Northern Uganda is marked by years of civil war, regional instability and economic disparities. There is an increasing pressure on natural resources such as land, water and wood. Small scale subsistence agriculture and micro/small businesses (mainly shops and workshops) are seen as the only livelihood activities by host communities and refugees. Both groups suffer from lack of skills, lack of resources- as start-up capital for businesses, credit and agricultural inputs-, and lack of employment opportunities due to the scale of prevalent economic activities (mainly micro/small enterprises without integration in value chains or connection to medium/large size companies). In recent studies, refugees have identified vocational training as a primary service which is currently lacking and to which they would want to have access to. Also host communities believe that they would benefit from agricultural training and support, as to move towards mechanised and more technologically advanced forms of agriculture.

The wider objective of the project is improving inclusive socio-economic development of refugees and host communities in 3 refugee hosting DLGs in Uganda.

The specific objectives are:
Workpackage 1. Implementation of an employment and labour market analysis (ELMA) in Norther Uganda and - as far as possible given the security situation - South Sudan.
Workpackage 2. Development of employment opportunities through an institutionalized public-private dialogue.
Workpackage 3. Provision of a pool of 20 international, regional and/or national short term experts (STE pool).

The expected results of the project are: (i) Strengthened capacities of DLGs to improve income and employment aspects and (ii) improved employment and income opportunities of refugees and the local population.

This intervention is part of GIZ's "Support to refugees and host communities in Northern Uganda" project, which aims to improve the inclusive socio-economic development of refugees and local population in 3 refugee hosting DLGs, being Adjumani, Arua and Moyo. VNG International builds on a strong Ugandan network covering both the public and private sector and community actors in the refugee-hosting DLGs in Northern Uganda (Adjumani, Arua, Moyo), their associations at regional and national level (West Nile Development Association (WENDA), ULGA) and national government agencies that impact local social- economic development (Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and other sectoral ministries like (Education & Sports (MES), Water and Environment (MWE), Finance, Planning & Economic Development (MoFPED), Works and Transport (MWT), Agriculture & Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF)).