimary educationprivate consumptionproducersproductive assetsproductivitypublic actionpublic enterprisespublic expenditurePublic expendituresPublic healthPublic health servicespublic informationpublic policiespublic policypublic sectorpublic sector managementpublic servicepublic service deliverypublic servicespublic spendingquantitative analysisreal exchange ratereal termsreducing povertyreform programrepresentative samplerural areasrural householdssampling methodsavingsservice deliverySocial Indicatorssocial sectorsstructural adjustmentTax reformtax regimetax systemtaxationtertiary educationtrade liberalizationTrade policytransport infrastructureurban areasurban oneswater supplyyouthpoverty reduction strategiesdebt reliefparticipatory methodsnongovernmental organizationscivil societyaccess to creditpublic service deliverymacroeconomic policyfiscal policyparticipatory poverty assessmentprimary health careeducation sectoragricultural extensiontransportwater supplylegal servicesland rightsland titles10.1596/1813-9450-2440