Welcome to the DIIAUP Website!!!!!

'Uganda's road map for ICTS in develoment'

Executive Summary

The National Information Infrastructure Agenda (NIIA)

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Background
2.1 Current Status of ICT Preparedness
2.2 The DIIAUP
2.3 DIIAUP Methodology
2.4 Findings
3.0 Basic ICT Policy Objectives

1.0 Introduction Top

The National Information Infrastructure Agenda (NIIA) for Uganda emerged out of a year long
project entitled “Developing an Information Infrastructure Agenda for Uganda (DIIAUP)” which
was funded by InfoDev (The World Bank) and conducted under the auspices of the Institute of
Computer Science (ICS), Makerere University. This was a planning process that sought to
address the uncoordinated strategies in implementing and sustaining ICT enabled
development in Uganda. This NIIA report, therefore, focuses on strategies that Uganda should
adopt in its efforts to integrate ICT in all sectors for development. The term infrastructure
refers to both physical infrastructure and services or applications for generating, transmitting,
processing, storing and disseminating information in all forms - voice, text, data, graphics and
video.

2.0 Background
2.1 Current Status of ICT Preparedness
It is important to note that liberalization of the telecoms sector in Uganda has been a bonus
for even the limited diffusion of ICT in the country. There is growing awareness and
recognition of the potential of ICT as a driving force for development. In this regard, a
stakeholders’ policy workshop conducted in December 2000, commissioned Uganda National
Council of Science and Technology (UNCST) to coordinate the policy drafting process. However,
different stakeholder groups have agreed that while a policy is a key guiding element, it is not
a panacea. A NIIA is necessary to indicate a clear national strategy centrally coordinated, if
ICT initiatives are to realise potential impact in development. With this strategy in place, ICT
can then be mapped on identified priority development areas using the National ICT policy as
a guide in implementation and long term usage.

2.2 The DIIAUP

The DIIAU Project, had the following objectives: -

(i) To develop proposals for a wide range of information infrastructure policy and program
initiatives which contribute to infoDev program objectives like:

• Reducing poverty and exclusion of low income social groups

• Improving education and health

• Increasing efficiency, accountability and transparency of government

(ii) Provide a framework for coordinating existing information infrastructure initiatives

The project management, overseen by a steering committee and implementation committee

and, its consultative process reflected a strong public/private partnership which included
government, the private sector and university faculty.
2.3 DIIAUP Methodology

A field survey was conducted in three areas of varying infrastructure endowments, namely,
Kampala, Mubende, Kibaale for sizable, modest and non-existent infrastructure, respectively.

This was followed by consultations and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with a wide
stakeholders representation and sector experts. Six sectors with the highest development
impact for Uganda, namely, Agriculture, Education, Health, Commerce, Information &
Communication Technology and Government were considered.

The NIIA for Uganda can be summarized as priorities for Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) enabled development with a focus on the rural areas where 80% of the
population are engaged in subsistence agriculture. For ICT to bring about meaningful
development, it must be harnessed with a clear coordinated national strategy with a view to
addressing the information needs of the majority of the population. Adopting this strategy
implies that the impact for rural agriculture, education, health, commerce and governance will
be substantial.

2.4 Findings
From the study, the emerging information infrastructure agenda is categorized by the
following:

1. Highlights of basic ICT policy objectives

2. Harnessing ICT for growth and poverty reduction

3. Impact of ICTS on government service provision.

4. Strategic proposals and policies for promotion of ICT in Uganda.

5. Priority ICT projects

6. Recommended strategy (key policy issues)

3.0 Basic ICT Policy Objectives

Uganda has priority areas in which public, private, non-profit and government sectors must
work together in alliances, where:

• Sustainable development, poverty reduction and wealth creation can occur by

establishing the conditions for growth of digital societies and economies.

• Broadening access, understanding and education concerning the digital societies and
economies, thereby, enfranchising social groups, especially in rural areas to participate
in the ICT enabled development.

• Encourage innovative approaches/contributions by all stakeholders to widen ICT use

and understanding of its potential benefits.

• Ensuring that government takes critical decisions to revise and expand legislation
regarding ICT to enable lower cost access while extending the range and scope of
services and protecting financial security and privacy of users.

• Optimal use and sustainability of environmental resources

• Stimulate the production and dissemination of in- country information in both the
private and public sector

• Enable the building and establishment of an appropriate infrastructure that supports

ICT development
 • Addressing the information needs of the marginalized (women and youth), the poor,
illiterate, minorities, the aged and disabled, especially in remote areas, by providing
access to an effective information and communications infrastructure.

Key issue areas that require to be addressed should follow the Okinawa Charter on ICT
Policies. Uganda should also seek to model its ICT policies on those in other developing and
developed countries so that it can, with ease, become signatory to a number of international
conventions that cover a variety of aspects of ICT implementation and use. However, this
endorsement should be selective, to only those conventions that are beneficial to Uganda’s ICT
strategy and long-term goals.

Economic growth and development entails creating policy and regulatory framework
institutional set-ups and human capabilities to coordinate and harmonise projects in education,
health agriculture and other sectors. The NIIA agenda is a key to national planning strategy
that envisages a prosperous and poverty alleviated Uganda