Our Expertise

In over two decades First Management has consistently delivered reliable datasets and advice based on awareness of different ecosystems, local cultures, politics and digital technologies. We always endeavor to make our findings and thinking relevant, meaningful and illuminating. The number and type of audiences we have researched is very wide and includes- poor rural communities and urban poor groups, hard to reach groups, refugees, persons with disabilities, young people, fishing communities, public sector employees, businesses, etc

Highlighted below are the specialty areas where First Management has offered expertise

Water Sanitation Hygiene

First Management WASH specialty areas include:

Socio-economic & WTP studies
Urban & rural water systems
Social & environmental safeguards
Institutional/Management systems
Land acquisition for infrastructure (RAP)
Compensation of PAPs
ESMP
Prepaid meters
Packaged water
Refugees & host communities

First Management has collaborated on several WASH projects, ranging from piped water supply systems to multi-purpose reservoir dams. The projects were commissioned by governments and NGOs, with funding from the Government of Uganda (GOU), World Bank, African Development Bank (ADB), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEADA) and Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). Most of these projects were feasibility and system design studies that were completed in collaboration with engineering consultancy firms.

First Management’s tasks also included formulation of Capacity Building and Operation and Maintenance Plans and, collaboration within multi-ministerial/agency teams to facilitate training workshops for District staff, Water User Committees and Facility Operators. Additional services included community mobilisation and sensitisation on Hygiene and Sanitation and training Contractors’ employees and communities on Sexual Behaviour and HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.

First Management has also participated in construction supervision of WASH infrastructure. Our experts have assessed and supervised Employee Working Environment, Health Safety and Environment (HSE), Environmental Social Management (ESM) and Social Safeguards; as well as implementing RAP activities, including compensation assessment and payment for Project Affected Persons (PAPs) during Acquisition of Land for the Treatment Plants, Transmission Pipelines, Break Pressure Tanks and Powerlines; as well as undertaking Conflict Sensitivity and Prevention.

Food Security Livelihood

First Management has conducted baseline, endline and post evaluations for livelihood projects, irrigation projects and climate smart agriculture by examining core issues that include impact, effectiveness, efficiency, relevancy, ownership and sustainability. The studies focused on establishing whether the communities had been assisted and whether their quality of life had improved, as well as which programme components needed to be modified to make programmes more relevant to the communities. In addition operational studies and research on crop and livestock indicators for selected value chains were carried out, as well as reviews of project designs, monitoring systems, governance structures and practices.

We have assessed potential irrigators or farmers and explored socioeconomic factors to inform technical aspects of irrigation scheme designs in close collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, and District Local Governments. We examined the process of socio-economic differentiation, impoverishment and wealth; the constraints that inhibit livelihoods and livelihood development; and statistically reliable descriptive data on those parameters which the projects intended to influence, such as health, gender, production and household incomes at the baseline and project completion.

Our experts also assessed land acquisition and compensation in identified project areas; assessed communities’ acceptance of the projects; and, social and environmental safeguards.

Municipal Solid Waste

First Management was part of the consortium that conducted the affordability study for municipal solid waste management in Greater Kampala. IFC/World Bank wanted to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) of residents, institutions and businesses of the Greater Kampala area – comprising of Kampala city, Wakiso and Mukono districts, for a new engineered landfill. This would replace the existing dump at Kiteezi which had reached its maximum capacity. No customer-facing service improvement in solid waste management was envisaged. The IFC also wished to understand the preferred payment vehicle for this.

First Management supported the development of the project approach, methodology, work plans and templates among others; designed the survey forms and administered a willingness-to-pay survey of 1,732 residents and businesses/institutions in Greater Kampala; participated in the pre-survey status quo analysis and; prepared and submitted quality and timely project deliverables in accordance with formats and timelines agreed with IFC.

Social Protection

The Social Security and Pensions Stakeholders Transition Group (STG) co-pted First Management to facilitate consultations on social security and pensions reforms in Uganda. We conducted research and facilitated 17 regional and sectoral workshops across the country. Our team compiled the STG report titled “The Challenges of Financing Social Security and Pensions in Uganda.” This report was a product of the members of the STG, stakeholders’ written submissions and contributions by 1,348 participants at all the consultative workshops. The STG recommendations were the basis of the retirement benefits sector reforms in Uganda and are still consulted for ongoing reviews of the social protection policy and programmes.

Public Health

First Management has collaborated on a number of health sector interventions, particularly malaria prevention, nutrition for persons living with HIV/AIDS, cholera epidemics, and prevention of hearing impairment and deafness. The projects and studies were commissioned by Malaria Consortium, Johns Hopkins University, Heifer Project International (HPI), Comic Relief, Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation, The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) and Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC).

Governance

First Management facilitates strategic planning for organizations. Our strategic planning processes have helped organisations to define their dream, set their goals, define ways to meet those goals, and finally, develop practical ways to bring about needed changes.

First Management also carried out training of staff in selected Local Governments and Civil Society Organisations under the Local Government Development Programme (LGDP) I and II commissioned by the Ministry of Local Government with World Bank financing. The activities also included rolling the 3-Year District and Sub-counties’ Development Plans (DDP) in selected Local Governments.