An important recommendation of the report is to prioritize any social protection expansion to areas with the highest levels of vulnerability and risk. The report uses indicators of human capital development, vulnerability to risk and shocks, as well as poverty, to suggest different options for scaling up social protection programs geographically. It is against this backdrop that I am pleased to introduce the Fourteenth Uganda Economic Update, which looks at social protection systems in Uganda and proposes a more effective approach to reduce vulnerability and to support more inclusive growth. This report comes at a critical time to inform both budget decisions over the next few years, and the on-going development of Uganda’s Third National Development Plan.