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SPRING Economic Security Program Overview
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Strategic Approach SPRING’s economic security component supports the transition from relief to longer term development through short-term pilot projects that catalyze commercially sustainable activities and relationships as well as impacts the enabling stability environment by integrating strategic peace and justice activities. In order to maximize the impact of USAID resources and improve overall economic security in northern Uganda, SPRING focuses on strategic economic sub-sectors and value chains that provide adequate incomes and diverse market opportunities for long-term equitable growth and broad participation.
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Stabilization-Driven Value Chain Programming Methodology
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SPRING SDVCA Identified Constraints |
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Value Chain Constraints |
Stability Constraints |
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Value Chain Financing |
Land Conflicts |
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Access to Production & Post-harvest Inputs |
Physical Insecurity |
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Lack of Knowledge of Proper Agronomy |
Integration of Vulnerable Groups (ex-combatants & youth) |
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Collection Points & Storage |
Domestic Violence |
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Disparate Marketing |
Tribal Tensions & Political Divides |
In early 2008 SPRING kicked off with a conflict and geographic assessment to identify the major causes and consequences of conflict in Northern Uganda and to determine the geographical areas where SPRING would work. This was followed by a value chain selection and assessment process which identified the production and marketing constraints along SPRING’s select value chains of maize, rice and groundnuts, as well as the general stability constraints.
Based on the findings of the stabilization driven value chain assessment (SDVCA), SPRING is designing interventions through the STABILITY fund (USD 2.8 million grant fund) that address both the value chain and stability constraints. SPRING’s SDVCA approach believes that for investments in training and capital equipment to yield returns, reconciliation of war-affected communities must be supported in order to rebuild cooperation, trust and partnership so that commercial farming strategies can realize their potential.
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SPRING Economic Security Interventions |
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Value Chain |
Stability Environment |
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Promotion of high input agriculture |
Legal Counseling and Advice on Land Tenure |
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Support to Collective Marketing |
Supporting Shared Responsibilities through Local Leadership |
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Support to On-farm Value-Added Processing Activities |
Informal Conflict Resolution through Drama and Speech. |
Economic Security Activities
The majority of SPRING STABILITY grants address the primary production and marketing constraints identified in SPRING’s SDVCA assessment. Additionally, SPRING issued three pilot projects that support the following three high value sub-sectors: chilli production, bee keeping and veterinary health services. These activities are being complemented by several peace and justice activities that target SPRING’s network of over 300 farmer groups in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions. SPRING intends to link its network to reliable buyers and BDS service providers in order to develop long term commercial relationships. Additionally, performance of projects will be monitored closely and lessons learned shared with value chain and development partners.
SPRING Economic Security Program Contact:
Florence Ringe