The Ministry of Public Service (MOPS) has entered a cooperation agreement with UMI for the latter to share expertise in training and research for joint programs at the Civil Service College in Jinja. The MOU was signed at the MOPS head office by the Permanent Secretary MOPS, Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwire and Dr. James Nkata- Director General UMI. The MOU is a culmination of cooperation talks between the two government entities over the last two years. The MoU signed shall provide a broad context for the MoPS and the UMI to promote joint activities and training programs, capacity building, shared services of lecturing, tutorage, and research

The Director General UMI on his part noted that this was a homecoming for UMI after 30 years. UMI was originally started as department of the Ministry of Public Service charged with the training of the native Public Service- Institute of Public Administration (IPA).  Along the way the Institute grew into an other degree awarding Institution and was weaned of the mother Ministry. Nkata also emphasized that UMI is still committed to the founding mission of training a sound, efficient and researched public sector.  He indicated that the partnership offers both parties a new dawn in ensuring a desirable civil service. Nkata also said UMI is looking forward to further government support and committed to capacity building anchored on research and innovativeness.

Musingwire on her part noted that the partnership is part of the “whole of government” approach in running the public sector, the approach is aimed at ensuring work is done where ministries departments and agencies are most able or efficient and ensure that there’s no duplication of tasks and roles. Government is at latter stages of merging agencies, to utmost efficiency to ensure control and avoidance of duplication.  The move is also aimed at saving government duplicity in expenditures. The mergers will affect a number of agencies and authorities, some of these will be merged with similar functions in mother ministries, others agencies will be pooled together to form special purpose vehicles with in their mandates, while others will completely be phased out in this move.  Government service Commissions will also later be merged. This will however await an amendment of their establishing laws.