Integrated policy formulation processes in local governments: A case study in mid-western Uganda

https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v1i2.571
Published: Jun 10, 2021

Abstract:

Purpose: This study set out to assess the level of policy formulation in Hoima district local government for effective service delivery in Uganda.

Research methodology: A quantitative case study design was embraced, aiming at 30 local councillors and 60 technical officials. The real sample was 54 respondents. Data were gathered via a self-administered questionnaire and an interview guide. Numerical and non-numerical data were examined by way of descriptive statistics as well as thematic analysis.

Results: Results suggest a moderate mean for policy formulation in Hoima as generated from all the five constructs namely; problem identification (µ=2.88; SD= 1.346), problem manifesto (µ=2.76; SD =1.347), policy agenda (µ=2.17; SD =1.268), policy debate (µ=2.58; SD =1.271) and policy decision (µ=2.20; SD =1.268). This was so because the overall mean was 2.52 and the overall SD was 1.300. Nevertheless, the numerous impediments confronted mainly at policy decision disrupted the process.

Limitations: The study concentrated on one local government in Uganda and so the results may not be generalised to Uganda.

Contribution: These results might be used as contributions for local governments in Uganda to evolve a guide on integrating policy formulation issues during orientation and or retooling local councillors and technical officials for better policy formulation processes. This article contributes to the budding understanding by underlining undertones in policy formulation so that local governments become more efficient in delivering services to the citizenry.

Keywords:
1. Policy
2. Policy formulation
3. Council
4. Councillors
5. Technical official
Authors:
1 . David Mwesigwa
Discipline of Public Administration and Management, Lira University, Lira, Uganda
2 . Mohammed Bogere
Discipline of Public Administration and Political Studies, Nkumba University, Entebbe, Uganda
3 . Lina Anastassova
Faculty of Business Studies, Burgas Free University, Burgas, Bulgaria
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How to Cite
Mwesigwa, D., Bogere, M., & Anastassova, L. (2021). Integrated policy formulation processes in local governments: A case study in mid-western Uganda. Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, 1(2), 83–101. https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v1i2.571
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Issue & Section
Vol. 1 No. 2 (2021): July
Articles
References

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    Assad, N.B.D., and Spiegel, T. (2020). Improving emergency department resource planning: a multiple case study. Health systems, 9(1). 2-30. Doi: 10.1080/20476965.2019.1680260

    Awin, N. (2019). Role of policy makers in ensuring access to adequate treatment for achieving patient and family quality of life: experience in Mallaysia. Haemoglobin, 43(6). 320. Doi: 10.1080/03630269.2020.1718327

    Bartels, PRK., Wagenaar, H., and Li, Y. (2020). Introduction: towards deliberative policy analysis 2.0. Policy studies, 41(4). 295-306. Doi: 10.1080/01442872.2020.1772219

    Bhuiyan, S., and Farazmand, A. (2020). Society and public policy in the Middle East and North Africa. International journal of public administration, 43(5). 373-7. Doi: 10.1080/01900692.2019.1707353

    Boosabong, P., and Chamchong, P. (2019). The practice of deliberate policy analysis in the context of political and cultural challenges: lessons from Thailand. Policy studies, 40(5). 476-91. Doi: 10.1080/01442872.2019.1618815

    Burke, S. (2019). Re-imaging the local in national cultural policy formulation – the case of the Anglophone Caribbean. Cultural trends, 28(4). 269-80. Doi: 10.1080/09548963.2019.1644782

    Capano, G., Howlett, M., and Ramesh, M. (2015). Bringing governments back in: governance and governing in comparative policy analysis. Journal of comparative policy analysis: research and practice, 17(4). 311-21. Doi: 10.1080/13876988.2015.1031977

    Carbone, D., and Farina, F. (2020). Women in the local political system in Italy. A longitudinal perspective. Contemporary Italian politics, 12(3). 314-28. Doi: 10.1080/23248823.2020.1793078

    Chijioke-Oforji, C. (2019). Banking law and regulation. The law teacher, 53(4). 551-3. Doi: 10.1080/03069400.2019.1636521

    Durrer, V., Gilmore, A., and Stevenson, D. (2019). Arts councils, policy-making and 'the local'. Cultural trends, 28(4). 317-31. Doi: 10.1080/09548963.2019.1644795

