Implementation of the EU Action Programme ‘Synergies in Social Protection and Public Finance Management' through the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors (GCSP) in Uganda In short, the project is focused on strengthening the voice of Uganda's civil society to advance rights-based, inclusive, age, disability and gender-sensitive social protection policies and programme, while building their capacities to engage in national planning processes, including the budget process. Aiming to develop a civil society vision for a national Social Protection Floor for all, it is expected that civil society will make the expansion and strengthening of Uganda's Senior Citizen Grant, which is currently undergoing a national roll-out, a core focus. The EU-funded Action Programme supports governments' efforts to expand or refine life-course social protection measures, including their financing basis and redistributive effects and considering the broader demographic, strategic, economic and fiscal context within which they are to be realised. Consequent improvements are to be expected to legal, policy, fiscal and macroeconomic frameworks through complementary stages of coverage, alignment and better coordination of sectoral social protection instruments, their implementation and assertion of entitlements for the beneficiaries. Integration of the social protection system with other development interventions will broaden coverage further, at the same time as increasing the longer-term resilience of beneficiaries. The programmes will be jointly implemented by the ILO, UNICEF and the GCSPF in eight countries (Uganda, Senegal, Cambodia, Nepal, Angola, Paraguay, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia). Since the GCSPF is not able to sign contracts and receive funding, three GCSPF member-organizations will engage in a contractual relationship with the ILO HQ in Geneva and take on the responsibility to ensure the effective implementation of the action in line with the objectives of the GCSPF. These Coordinating Organizations and the GCSPF share a range of responsibilities towards one another, including the commitments to work in a collaborative and consultative manner and provide advice where relevant. The Coordinating Organizations will, on a regular basis, report to the GCSPF Core Group, the ILO HQ and the overall Programme Steering Committee, which includes the ILO, UNICEF and the EU. They are: Oxfam (Cambodia), WSM (Senegal, Nepal) and HelpAge (Uganda). 

In line with the general Theory of Change underpinning the Action Programme, the GCSPF sees four overall areas in which it will focus its work. These four areas will also be the focus of HelpAge's efforts in Uganda. 
1)	Bring together the various GCSPF constituents (civil society and trade unions) in the selected countries to foster stronger cooperation on social protection and support the development of inclusive and sustainable alliances or platforms for effective and structural involvement of civil society and trade unions in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation (social accountability) of rights-based, inclusive, age, disability and gender-sensitive social protection policies and programmes.
2)	Strengthen the capacity and understanding of GCSPF constituents and relevant national civil society organizations and labour movements on the design, financing and implementation of social protection, including linkages to relevant aspects of public finance management, domestic resource mobilization, and budget support, with a view to enable them to more effectively and constructively engage in policy making processes around social protection. 
3)	Leverage improved coordination and enhanced capacities amongst GCSPF constituents and relevant national civil society partners, to support meaningful and structural engagement with public authorities and other relevant stakeholders, in particular ILO, UNICEF, EC Delegations, in policy processes regarding rights-based, inclusive, age, disability and gender-sensitive social protection policies social protection.
4)	Enable GCSPF constituents at the country level to undertake context-specific research to support improved coordination and more effective engagement in policy making processes around social protection, share findings and materials with the GCSPF's global network and the HelpAge network, and participate in research undertaken by the implementing partners (ILO, UNICEF and GCSPF) to learn and share lessons relevant to the GCSPF's and HelpAge's evidence-based advocacy at the global, regional and national level.

During an inception phase, civil society in Uganda, under the leadership of HelpAge, will determine the specific focus of the advocacy, research and capacity development activities planned as part of this programme. The inception phase will include the constitution and an inaugural meeting of the project's Uganda Country-Level Steering Group to develop a workplan for the project, which will be validated and strengthened at a consultative workshop.