An assessment of the impact of the Catholic Church in Uganda: The Case of the Catholic Sisters led initiatives funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

BACKGROUND

The Catholic Church in Uganda, through the leadership and ministry of Catholic Sisters and their affiliated institutions, has for decades played a pivotal role in addressing the country’s social, economic, and humanitarian challenges. Catholic Sisters have established and managed schools, health facilities, community development programs, peacebuilding initiatives, and social protection interventions that serve vulnerable populations across urban, rural, and refugee-hosting districts.

Recognizing the strategic contribution of women religious to sustainable development, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has invested significantly in Sister-led initiatives globally, with Uganda being one of the priority countries. These investments span diverse thematic areas, including youth empowerment, anti-human trafficking, refugee protection, health systems strengthening, education, livelihoods, community development, and institutional capacity building. While individual projects have generated evidence of success, there is a need for a comprehensive assessment to determine their collective contribution, document outcomes and impact, identify lessons learned, and generate strategic recommendations to inform future programming and investment.

The overall purpose of this assessment is to evaluate the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, sustainability, and emerging impact of the Foundation-supported interventions, while examining how Catholic Sisters and faith-based institutions have contributed to community transformation. The assessment will also identify good practices, innovations, challenges, and opportunities for strengthening future programming within the Catholic Church in Uganda.

OBJECTIVE 

To conduct a detailed evaluation of the impact of various Hilton Funded projects aimed at the migrant/refugee population in Uganda

Specific Objectives

Ø  To synthesize the experience and knowledge accumulated through these initiatives and, to generate solid evidence on the concrete results of their implementation

Ø  Assess the relevance of the funded projects in addressing the needs of target populations.

Ø  Determine the extent to which the projects achieved their intended outputs, outcomes, and long-term impacts.

Ø  Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of project implementation and the sustainability of project results beyond the funding period.

Ø  Examine cross-cutting issues, including gender equality, disability inclusion, child protection, safeguarding, and environmental sustainability

Ø  Identify and document lessons learned, best practices, and persistent challenges encountered during the implementation of the projects

Ø  To generate evidence to inform future policies and the planning of more effective and sustainable interventions in the field of migration.

METHODOLOGY

The assessment adopts a mixed-methods approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative research techniques to provide robust and triangulated evidence. Quantitative data will be collected through structured household and beneficiary surveys, while qualitative evidence will be generated through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, case studies, stakeholder consultations, direct observations, and document review.

The evaluation design is guided by internationally recognized evaluation principles, drawing on the OECD-DAC criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability, guided by the love and care framework and complemented by cross - cutting considerations relating to gender equality, youth inclusion, safeguarding, disability inclusion, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and Catholic Social Teaching values. This approach will enable the assessment to examine not only what was achieved but also how the interventions embodied compassion, accompaniment, human dignity, and the Church's pastoral mission.

A multi-stage sampling strategy will be employed to ensure representative coverage of the diverse interventions implemented across Uganda. The study will include beneficiaries, project staff, Catholic Sisters, diocesan leadership, government institutions, implementing partners, community leaders, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders. In addition, the assessment will undertake a national mapping of all Conrad N. Hilton Foundation-supported Catholic Sisters initiatives in Uganda to establish their geographical coverage, thematic focus, beneficiary reach, partnerships, and institutional linkages.

Quality assurance is embedded throughout the evaluation process through comprehensive enumerator training, pilot testing of research instruments, digital data collection with built-in validation checks, real-time field supervision, daily data quality reviews, systematic triangulation of evidence, and independent technical oversight. Ethical standards will be strictly observed, including informed consent, confidentiality, voluntary participation, protection of vulnerable respondents, secure data management, and adherence to safeguarding policies, particularly when engaging children, survivors of trafficking, refugees, and other at-risk populations.

The assessment will be implemented according to a structured work plan covering inception, field data collection, data analysis, validation, report writing, stakeholder dissemination, and final reporting. Continuous engagement with SIHMA, implementing partners, diocesan structures, Catholic Sisters, government agencies, and local communities will ensure that findings are validated, contextualized, and owned by key stakeholders.

Ultimately, this assessment seeks to generate credible, evidence-based knowledge on the contribution of Catholic Sisters and faith-based organizations to Uganda's social development agenda. The findings will strengthen accountability for donor investments, inform strategic decision-making by Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the other partners, enhance learning among implementing partners, and contribute to the broader evidence base on the role of faith-inspired development actors in advancing sustainable, inclusive, and community-led development in Uganda.

DISSERMINATION 

The evaluation is designed as a practical learning tool for improvement and to attract positive support. There will be a participatory feedback workshop involving implementation partners, representatives of beneficiaries and other stakeholders, where the preliminary and final findings will be shared. This will serve to promote ownership and facilitate collaborative recommendations. Primary output will comprise a comprehensive technical evaluation report with an executive summary and methodological annexes. There will also be a concise recommendation and implementation of a roadmap document. 

IMPLICATIONS AND USE OF FINDINGS

The implications of this research follow three main paths:

● Expanding knowledge: While traditional research often focuses on statistical flows and border security from a secular perspective, this project will introduce the "Ethics of Love and Care" as a technical framework for assessing well-being. We will provide data on how human and spiritual support directly impacts trauma reduction, increased personal resilience, and therefore the integration capacity of migrants.

● Transforming practices and interventions: The results will enable faith-based organizations to shift from a reactive emergency response to evidence-based case management. By identifying which "love and care" interventions generate greater resilience, resources can be optimized and professional care protocols standardized.

● Policy advocacy: The project's findings aim to influence public policy by presenting the network of Catholic organisations not only as humanitarian actors but also as strategic partners with demonstrated technical capacity capable of contributing to addressing the personal, social, cultural, and economic challenges of human mobility.

In short, this project will lay the foundation for future research and funding models that prioritize the dignity of the person as the central focus of any contemporary migration solution.

Picture by mage by Nambasi from Pixabay