    Farell, L., Bourgeouis-Law, G., Buydens, S., and Regehr, G. (2019). Your goals, my goals, our goals: the complexity of coconstructing goals with learners in medical education. Teaching and learning medicine, 31(4). 370-7. Doi: 10.1080/10401334.2019.1576526

    Frisk, S., and Gillette, BM. (2019). Sweden's Burka Ban: policy proposals, problematisations, and the production of Swedishness. NORA-Nordic journal of feminist and gender research, 27(4). 271-84. Doi: 10.1080/08038740.2019.1668847

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    Hardy, I., Jakhelln, R., and Smit, B. (2020). The policies and politics of teachers' initial learning: the complexity of national initial teacher education policies. Teacher education. Doi: 10.1080/10476210.2020.1729115

    Harrison, J., Chapleau, A., Schell, M., Vaughan, V., and Colzin, C. (2020). Leveraging technology in field education of digital natives: using goal attainment scaling. Scaling, social work education, 39(1). 60-70. Doi: 10.1080/02615479.2019.1642318

    He, JA., Ratigan, K., and Qian, J. (2020). Attitudinal feedback towards sub-Saharan social policy: a comparison of popular support for social health insurance in urban China. Journal of comparative policy analysis: research and practice. Doi: 10.1080/13876988.2020.1780126

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    Horodnic, AI., and Williams, CC. (2019). Tackling undeclared work in the European Union: beyond the rational economic actor approach. Policy studies, doi: 10.1080/01442872.2019.1649384

    Hudson, B., Hunter, D., and Peckham, S. (2019). Policy failure and the policy-implementation gap: can policy support programs help? Policy design and practice, 2(1). 1-14. Doi: 10.1080/25741292.2018.1540378

    Krejcie, V.R., and Morgan, W.D. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and psychological measurement, 30. 607-10.

    Kuttig, J. (2020). Posters, politics and power: mediated materialisation of public authority in Bangladesh party politics, south Asia. Journal of South Asian studies, 43(4). 632-57. Doi: 10.1080/00856401.2020.1767901

    Lourival, I., and Rose, N. (2020). From Nar Nar Goon to Koo Wee Rup: can participatory food policy making processes contribute to healthier and fairer food systems in the Australian municipal context? A case study from Cardinia shire, Melbourne. Journal of hunger & environmental nutrition. Doi: 10.1080/19320248.2020.1782797

    McConnell, A., and Hart, P. (2019). Inaction and public policy: understanding why policy-makers 'do nothing'. Policy sciences, 52. 645-61.

    Mortati, M. (2019). The nexus between design and policy: strong, weak, and non-design spaces in policy formulation. The design journal, 22(6). 775-92. Doi: 10.1080/14606925.2019.1651599

    Musenze, AI., and Sifuna, TM. (2020). Development and validation of a total quality management model for Uganda's local governments. Cogent business & management, 7(1). Doi: 10.1080/23311975.2020.1767996

    Mwesigwa, D., and Mubangizi, BC. (2015). Citizen Participation and policy formulation: A study of bottom-up, top-bottom, and horizontal scenarios in local councils in western Uganda. Journal of Administratio Publica. 23(4). 13-29.

    Native, S., Santoro, M., Giuliani, G., and Mazzetti, P. (2020). Towards a knowledge base to support global change policy goals. International journal of digital earth, 13(2). 188-216, doi: 10.1080/17538947.2018.1559367

    Ng, B., Mohamad, F.Z., Chandran, VGR., and Noor, MHN. (2019). Public policy interventions for grassroots innovations: are we getting it right? Asian journal of technology innovation, 27(3). 338-58. Doi: 10.1080/19761597.2019.1678392

    Ogohi, DC., (2018). Impact of informal groups on organisational performance. International journal of scientific research and management (IJSRM), 6(9). 686-94.

    Pan, X., Li, M., Xu, H., Guo, S., Guo, R., and Lee, TC. (2020). Simulation on the effectiveness of carbon emission trading policy: a system dynamics approach. Journal of the operational research society. Doi: 10.1080/01605682.2020.1740623

    Panday, K.B., and Chowdhury, S. (2020). Responsiveness of local government officials: insights and lessons from participatory planning and budgeting. Asia pacific journal of public administration, 42(2). 132-51. Doi: 10.1080/23276665.2020.1742753

    Pillay, LA. (2019). The minimum age of criminal responsibility, international variation, and the dual systems model in neurodevelopment. Journal of child & adolescent mental health, 31(3). 224-34. Doi: 10.2989/17280583.2019.1692851

