UN-DESA • UNDP • World Bank

Inception and training workshop
Entebbe, Uganda
4–6 November 2009

The project "Realizing the MDGs through Socially Inclusive Macroeconomic Policies in Africa" was initiated in Entebbe, Uganda during the inception and training workshop on 4-6 November 2009. The purpose of the workshop was to start capacity building for African countries, namely Uganda, Senegal and South Africa, in applying quantitative tools for assessing feasible financing strategies and macroeconomic policies to achieve the MDGs. The workshop was organized by UN-DESA/DPAD in collaboration with UNDP Country Office in Uganda and the World Bank. The workshop engaged a large number of participants from Uganda and three from South Africa. The Senegal country team was unable to attend but work has been initiated there through teleconferences.

The main objectives of the workshop were to:

• introduce the project's objectives and methodology;
• familiarize participants with the intended outcomes of the project and their potential uses, in terms of country-study results, policymaking, and sustainability of capacity-building;
• provide country teams with an initial training in the project's methodology
• identify prerequisites for the successful implementation of the project, particularly regarding country-team organization and data availability and compilation;
• identify needs for tailoring the methodology to country-specific conditions, and define the milestones and timeframe of the project.