UN-DESA • MOFPED • UNDP Uganda

First intensive training workshop
Entebbe, Uganda
7-9 March 2012

The first intensive training workshop on “Strengthening Macro-Micro Modelling Capacities to Assess Development Support Measures and Strategies” was successfully conducted by DPAD/UN-DESA, in close collaboration with UNDP’s Office in Uganda and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MOFPED), on 7-9 March, 2012, in Entebbe, Uganda.

This event is part of Development Account Projects “Strengthening Macroeconomic and Social Policy Coherence through Integrated Macro-Micro Modelling” and “Graduation strategies for Least Developed Countries in Asia and Africa”), and UNDP’s Country Programme Action Plan (CPAC) in Uganda. A total of 25 participants representing mostly the government of Uganda joined both hands-on sessions to work on data issues and the training presentations and plenary discussions.

During the workshop DPAD:

• Described the MAMS (Maquette for MDG Simulations) in detail.
• Took stock of data availability, presented a recently updated dataset for MAMS for Uganda (including a newly updated Social Accounting Matrix), and agreed on future data collection.
• Described the Excel-based interface for MAMS known as ISIM-MAMS.
  Conducted practical sessions to explain the use of ISIM-MAMS (i.e., installation, adding a dataset, generation of a reference scenario and alternative scenarios and so on).
• Undertook practical sessions to conduct policy simulations in three (interrelated) blocks: exogenous policy and external shocks, support measures and achievement of human development goals.

As a salient result of this workshop’s discussion, MOFPED expressed genuine interest to get its team duly trained to use the modelling tools to generate inputs for the mid-term review of the National Development Plan (NDP) and the next MDG report of Uganda. It is expected this will increase the policy impact of the capacity development activities in Uganda.