Opal Community Agricultural & Vocational Institute (OCATI)

OPAL COMMUNITY AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTE (OCATI)

PROJECT PROPOSAL -2010

•1.     INTRODUCTION

OPAL Community Agricultural & Technical Institute (OCATI) is an initiative by the OPAL Community to establish a training facility for the benefit of the community and other people who have been living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in northern Uganda for over 20 years during the insurgency and war that raged the region from 1986 to 2006. In the medium- to-long term the institute may graduate into a national centre of excellence for Agricultural and Engineering studies serving the entire nation.

The Government of Uganda (GoU) has recently formulated the Peace, Reconstruction and Development Plan (PRDP) for Northern Uganda with the aim of resettling the IDPs in their original villages and homes of aboard. The OPAL community has embraced this Plan with open hands and would now like to contribute towards the realization of one of its aims by setting up this Community facility which will offer basic training in Mechanized Agricultural Practices and relevant Technical Vocational skills in various relevant fields such as mechanics, building & construction, carpentry & joinery, painting & decoration, tailoring and embroidery, cookery and electrical installation. Other non-academic programmes that benefit the Community such as health and Hygiene; music, dance and drama; games, sports and athletics, and so forth will also be offered.

•2.     LOCATION

The OPAL community is settled at Opette village, Lukwor parish, Amida sub-county, Chua county of Kitgum district in Northern Uganda. Their location is strategic being situated only about 6 km east of Kitgum town along the Kitgum-Corner Alango-Kitgum -Matidi road. The institute shall therefore have easy access to public services and utilities such as piped water, electricity, internet connectivity and road infrastructure. The OPAL community has sufficient land that it uses to feed and fend for itself and spare some for developmental projects such as the OCATI community initiative.

•3.     GOVERNANCE

OPAL Community is organized with a formal structure comprising an Executive Committee and Ordinary Membership. Total membership currently stands at 60 with the Executive Committee constituted as follows:

            Mr. John Sam Okwera                                    Chairman

            Mr. Patrick Lakidi                               Vice Chairman

            Mr. Kenneth Nyero                             Secretary General

            Mrs. Anna Okwok                               Treasurer

            Mr. Patrick Okot                                 Committee Member

            Mr. Vincent Oroma                            Committee Member

OCATI will be owned by the OPAL Community however its administration will be done by a separate Governing Council that will be elected by the Community but with slots for other key stakeholders such as representatives of the Central Government (GoU), Kitgum Local governments, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Development Partners.

However, as an interim measure to facilitate fast coordination and networking, the OPAL community has entrusted one of its sons, Mr. Dison B Okumu (M.Sc) with the responsibility to mobilize resources, lobby GoU, CSOs and Development Partners to support the establishment of OCATI.      He is assisted by Ms. Sarah Adongpiny (B.Com), also a daughter of the Community.

•4.      THE OCATI PHILOSOPHY

Agriculture is the main economic activity in which the OPAL Community has been engaged in since time immemorial. The OCATI philosophy will hence, build on this life-time occupation of the Community and strive to lift it up to a higher level by providing professional training in modern Agricultural Practices, mechanization of Agriculture, Value-addition to agriculture and imparting technical skills for innovation and maintenance of agricultural machinery, promotion of animal traction, construction of modern human and agricultural houses that will uplift the standard of living of the Community and reduce on post-harvest losses by providing modern storage facilities. Clean energy sources will be promoted and electricity form solar as well as Agricultural residues and by-products will be exploited by the institute for its own use and that of the Community.

In addition, the OCATI facility will offer the local community programmes in the evenings and weekends in non-academic activities such as psycho-social counseling; health and Hygiene; HIV/AIDS Voluntary Testing & Counseling (VCT); music, dance and drama; games, sports and athletics and functional adult literacy. Other Government programmes and interventions like immunization campaigns, Prosperity-for-all and patriotism lessons will also be accommodated.

•5.     TARGET GROUPS

OCATI programmes will target three independent and mutually exclusive groups of beneficiaries. These are:

• a. "O" Level Drop-outs
• b. "UPE" Drop-outs
• c. The Community

The first two groups will benefit from academic/vocational training programmes awarding them Diplomas and Certificates examined by the Uganda National examinations Board (UNEB) while the last group will enjoy non-academic but life enhancing programmes that will raise household incomes and the general standard of living of the Community. Each group is envisaged to benefit as follows:

•a.      "O" Level Drop-outs

GoU has introduced the Universal Post Primary Education system targeting the provision of secondary education to youths who graduate from the Universal Primary Education scheme earlier started by the government in 1987. Every County in the country is planned to have a Technical/Vocational school to absorb those youths who will not be in position to proceed to the next academic level. Establishment of OCATI will therefore provide the necessary infrastructure which is in line with government Educational Sector Strategic Plan.

In particular, OCATI Programmes will train this cadre to obtain Diplomas in Agriculture, Agricultural Mechanization or relevant Technical skills as prescribed by the Ministry of Education & Sports and examined by UNEB. Graduates of these programmes will be prepared to provide extension services to the Community and they will themselves be assisted to set up their own demonstration farms or workshops for maintaining farm machinery, tools and equipment for the Community.

