The National Development Policy Forum (NDPF) is a national think-tanking platform established by the National Planning Authority (NPA) in 2014 to enable the public to understand, debate and appreciate the national development issues that are critical to the successful realization of the Uganda Vision 2040 so as to jointly participate in overcoming them.

The NDPF, which is held on twice a year, is anchored in Section 7(2) & 7(g) of the NPA Act 2002. It consists of scheduled paper presentations and policy debates, with a public audience of interested national stakeholders, at an appropriate, conducive and accessible venue.

The objectives of the Forum are as follows, to:

1. Act as a platform for informed and constructive policy debates, aimed at sharing information, catalysing debate and generating a better understanding and appreciation of Uganda’s socio-economic development issues;
2. Enable stakeholders identify economic and social issues and necessary reforms, critical for the realization of goals of the Medium-Term National Development Plans and the Vision 2040, including graduation to Middle Income Status; and
3. Enable stakeholders and the general public to provide input into the national policy formulation process, to enhance ownership of the policy reforms.

Operationally the NDPF is organized by the Policy Research Department of the NPA under guidance of the Executive Director and the Authority Chairperson. 

Framework for partnership

To ensure the sustainability, inclusiveness, strength and success of NDPF, three levels of partnership are leveraged, including:

1. Institutional Partnership: The Authority strategically collaborates with institutions such as World Bank, AfDB, UNDP, Makerere University, and Private Sector Foundation, among others to deliver the NDPFs. These are identified prior to the event, in order to support the entire NDPF, technically, institutionally and financially.
2. Technical and quality control partnership: From time to time, NPA identifies institutions with interest and expertise in a specific issue of the NDPF to partner with to prepare or contribute to a paper and present it at the Forum.
3. Event or Subject Specific Partnership: NPA may also identify a partner for each specific issue who may be interested in providing institutional and/or financial support for that specific Forum event alone.

All partnerships and collaborations are formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NPA and the collaborating institution.

Twelve (12) Forums have been held so far on the following themes:

1. Effect of Procurement Procedures and Project Implementation on Resource Absorption;
2. Options for Financing Priority Development Projects and Implications for Macroeconomic Stability
   1. Financing Fiscal Deficits in Uganda: Options and Strategy
3. Gender, Economic Productivity and Development in Uganda
4. Land Reform and Investments in Agriculture for Socio-Economic Transformation of Uganda
5. Pre-primary and Primary Education in Uganda: Access, Cost, Quality and Relevance
6. The Goal of Middle-Income Status: What does this mean for Uganda?
7. Unlocking Uganda’s Export Potential: Identifying Sources of Productivity Growth in the Tradable Sectors
8. Leveraging Green Growth for Uganda’s Transition to Middle Income Status
9. Strengthening Cooperatives for Socio-Economic Transformation in Uganda
10. Taking Stock of the Gains, Challenges and Lessons Learnt from the Universal Primary Education (UPE) Policy
11. Reducing the Cost of Credit in Uganda: The Case for Public Investment in Banking
12. Addressing Uganda’s Affordable Housing Deficit