1. About CSBAG
   The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) is a coalition formed in 2004 to bring together CSOs at national and district levels to influence Government decisions on resource mobilization, allocation and utilization for equitable and sustainable development. CSBAG participates in the national and local government budget process through a number of thematic areas including but not limited to education, health and agriculture. The major aim of CSBAG participation in the local and national budgeting processes is to ensure that the respective budgets are people centered and subsequently contribute towards; poverty reduction, socio economic transformation and reduction in social inequality.

2. Background
Education, Health and Agriculture are among the top sectors that all citizens of a country interact with most frequently in quest for the respective services that the sectors offer. It should be noted that these sectors do not only provide micro benefits to the respective individuals who consume the respective sector services but also have macro benefits to the entire economy. The education and health sectors for instance constitute an important segment in the Human Capital Development.

At the Micro level, education brightens an individual’s as educated individuals make rational decisions during their lifetime. Furthermore, at the Micro Level, the health sector ensures healthy individuals which enhances their ability to consume, effectively participate in both leisure and the labor market. Relatedly, the agriculture sector is central at the micro level as evident in ensuring food security and nutrition at household level, boosting household income, among other micro-benefits.

At the Macro level, the education and health subprograms mold a country’s citizens into a productive, creative and innovative labor that the respective countries need to spur their economic growth and development aspirations, provide security and other services that are central to the country. In the same vein, the agriculture sector plays a great macro contribution to a country. For instance, the Ugandan economy is largely agrarian as the economy largely relies on agricultural exports, the subsistence agriculture sector employs over 62 percent of Ugandans, makes the country food and nutrition secure, among other benefits.

According to the Uganda National Household Survey 2019/20 (UNHS, 2019/20), the national average poverty rate stands at 20.3 percent. This fell above the Second National Development (NDP II) Poverty target of 19.7% and also below the current NDP III poverty target of 18.5%. Health, Education and Agriculture are key poverty reducing sectors given their central roles in the in the lives of individual citizens and their associated positive spillovers to entire economies. Sufficient public expenditure to the three poverty reducing sectors of health, education and agriculture is a necessary condition to reducing poverty among the population and bring about socioeconomic transformation and spur economic growth and development.

In Uganda, the share of budget allocation to the social sectors as a share of the total national budget continues to stall. It has averaged below 10%. For instance, Education sector was allocated 8% (UGX 3,700 Billion), Agriculture 3% (UGX 1,333 Billion) and Health 6% (UGX 2,788 Billion) in FY2020/21 budget. This financing trend directly impacts on the quality of education, quality of health care of especially women and other marginalized sections of society. Relatedly, the low budgetary allocation also impacts on the productivity Ugandans majority of whom are still engaged in subsistence agriculture, and other informal employments which is vulnerable to shocks as exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The limited public expenditure to health, education and agriculture subsequently leaves less interventions at disposal to address challenges socio challenges faced by marginalized sections of the population such as persons with disabilities, women, youth, the elderly, among others. Inclusive growth and development requires equitable service delivery which should be backed by sufficient public expenditures to the respective poverty reducing sectors of health, education and agriculture.
CSBAG with support from USAID intends to undertake an assessment of public financing towards the three poverty reducing sectors of health, education and agriculture for the period FY 2019/20, FY 2020/21, and FY 2021/22.

3. Objectives of the assessment
The major objective of the assignment is to establish public expenditure to the three-poverty reducing sectors of health, education and agriculture. The specific objectives include;
i. To establish Government of Uganda or domestic financing towards health, education and agriculture.
ii. To establish external financing towards health, education and agriculture
iii. To establish respective financial allocations to health and education as percentages of the total Human Capital Development budget.
iv. To establish off budget support to the different sectors of health, education and agriculture in the FY 2019/20, FY 2020/21 and FY 2021/22.
v. To establish the unabsorbed/unutilized funds in health, education and agriculture sectors in FY 2019/20, FY 2020/21 and FY 2021/22.

4.Scope
The assessment covers three sectors of agriculture, education and health. The assessment if limited to budget performance within the sectors for FY 2019/20, FY 2020/21, and FY 2021/22. Geographically, the assessment intends to cover national level sectoral votes.

5 Outputs and Time frame
It is expected that within 25 working days, the consultant will have delivered the following;
i. Inception report clearly stating the methodology to be used in undertaking the assignment
ii. Draft assessment report on public expenditure in health, education and agriculture for FY 2019/20, FY 2020/21, and FY 2021/22.
iii. Final assessment report for public expenditure in health, education and agriculture for FY 2019/20, FY 2020/21, and FY 2021/22.

6.Expertise Required
The consultant will possess the following qualifications:
i. Advanced degree in economics, development studies or any other relevant qualification.
ii. At least three years’ experience in public project management and analysis
iii. Excellent analytical skills and experience in quantitative analysis
iv. Excellent English writing skills.
v. Experience in budget advocacy for health, education and agriculture sectors is an added advantage.

7.Submission of Proposals for the assignment

CSBAG is inviting Proposals for implementation of all outputs and activities as specified in this Terms of Reference. Interested consultants/firms are requested to submit Technical and financial proposals:
i. Only financial proposals quoted in UGX are acceptable
ii. The technical proposal should contain:
a) Description of the understanding of the assignments, including comments on the TORs;
b) A brief critique or advice on, what the TOR ought to have included or considered, from your understanding of the assignment;
c) A description of the methodology to be followed, to achieve the desired objectives;
d) Work plan and Time scheduling of information gathering and other activities; and
e) CVs of the consultants/firms

8. APPLICATION PROCESS.
   Interested candidates should submit their application letter, updated CVs, technical and financial proposals and references for similar work conducted previously, addressed to the Executive Director: Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), email: hr@csbag.org cc: rmugobera@csbag.org P.O. Box 660, Ntinda Kampala, Uganda, Plot 11 Vubyabirengye Close Ntinda-stretcher road by 5:00pm 6th May 2022.