The Department is administratively under the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies. Teaching and research in the department is guided by an interdisciplinary approach and focuses on the interplay between planning and community development. The Department emphasises theories and approaches to planning and development, the political economy of planning and planning approaches to rural and urban development planning.
The planning and community development programme in the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies is blessed with staff from diverse disciplines ranging from political science, sociology, finance and financial resources management, environment, economics, public administration, conflict and peace studies, development studies and education among others. The department has collaborations with the Universities of: Leiden, African Studies Centre – Netherlands, Virginia-USA, Makerere -Uganda, Vaxjo – Sweden, Antwerp -Belgium, Dalhousie – Canada, ISS – The Hague and Uganda Martyrs, Nkozi – Uganda among others.
The Department of Planning and Governance’s strength is in interdisciplinary research. Individual staff are involved in a number of research projects that cut across disciplines. The emphasis in research at the Department of Planning and Governance uses an interdisciplinary approach to societal problems. The department staff members are currently engaged in 20 research projects.