Clinton School student Elrina Frost has worked this year as a consultant for USAID and Winrock International examining the progress of an infrastructure development project in Northern Uganda.
For her final Clinton School Capstone project, Frost evaluated the Northern Uganda Development of Enhanced Governance Infrastructure and Livelihoods (NUDEIL), a three-year development project focused on the rehabilitation of roads, schools and clinics as well as the drilling of new borehole sites in allocated villages.
Frost surveyed the perceptions of local residents and project staff and evaluated civic participation and efforts to prevent government corruption.
NUDEIL is funded by USAID with technical assistance from Winrock International and focused on four Ugandan districts, including Gulu, Oyam, Amuru and Kitgum. In addition to infrastructure development, the project sought to inject capital into the targeted areas by employing local residents.
Frost conducted a series of 15 focus groups in the districts of Gulu and Oyam. These groups gave members of villages the opportunity to learn more about how they can make their needs known and become more active citizens as well as being informed about their involvement in NUDEIL projects.
The focus groups were well received and the residents were grateful to the American government for funding the NUDEIL enhance their livelihoods through improved public infrastructure, Frost said.
Frost will graduate from the Clinton School’s Master of Public Service degree program in May.
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