14 Apr UNASO BOARD MEETING: Strengthening for Greater Impact
One of the key areas of focus during this period was the foundational, governance, and leadership development of UNASO. We took significant steps to improve our financial management controls and procedures by implementing QuickBooks and providing orientation and training to our staff. We also published annual narrative, financial, and audit reports, and shared them with relevant government agencies and stakeholders, including the NGO board. Additionally, we registered and published key board resolutions, and developed a robust UNASO membership drive/strategy that is anchored in our constitution and endorsed by policymakers, with clear, implementable, and sustainable benefits to our members.
A major highlight during this period was the successful facilitation of our Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in January 2023. The AGM attracted 200 delegates and provided a platform for reviewing and passing important reports, including the program performance report, Board Chairperson’s report, Executive Director’s report, and Treasure’s report. We also filled the central region representative position, further strengthening our governance structure.
Another significant achievement was the monitoring and implementation of our strategic plan, with quarterly progress reports, support supervision, and regular performance reviews against the planned targets. We also developed a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan with a data flow chart, demonstrating data collection from our members’ networks. This was supported by GIZ/UAC, and the documentation was presented to the Joint Annual AIDS Review (JAAR), which resulted in key resolutions being made during the AGM.
In terms of coordination, capacity enhancement, and partnerships, UNASO played a vital role in representing civil society organizations (CSOs) on the Committee of Technical Experts (CTE) at the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC). This involved coordinating all national CSOs under our self-coordinating entity and hosting the Civil Society self-coordinating entity (CSE) that includes international and national NGOs, as well as young people. This has fostered and strengthened partnerships for greater synergy in resources and cross-learning for an enhanced HIV/AIDS response within the entity.
During this reporting period, we also conducted orientation sessions for 153 CSOs engaged in HIV, TB, SRHR, and GBV programming at national and regional levels, on the role of UNASO as a Self Coordinating Entity and the Uganda AIDS Commission Regulations 2021. We also partnered with other organizations to secure funds and coordinate engagement with key populations constituencies in Global Fund-related processes throughout the grant lifecycle, which helped to prioritize community priorities in line with GF templates and technical guidance.
Capacity enhancement was another area of focus, and we successfully strengthened the capacity of 40 networks and 156 CSOs to undertake community-led campaigns to promote gender equality in various districts across Uganda. We also worked in partnership with District Community Development Offices and HIV Focal Persons to map and identify relevant networks and community-based organizations (CBOs) working on gender equality and HIV/AIDS and TB issues. We provided support for grassroots advocacy and campaigns to improve legal literacy through “know your rights” campaigns and address human rights barriers to HIV/AIDS and TB service access.
In conclusion, the period of July 2022 to December 2023 was marked by significant achievements in strengthening the institutional
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