On the right track? An analysis of the implementation of oil and gas sector local content policies in Uganda

The main objective for oil-producing countries to implement Local Content Policies (LCPs) is to ensure that national citizens and the economy as a whole benefit sufficiently from their country's resource wealth. Having discovered large quantities of oil and gas in the Albertine Graben in 2006, Uganda began introducing LCPs in 2008. Currently, little research has been conducted on how the implementation of Uganda's LCPs has taken place and to what effect. To address this lacuna, this paper draws on Rhodes' (2006) policy network theory to analyze and explain how different actors have translated the Ugandan LCP objectives into their approaches and activities. As part of this study, we conducted 57 semi-structured interviews with key informants. This primary data collection was complemented by an analysis of Uganda's oil and gas policy documents and reports. Our analysis of LCPs implementation shows three different layers of policy interactions: i.e. discursive, power and operational networks. The analysis revealed that the interests and influence of actors determine how they interpret, (re)negotiate and transpose the LCP requirements into their activities. To manage such interests and influence, we emphasize that it is crucial to pay more attention to how actors interpret and transpose the policy requirements.