Joint Technical Review (JTR)

The Government of Uganda – Development Partners First Joint Technical Review (JTR) of the Water and Environment Sector 2009 was held in Mount Elgon Hotel, Mbale 6th – 9th April 2009.

In 2008, the then Water and Sanitation (WS) Sector and the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Sector merged, to become the Water and Environment Sector. In September 2008, the ENR sub-sector attended the Sector's Joint Sector Review as observers, and this JTR is the first event where the ENR and WS sub-sectors jointly actively participate.

The Water and Sanitation sub-sector is still undergoing reform with the objective to ensure that services are provided and managed with increased performance and cost effectiveness, to decrease the government burden while maintaining the government's commitment to equitable and sustainable provision of services in Uganda.

In accordance with a Sector Wide Approach to planning (SWAp) the Joint Technical Review (JTR) is a forum to follow up on sector development and undertakings set in the annual Joint Sector Review (JSR). The JTR is an expanded Water and Environment Sector Working Group (WESWG) with an enlarged participation by stakeholders and Development Partners (DPs). Formal decisions during JTRs such as revisions of undertakings and action plans are taken by the WESWG.

Aims and objectives of the JTR

The overall aim of the 2009 JTR was to assess the progress made with regards to the sector's half year performance, prepare the ground for the JSR for the two sub-sectors as agreed on during the JSR in 2008, recommend actions which will lead to improved sector performance, and assess any other pertinent issues affecting the sector. Specific objectives of the JTR 2009 were to:

Review progress in implementation of undertakings for the Water and Sanitation Sub-sector as well as the outputs /milestones for the ENR sub-sector.
Explore opportunities to optimise synergies between the two sub-sectors.
Share pertinent issues influencing the sector and make appropriate recommendations.

The overall theme for the 2009 JTR was:

Improved co-ordination and effective service delivery in the Water & Environment Sector

The theme was selected to emphasize the need to address the issues that are strongly related to most of the undertakings formulated during the 2008's JSR, as well as the coordination aspects of joining of the water and environment sub-sectors.

Four Review Teams made field visits to Jinja, Iganga, Pallisa, Mbale, Bukwo, Manafwa, Butaleja and Busia Districts to inform the JTR. The field visits were not only for exposure, but also for learning and to extract examples of good and bad practices with particular focus on the topical areas represented by various thematic groups. See Agreed Minutes of the 2009 JTR.