The Office of the Prime minister has unveiled the National Evaluation Capacities Index (INCE), a new data-driven tool designed to strengthen monitoring and evaluation of government programmes, improve accountability, and curb corruption across ministries, departments and agencies.
In what signals a shift from traditional physical inspections, the tool is expected to digitize oversight by enabling real-time tracking of government projects—raising hopes for improved service delivery and timely implementation.
Each MDA will be assigned a unique access code to input and assess performance data, allowing government to identify gaps, track stalled projects, and make evidence-based decisions.
According to the Permanent Secretary for Coordination and Evaluation at OPM,Julius Victor Nkeramihigo, the introduction of the tool comes at a critical time as government pushes to implement the National Development Plan IV.
“This tool will strengthen our monitoring systems and help reduce inefficiencies and corruption. It will also help track the progress of government projects” he noted, emphasizing the need for integrity in its use and implementation of its findings.
The Government Chief Whip Hamson Obua, said embedding the tool across MDAs will not only enhance transparency but also allow Ugandans to better track government performance.
“This should inform decision-making, policy direction, and budgeting processes,” he said.
The National Evaluation Capacities Index has already been implemented in countries such as Ghana Tanzania, Benin Morrocco among others positioning Uganda among nations embracing data-driven governance.
However, even as optimism surrounds the initiative, questions linger over accountability—particularly who evaluates the evaluators—and whether government will fully utilize the tool’s findings to drive meaningful change.
For now, the success of the INCE may not lie in its design, but in the political will to act on the data it generates.
