Yesterday on 19th August 2021, Government started the recruitment of 5600 Parish chiefs across the country.
The minister for local Government Raphael Magyezi, said that once recruited, the parish chiefs will be trained on the parish model, data collection and management and the tablets will be handy in that exercise.
‘We faced a lot of challenges when we wanted to give out money to the vulnerable during the lockdown, UBOS figures could not help us so we are going to empower the parish chiefs with tablets so that they can be able to collect data and learn how to store it electronically,” Magyezi said.
PDM is a poverty alleviation programme aimed at improving service delivery and livelihoods at the lowest administrative unit. However, some people confuse the PDM with Emyooga.
Difference between Emyooga and Parish Development Model
Emyooga and other wealth programmes, are programs designed to focus on giving out money to target interest organized groups whereas the Parish Development Model will look at different aspects of advancing household development.
Understanding the Parish Model and how it will operate
Previously, money would come to the district and be channeled to the sub-counties where officials would make decisions about projects in parishes.
Under the Parish Development Model (PDM), the parish chief will lead the community development agenda by consensus. It is expected by the central government that by giving power to local policy makers, it will shape the rural economy by focusing on their competitive advantages.
With the government providing funds of about Shs 38 million per parish, rural communities will compete with one another for support from the government and will be awarded on a competitive basis. By looking at the budgets developed by the sub-county and parish governments, the media would enable citizens see if what is being planned is economically relevant to them.
The most long-term benefits will not be its outward tangible achievements, but rather the change in the mentality of the people. In summary, the model if popularized can build national confidence infused with a “can-do” spirit.
