The Community Development Resource Network

The Community Development Resource Network (CDRN) was founded in 1994 by a small group of Uganda-based professionals involved in community development work. Its creation reflected a concern about the waste of development resources in Uganda, at a time when “privatisation” (and thus recourse to NGOs and community-based organisations) became increasingly fashionable, in a country where the NGO sector had remained relatively undeveloped because of earlier political upheavals and restrictions.

Initially established for supporting community d-evelopment work through participatory techniques and for assisting those organisations involved in such work generally become more effective, CDRN also places emphasis on influencing the policy environment within which Civil Society Organisations are situated.

CDRN is thus somewhat unusual on the Uganda NGO scene. It is a non-operational agency (providing services to other development organisations), although a long-term relationship with partner organisations is usually sought. And, in tune with its identity as a local non-profit-making organisation, it emphasises working with organisations that cannot always bear the costs of services provided (in contrast to consultancy companies which may sometimes be involved in similar activities but whose motives are different).

CDRN is strongly committed to making an effective contribution to righting social injustices in Uganda, which are seen as arising from gender and other forms of inequality, poor governance, limited empowerment and denial of rights.

We are registered as an independent local NGO. We have an active 7-person Board of Directors (of whom 4 are women) and a total staff complement of 23 (9 women), 10 of whom constitute a programme team.

To fulfil our mission, which is to promote civil society’s efforts to reduce poverty among women, men and children in Uganda through organisational and institutional strengthening, we have three core programme areas:

1. Civil society and poverty reduction programme (with a focus on research and advocacy on issues of relevance to civil society in Uganda).

2. NGO Training and Organisation Development programme (with a focus on training for local NGOs).

Within each thematic area, Gender and HIV/AIDS are highlighted as crosscutting areas of fundamental concern to CDRN. To complete this “core” structure, there are two “servicing units”:

1. A communications unit, regrouping our other activities oriented towards influencing our environment: supporting networks, publishing, the CDRN books project, the resource centre, documentation of experiences, providing other information to our partners…

2. Leadership, coordination and support: with functions of overall organisational leadership, coordination, and administrative and financial support…| Read more >>