Research Initiatives
July 12, 2023 2023-10-03 13:11Research Initiatives
RESEARCH
TRACER STUDY 2023
The ARU research unit is conducting a tracer study for the Young Africa Works Uganda strategy, aiming to skill 70,000 young people for entrepreneurship and dignified employment in several districts and refugee settlements. The study involves over 15,000 respondents, including graduates, employers, and secondary beneficiaries, with objectives to assess graduate employment status, transition rates, and training program strengths and weaknesses.
Impact of COVID-19 on the school girl-child aged 12-18 years
As one of the URDT institutions, ARU was commissioned by CSI to conduct research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the school girl-child, aged 12-18 years in 20 districts of mid-western Uganda. Although a sample of eight (8) districts had been targeted, eventually data was collected from six (6) districts, two districts (Bundibugyo and Ntoroko) having been omitted due to insecurity concerns in these districts bordering on the war-torn DRC. The purpose of the research was to generate information on the impact of COVID-19 on the school girl-child, to inform the formulation of policies and other interventions to ensure the rehabilitation of school girl-children adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study proposed strategies for improving the post-COVID-19 situation of the girl-child, and the research report is available on request.
Pupil-Managed School Farm Project (PMSFP)
The ARU research team completed four (4) baseline line reports (2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019) and three (3) end-line reports (2017, 2018 & 2019)
Forest-Fauna-Populations Balance in Mid-Western Uganda (FoFauPopU) Project
ARU was selected to analyze data for the “Forest-fauna-populations balance in Mid-Western Uganda (FoFauPopU)” project, led by URDT and funded by FFEM. This collaborative effort involves partners like MNHN, Kinome, PCGS from France, SCP, NARO, Kahangi Estate, and UWA, focusing on Kibaale National Park in mid-western Uganda. URDT conducted a needs assessment to understand the implications of increased participatory governance in communities near the park. ARU’s research unit was entrusted with analyzing the collected data and producing the final needs assessment report, which has been submitted. The findings could contribute to improving the forest-fauna-populations balance in Uganda.
e) Evaluation of the PMSFP project
Having implemented the five-year pilot, pupil-managed school farm project interventions, URDT needed to document the activities undertaken, and the achievements realized thus far, report to the donors and other stakeholders, using the same methodology that had been used at various stages of the project. ARU was commissioned by URDT to conduct an evaluation of the pilot phase of the project in two (2) districts (Kagadi & Kakumiro) in mid-western Uganda to measure the extent to which the project goals had been achieved at the three levels: pupils, schools, and homes. Specifically, the evaluation was to establish whether the project methodology, with all that it entails, had delivered the project outcomes, whether the schools had become effective vehicles of nutrition-based farming, and whether the pupils had become effective change-makers. First draft of the report has been prepared and shared with URDT, and what remains is validation of the results by the project participants prior to submission of the final report.
PROMOTION OF CARE ECONOMY IN MID WESTERN UGANDA
In the year 2022, the research unit secured two external research consultancies, research on the conceptualization, expression, and promotion of the care economy in mid-western Uganda, commissioned by from Mustardseed Trust, and research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the school girl-child, aged 12-18 years, in mid-western Uganda, commissioned by Carnegie Social Initiative. Both consultancies were commissioned through URDT, and they were accomplished as planned. In addition, the Unit was commissioned by URDT to complete seven pending (7) baseline and end-line survey reports. Following are the highlights of the consultancies.
