Human Resource Talent Retention in Uganda’s Local Government: Review of

Policy and Institutional Mechanisms with Lessons from the British Experiences

Umar Kakumba, PhDCAPREx Fellow, University of Cambridge & Senior Lecturer, 

Makerere UniversityCollaborating withShailaja Fennell, PhD

Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 1

4 October, 2016 2Umar Kakumba, PhD

• Public service in less developed countries and local governments (LGs) in particular grapple with the challenge of making the public sector efficient and effective – despite the wider neoliberal reforms.

• Neoliberal reforms of 1990s presented a wide array of policy prescriptions to poor nations, intended to de‐bureaucratise the central state, promote good governance & development:Decentralisation, community participation, empowerment, 

accountability, efficient and effective public sector

• LGs are vehicles of service provision and rural/ local economic development 

• HR Retention Challenge:‐ districts facing increasing employee turnover, absenteeism, abscondment and poor HR performance 

Introductory Background

Research Gap: Problem

• HR Talent retention continues to dog the imperatives of localcapacity, efficient & effective service provision; and questions therationale of decentralisation and local development in Uganda:

• Concerns are rife that the Ugandan case has bigger policy andorganisational‐structural arrangements that need to be examinedon how they herald HR Talent retention.

• Thus, the study sought to examine HR retention framework andpractices for LGs in Uganda, appraise the policy and institutionalmechanisms of support, and draw comparable lessons from theUK/ British model.

4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 3

Research Question/ Objective 1

• Human Resource plan/ Strategy

• Employment Equity• Discipline and Grievance/ Conflict

• Talent/ Career Development• Occupational Health & Safety

• Reward and Compensation • Other Policy instruments.........?

What major policy/ regulatory 

framework has your council adopted to 

support HR Capacity Retention; and what are the 

challenges?

4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 4

Research Question/ Objective 2

• Entry practices (Recruitment, selection, induction)

• HR Performance Management/ Appraisal

• Reward and Compensation• Employment Relations (Discipline, Grievance and Conflict Mgt)

• Talent/ Career development

• Other practices to support effective HR Retention..?

What Institutional Mechanisms/Practices are engaged/ utilised to foster HR talent retention; and what are the challenges?

4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 5

Research Question/ Objective 3

• Entry practices (Recruitment, selection, induction)

• HR Performance Management/ Appraisal

• Reward and Compensation• Employment Relations (Discipline, Grievance and Conflict Mgt)

• Talent/ Career development

What policy and institutional management 

experiences can be drawn from the British local authorities to enhance HR talent 

retention in Uganda’s local governments?

4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 6

Project Progress

Cambridge: 3 months (Aug‐Nov. 2013)

• Literature Review• Interview 4 County Councils• Policy Documents Review

Uganda: 2 Months• Interview 4 Districts• Cambridge Collaborator Visit• Documents Review

Cambridge: 2 Months• Data Analysis• Paper writing• Seminar Presentation

Dissemination• Conference (College & Morocco

• Journal Manuscript• Training Materials• Policy Briefs

4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 7

CAPREx FELLOWSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTSCAPREx FELLOWSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS

4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 8

1st Research paper/ 

manuscript due for 

publication in Journal of 

Social Sciences –Loyola India

2nd Research paper 

underway –policy/ 

institutional  experiences of British LGs

Became Member of the Professional Development Studies Assoc. 

(DSA) –Participated in 

DSA Conference at Birmingham University

Have met Scholars & Researchers: Shailaja Fennell; Maha Abd; Devon 

Curtis; Ruth Watson; Harry 

Englund; Heather Cruickshank; UmaKothari; Solava

Ibrahim; Mozammel Huq; Naila Kabeer; and All CAPREx & CAS 

Fellows

Provided Research support to Cambridge 

students – joint supervision of Christine Van 

Hooft; Stephanie 

Hirmer Game Focus Group 

Uganda_17.03.14.pdf

CAPREx FELLOWSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTSCAPREx FELLOWSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS

4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 9

Extended to the 

expansive and heavily resourceful Cambridge Univ. Library services and e‐material resources

Enriched from the Cambridge rich research uptake and knowledge dissemination culture –Seminar series

Fellowship time 

enabled me finalise with 

journal comments 

and supervision of graduate students –these have qualified me to apply for promotion to Assoc. Professor

Presented part of my CAPRExproject 

findings at IIAS 

Conference in Ifrane, 

Morocco June 2014

EXPECT: to present paper at next 

conference of the 

Academy of Management in the US –for further dissemination – courtesy of CAPREx

EXPECT: Present 

policy paper at JARD; Complete project 

proposal for DFID 

Funding; Chapter in a 

Book; Training 

material for graduate students

Through CAPREx......• We say thank you.........to:

1. Jenny Mackay;2. Pauline Essah;3. Devon Curtis;4. Victoria Jones;5. Judith Weik;6. Mark Shepherd, and last but not least to;7. Prof. David Dune and the entire CAPREx Brains; 

Makerere and Legon Universities Support Teams, and CAPREx Fellows

4 October, 2016 Umar Kakumba, PhD 10

Thank You CAPREx!!!