Strengthening Member Engagement Through Visits

Strengthening Member Engagement Through Visits

Between 12th–19th August 2025, UCS conducted membership engagement visits to deepen collaboration, strengthen coordination, and better understand the needs of its member organisations. The visits are part of UCS’s commitment to improving member satisfaction, retention, and overall sector performance under its 2024–2028 Strategic plan.

During this outreach, UCS visited 19 member organizations and received feedback from 20 others through a pre-visit questionnaire. A total of 24 out of 40 registered members were found to be active and operational, while others faced challenges related to reduced funding and the covid post-pandemic recovery.

Members highlighted several areas where UCS is delivering strong value:

1. Capacity Building: The Skill Up sessions were praised for improving especially, governance, M&E, and resource mobilization skills.
2. Advocacy Leadership: Members acknowledged UCS’s consistent representation of civil society voices in national cancer control discussions.
3. Networking and Collaboration: Organizations appreciated increased visibility, strategic introductions, and opportunities to participate in UCS-led initiatives and the secretariat participating and encouraging members to participate in each other’s activities.

Members shared several priority areas requiring strengthened support:

1. More structured training in resource mobilization and proposal writing.
2. Support to pediatric cancer organizations and broader patient assistance pathways.
3. Stronger engagement through event participation, technical working groups, and peer mentorship.
4. Enhanced governance services, including issuing annual membership certificates earlier in the year and regular needs assessments.

Members agreed on several collective actions to improve coordination and impact, including:

1. Creating an annual UCS Day for member visibility and networking.
2. Developing a Cancer Awareness Days Calendar for unified messaging.
3. Joint fundraising and proposal development to reduce duplication.
4. Improving alignment with national partners such as the Uganda Cancer Institute and the Rotary Cancer Program.

UCS remains committed to providing a stronger, more responsive, and collaborative platform that empowers its members to deliver impactful cancer prevention, treatment, survivorship, and advocacy interventions across the country.