For Uganda to achieve meaningful socio-economic transformation for sustainable development and prosperity; requires some level of preparedness in terms of understanding where we are, where we want to go, how and when to get there. These are questions of a strategic nature that call for strategic planning of the nation particularly in terms of the utilization of national resources (people, capital, land, water, minerals and the entire eco-system) in order to generate wealth.

There is therefore, a need to view Uganda’s development in a long, medium and short-term perspective. This approach to development planning is spelt out in the Comprehensive National Development Planning Framework (CNDPF), which was adopted by Cabinet in 2007. The CNDPF represents a highly iterative, participatory and inclusive planning process. It outlines the principles and guidelines to be followed in developing national and decentralized long and medium-term development plans in context of perspective shared national vision.

The CNDPF is comprised of five principal elements namely; the 30-year national vision, 10-year national development plan, the 5-year national development plans and annual plans and budgets. It also prescribes the various categories of development plans, the corresponding planning stages, the roles and responsibilities of different actors and the respective planning time horizons and cycles to be followed. The framework also outlines the processes through which plans produced by different actors at the national and decentralized levels of administration, will be integrated into the National Development Plans. It provides the necessary linkages between planning and budgeting.