•b.      "UPE" Drop-outs

GoU introduced the Universal Primary Education (UPE) Programme in 1997 and has now been in operation for over a decade. Statistics however so that the drop-out ratio is fairly high, especially amongst girls. OCATI Programmes will offer both academic and extra-curricular activities that will turn this cadre into economically useful citizens. Certificate courses approved by the MOES and examined by UNEB will be offered and graduates will form a cadre of artisans and handymen that will work hand-in-hand with the extension workers.

•c.       The Community

OCATI will also be used as a Community Centre of excellence whereby evening and weekend events shall be organized for the community to participate in various life-enhancing skills. These will include psycho-social counseling; health and Hygiene skills; HIV/AIDS Voluntary Testing & Counseling (VCT); music, dance and drama; games, sports and athletics and functional adult literacy. Other Government programmes and interventions like immunization campaigns, Prosperity-for-all and patriotism lessons will also be accommodated.

•6.     PARTNERSHIP WITH OPAL COMMUNITY

The OPAL Community believes in collaborative partnership to achieve the establishment of OCATI. We therefore look forward to symbiotic collaboration with and between the following partners:

• a. OPAL Community
• b. Central Government (GoU)
• c. Kitgum District and Lower Local Governments
• d. Civil Society Organizations
• e. Development Partners

Each of the above partners shall play their parts and will nominate representatives on the Governing Council of OCATI proportionate to its contribution, provided the Community retains at least 51% of the share of contributions. The roles may take the following forms:

•a.      OPAL Community

The community has agreed to provide the following:

• i. Land on which OCATI will be built
• ii. Architectural drawings for OCATI (now ready)
• iii. Labour during construction of OCATI
• iv. Basic locally available materials such as murrum and sand.

•b.      Central Government (GoU

The Ministry of Education & Sports will:

• i. Issue operations License for OCATI
• ii. Provide relevant syllabi for the institute
• iii. Identify and post a Principal and Tutors
• iv. Provide scholastic materials within its means
• v. Inspect and monitor quality and standards from time to time

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development will provide grid connected electricity supply or other suitable source(s) of power for the institute.

•c.       Kitgum District and Lower Local Governments

The Local Governments will contribute through

• i. Approval of Architectural Plans and Drawings
• ii. Upgrading and routine maintenance of the road infrastructure to the institute
• iii. Provision of adequate and clean piped or alternative source(s) of water to the institute
• iv. Provision of medical, educational, security and other public services to OCATI.

•d.      Civil Society Organizations (SCOs)

Various CSOs have been quite active in the northern region during the period of insurgency and have vast experience in matters of psycho-social support and dealing with traumatized people, a category in which the OPAL Community is included. They will play a crucial role in making the OCATI non-academic programmes succeed.

•e.      Development Partners

The OPAL Community counts on the development partners to contribute immensely towards the establishment of OCATI by providing:

• i. Construction materials that cannot be raised locally by the community. These include: hydra foam bricks, metallic bars, cement, iron roofing sheets, nails, timbers, plumbing materials and electrical installation and fittings for the institute.
• ii. Laboratory tools and equipment
• iii. Farm equipment and machines for agro-processing (value-addition)
• iv. Expatriate staff in engineering, agriculture, finance and administration as well as technical assistance for the initial five years of establishing OCATI
• v. Salaries and wages for staff for Principal, Tutors, Finance and Administration experts for five years.

•7.     NATURE OF SUPPORT TO OCATI

The OPAL Community realizes its limited capacity at the moment to handle finances at the grassroots level. In order to ease and optimize accountability and fast tracking of the project, it is envisaged that:

• i. Development partners will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and Supervisory contractors for the project
• ii. Engineering, Administrative and Financial Management Experts will be provided by development partners but a team of local professionals will be recruited and attached to each of the experts to understudy them and take over the responsibilities after five years.

•8.     PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT

OCATI will be developed in phases so that it allows sufficient time for resource mobilization without bearing undue pressure on the promoters and their partners. This will also give room for the Community to assimilate the project philosophy and accept and own it fully. It is hereby proposed that the following phases be adopted:

•a.      Phase I: Design and Resource Mobilization will comprise of:

•                                                              i.      Land acquisition and landscaping

• ii. Architectural design and plans
• iii. Approval of Drawings and Plans
• iv. Formation of the OCATI Governing Council

•b.      Phase II: Resource Mobilization

• i. Authority to raise funds
• ii. Memorandum of Understanding with GoU, LGs, CSOs and Partners
• iii. Selection of EPC Contractor and Project Engineer (Supervisor)
• iv. Handover site to EPC Contractor
• v. Issue certificate of completion of works
• vi. Hand back site to Employer
• vii. Connect electricity, water and internet to the Institute

•c.       Phase III: Commercial Operation

• i. Obtain Operating License
• ii. Install laboratory equipments
• iii. Procure Furniture and fittings for labs, classrooms, offices, library, etc
• iv. Recruit expatriate staff and counterparts
• v. Enroll students
• vi. Take-off

•d.      Phase IV: Monitoring & Evaluation

• i. Routine inspection and quality standards assurance monitoring by Ministry of Education & Sports and Governing Council
• ii. Mid-term review by independent Consultants appointed by Development Partners and stakeholders
• iii. Annual Reports by Governing Council to Annual General Meeting of the Community