The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) has entered into a partnership with the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG Uganda) to expand citizen participation in monitoring government contracts and projects.

The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) following a three-day onboarding and training programme on the Contract Monitoring System (CMS).

The engagement brought together representatives of 15 civil society organisations (CSOs) from Uganda’s Central, Eastern, Northern and Western regions.

The training focused on equipping participating organisations with practical skills to use the CMS and understand different stages of the public procurement process. Participants also examined key principles that guide public procurement, including transparency, accountability, confidentiality and non-discrimination.

Beyond procurement procedures, the CSOs were introduced to approaches for monitoring environmental, health and safety requirements, as well as gender and social inclusion safeguards in government projects.

PPDA Executive Director Canon Benson Turamye said collaboration with civil society organisations is essential to extending the authority’s monitoring capacity across the country. “We cannot be everywhere, and that is why collaboration with Civil Society Organizations is critical.”

Under the MoU, PPDA and CSBAG will work together to strengthen contract monitoring and create a more structured channel for identifying and reporting concerns arising during project implementation.

The partnership is also expected to support earlier identification of implementation challenges, improve the quality of monitoring reports and promote greater transparency and accountability in the use of public resources.

CSBAG Uganda Executive Director Julius Mukunda welcomed the partnership and pledged the organisation’s commitment to ensuring that monitoring activities are carried out professionally and reliably.

The collaboration will give civil society organisations and communities a formal mechanism to document developments on government projects after contracts have been awarded.

For PPDA, involving CSOs in contract monitoring is intended to strengthen oversight at the implementation stage, when government-funded projects move from procurement decisions to actual delivery.

The initiative highlights the importance of tracking public projects beyond the contract award stage. Effective public procurement ultimately depends on whether projects are completed as planned, public resources are properly utilised and citizens receive the services and infrastructure for which government funds were allocated.