    Pincione, G. (2019). 'Rule of law: theoretical perspectives'. In: Sellers, M., Kirste, S. (eds.) Encyclopaedia of the philosophy of law and social philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. Accessed 6th May 2021: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6730-0_135-1

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    Romanawski, HM., Sadiq, H., Abu-Tineh, MA., Ndoye, A., and Aql, M. (2019). The skills and knowledge needed for principals in Qatar's independent schools: policy makers', principals" and teachers' perspectives. International journal of leadership in education, 22(6). 749-73. Doi: 10.1080/13603124.2018.1508751

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    Saraithong, W., and Chancharoenchai, K. (2019). The micro-determinants of public policy: a case of Thailand's trade policy. International journal of public administration, 42(13). 1135-44. Doi: 10.1080/01900692.2019.1575855

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    Schulz, M. (2020). Uncertain preferences in rational decision. Inquiry, 63(6). 605-27. Doi: 10.1080/0020174X.2020.1758767

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    Stark, A., and Head, B. (2019). Institutional amnesia and public policy. Journal of European public policy, 26(10). 1521-39. Doi: 10.1080/13501763.2018.1535612

    Vercalsteren, A., Christis, M., Geerken, T., and Van der Linden, A. (2020). Policy needs (to be) covered by static environmentally extended input-output analyses. Economic systems research, 32(1). 121-44. Doi: 10.1080/09535314.2019.1644994

    Vesely, A. (2020). Policy formulation redesigned: anew understanding of policy design and its implications for instruction. Teaching public administration, 38(3). 213-32. Accessed 2nd May 2021: https://doi.org/10.1177/0144739420901729

    Violet, B., Scelles, N., and Ferrand, A. (2020). The engagement of actors during the formulation of a national federation sport policy: an analysis within the French rugby union. International journal of sport policy and politics, 12(1). 49-71. Doi: 10.1080/19406940.2019.1634621

    Wanders, HKF., Dijkstra, BA., Maslowski, R., Van der Veen, I., and Amnå, E. (2020). The role of teachers, parents, and friends in developing adolescents" societal interest. Scandinavian journal of educational research. Doi: 10.1080/00313831.2020.1754901.

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  2. Aiston, JS., Fo, KC., and Law, WW. (2020). Interrogating strategies and policies to advocate women in academic leadership: the case of Hong Kong. Journal of higher education policy and management, 42(3). 347-64. Doi: 10.1080/1360080X.2020.1753393
  3. Assad, N.B.D., and Spiegel, T. (2020). Improving emergency department resource planning: a multiple case study. Health systems, 9(1). 2-30. Doi: 10.1080/20476965.2019.1680260
  4. Awin, N. (2019). Role of policy makers in ensuring access to adequate treatment for achieving patient and family quality of life: experience in Mallaysia. Haemoglobin, 43(6). 320. Doi: 10.1080/03630269.2020.1718327
  5. Bartels, PRK., Wagenaar, H., and Li, Y. (2020). Introduction: towards deliberative policy analysis 2.0. Policy studies, 41(4). 295-306. Doi: 10.1080/01442872.2020.1772219
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  8. Burke, S. (2019). Re-imaging the local in national cultural policy formulation – the case of the Anglophone Caribbean. Cultural trends, 28(4). 269-80. Doi: 10.1080/09548963.2019.1644782
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  13. Farell, L., Bourgeouis-Law, G., Buydens, S., and Regehr, G. (2019). Your goals, my goals, our goals: the complexity of coconstructing goals with learners in medical education. Teaching and learning medicine, 31(4). 370-7. Doi: 10.1080/10401334.2019.1576526
  14. Frisk, S., and Gillette, BM. (2019). Sweden's Burka Ban: policy proposals, problematisations, and the production of Swedishness. NORA-Nordic journal of feminist and gender research, 27(4). 271-84. Doi: 10.1080/08038740.2019.1668847
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  27. Mortati, M. (2019). The nexus between design and policy: strong, weak, and non-design spaces in policy formulation. The design journal, 22(6). 775-92. Doi: 10.1080/14606925.2019.1651599
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  30. Native, S., Santoro, M., Giuliani, G., and Mazzetti, P. (2020). Towards a knowledge base to support global change policy goals. International journal of digital earth, 13(2). 188-216, doi: 10.1080/17538947.2018.1559367
  31. Ng, B., Mohamad, F.Z., Chandran, VGR., and Noor, MHN. (2019). Public policy interventions for grassroots innovations: are we getting it right? Asian journal of technology innovation, 27(3). 338-58. Doi: 10.1080/19761597.2019.1678392
  32. Ogohi, DC., (2018). Impact of informal groups on organisational performance. International journal of scientific research and management (IJSRM), 6(9). 686-94.
  33. Pan, X., Li, M., Xu, H., Guo, S., Guo, R., and Lee, TC. (2020). Simulation on the effectiveness of carbon emission trading policy: a system dynamics approach. Journal of the operational research society. Doi: 10.1080/01605682.2020.1740623
  34. Panday, K.B., and Chowdhury, S. (2020). Responsiveness of local government officials: insights and lessons from participatory planning and budgeting. Asia pacific journal of public administration, 42(2). 132-51. Doi: 10.1080/23276665.2020.1742753
  35. Pillay, LA. (2019). The minimum age of criminal responsibility, international variation, and the dual systems model in neurodevelopment. Journal of child & adolescent mental health, 31(3). 224-34. Doi: 10.2989/17280583.2019.1692851
  36. Pincione, G. (2019). 'Rule of law: theoretical perspectives'. In: Sellers, M., Kirste, S. (eds.) Encyclopaedia of the philosophy of law and social philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. Accessed 6th May 2021: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6730-0_135-1
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  39. Ruckert, A., Labonte, R., and Lencucha, R. (2019). Health in Canadian foreign policy: the role of norms and security interests. Canadian foreign policy journal, 25(3). 325-41. Doi: 10.1080/11926422.2019.1642216
  40. Saraithong, W., and Chancharoenchai, K. (2019). The micro-determinants of public policy: a case of Thailand's trade policy. International journal of public administration, 42(13). 1135-44. Doi: 10.1080/01900692.2019.1575855
  41. Saxon, J., and Snow, D. (2020). A rational agent model for the spatial accessibility of primary healthcare. Annals of the American association of geographers, 110(1). 205-22. Doi: 10.1080/24694452.2019.1629870
  42. Schmidt, MN. (2020). Late bloomer? Agricultural policy integration and coordination patterns in climate policies. Journal of European public policy, 27(6). 893-911. Doi: 10.1080/13501763.2019.1617334
  43. Schulz, M. (2020). Uncertain preferences in rational decision. Inquiry, 63(6). 605-27. Doi: 10.1080/0020174X.2020.1758767
  44. Siverbo, S., Cäker, M., and Åkesson, J. (2019). Conceptualising dysfunctional consequences of performance measurement in the public sector. Public management review, 21(12). 1801-23. Doi: 10.1080/14719037.2019.1577906
  45. Spéder, Z., Murinkó, L., and Oláh, L. (2020). Cash support vs. tax incenrives: the differential impact of policy interventions on third births in contemporary Hungary. Population studies, 74(1). 39-54. Doi: 10.1080/00324728.2019.1694165
  46. Ssonko, WKD. (2013). Decentralisation and development: can Uganda now pass the test of being a role model? Commonwealth journal of local governance, 13/14. 30-45.
  47. Stark, A., and Head, B. (2019). Institutional amnesia and public policy. Journal of European public policy, 26(10). 1521-39. Doi: 10.1080/13501763.2018.1535612
  48. Vercalsteren, A., Christis, M., Geerken, T., and Van der Linden, A. (2020). Policy needs (to be) covered by static environmentally extended input-output analyses. Economic systems research, 32(1). 121-44. Doi: 10.1080/09535314.2019.1644994
  49. Vesely, A. (2020). Policy formulation redesigned: anew understanding of policy design and its implications for instruction. Teaching public administration, 38(3). 213-32. Accessed 2nd May 2021: https://doi.org/10.1177/0144739420901729
  50. Violet, B., Scelles, N., and Ferrand, A. (2020). The engagement of actors during the formulation of a national federation sport policy: an analysis within the French rugby union. International journal of sport policy and politics, 12(1). 49-71. Doi: 10.1080/19406940.2019.1634621
  51. Wanders, HKF., Dijkstra, BA., Maslowski, R., Van der Veen, I., and Amnå, E. (2020). The role of teachers, parents, and friends in developing adolescents" societal interest. Scandinavian journal of educational research. Doi: 10.1080/00313831.2020.1754901.