WOUGNET Presentation during the ICT4Democracy in East Africa Workshop December 2012 Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) info@wougnet.org ICT for Democracy : By: Goretti Z. Amuriat Email: zgamuriat@wougnet.org

1. ICTS FOR IMPROVED SERVICES DELIVERY
Women of Uganda Network
(WOUGNET)
info@wougnet.org
ICT for Democracy :
By: Goretti Z. Amuriat
Email: zgamuriat@wougnet.org

2. Outline
 WOUGNET
 About the project
 Project Objectives
 Project progress
 Results/achievements
 Challenges
 Lessons learnt
• Existing gaps
• Activities in pictures

3. WOUGNET
• Is a non governmental organization
• Started in May 2000
• The goal was to develop the use of Information
Communication Technologies (ICTs) among
women as tools to share information and address
issues collectively
• Her vision is a society in which women are
empowered through use of ICTs for sustainable
development
• WOUGNET mainstreams gender in ICT Policies and
programs

4. About the project
• WOUGNET is implementing a project in 5 districts
in Northern Uganda called “Empowering local
people and communities to monitor district
service delivery through ICTs”.
• It aims at strengthening the capacity of local
grassroots people to be able to monitor delivery
of services in their districts so as to expose poor
service delivery.
• It targets grassroots people and the local
community organizations.
• It targets mainly women (ratio of 70:30)
• The project brings on board women to
participate in governance issues

5. Project objectives
• Create awareness on the need of good
governance and effective service delivery
• Build Capacity in ICT skills for information
gathering, packaging and dissemination
• Document and disseminate grass root voices
on corruption and poor service delivery

6. Project progress
• Conducted 5 awareness raising workshops on the need
to have good governance and effective service delivery
• Selection of Voluntary social accountability
committees (VSACs) i.e. 15 members per parish (11
women and 4 men).
• Conducted 5 ICT capacity building workshops focusing
i. On citizen journalism skills
ii. digital photography and basic use of mobile phones
iii.advocacy skills
iv.networking and civic engagement

7. Progress………… Cont’d
• Documentation and dissemination of information
using different platforms e.g. radio,website-Ushahid,
social networking platforms
• Held National conference on good governance
• Conducted district engagement workshops
conducted in Kole and Gulu districts
• Made a Documentary from five districts and is being
edited and 500 copies produced
• Collected and compiled Newsletter
articles,translated and have been sent for printing

8. Progress……. cont’d
• Partnership with other Civil Society Organizations
addressing good governance have been built
i. The Apac Anti-Corruption Coalition (TAACC), especially
in building capacity and support
ii. Transparency International Uganda (VSACs using their
toll free line to report issues arising)
iii.Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East &
Southern Africa (CIPESA)
iv. Toro Development Network - building capacity in
ICT.

9. Progress……. cont’d
iv. Partnership was initiated with the University
of Stockholm and Makerere University, where a
research was developed under the
leadership of Professor Marcello, to research on
the WOUGNET SPIDER supported project .
Research was titled ““People’s Voices:
Developing Mobile and Social Media Services to
Promote Citizens´ Participation in Local
Governance Activities". The application is being
developed and will be tested in January 2013

10. Achievements
• Increased civic awareness on good governance and
effective service delivery in the 5 districts
• Increased community involvement in monitoring
public services and resources and reporting- e.g. in
Kole district.
• Increased exposure of corruption and shoddy work e.g.
reporting theft of bicycles in Ibuje-Tarogali
• Improvement in service delivery in some communities,
in Pece divison, Gulu district -Pawel Primary School.
• Some community members have been able to benefit
from government programs such as. NAADs

11. Challenges
• Limited ICT infrastructures in the community.
i. Limited digital cameras
ii. Un availability of electricity
iii.No access to computers
iv.Poor network
• Low education levels/illiteracy among the target
community leading to limited use of Ushahidi
platform
• Boycott by some district officials (district
engagements)

12. Challenges……… .. cont’d
• Difficulty in accessing information from some
public servants
• Threats imposed on some VSACs/intimidation.
• In action by some duty bearers on issues
reported by VSACs to them.
• Transport challenges (poor roads especially
during rainy season, long distances and no
easy means of transport

13. Lessons learnt
• Collaborations/partnerships are important
drivers for success.
• Perception, attitude and Change. The Rural
communities’ perception to the potential of
ICTs remain a big challenge to e- governance

14. Existing gaps
• ICT equipments such as mobile phones not
available
• Absence of easy means of transport
• VSACs demand facilitation for meetings
• Lack of sources of power to charge mobile
phones
• Amuru district does not have coverage of
communication network
• District has no ICT access points

15. Sustainability
• Existence of community structures (VSACs)
• Involvement of other stakeholders
• Radio program (community focus on Radio Apac,
Radio Wa Lira which has availed us free airtime)
• Existence of information centres (KIC and Ribe ber in
Apac and Amuru districts respectively)
• INDIGO Trust project to further enhance VSAC ICT
skills with the increased access and use of mobile
phones within the community.

16. Conclusion
• ICT has capacity to improve service delivery.
However, the process of local people using
ICT s to report poor service delivery is low
given challenges available in the rural areas.
There is need to provide access and to build
capacity in using ICTs for effective service
reporting.

17. Activities- VSAC meeting

18. ICT training of VSACs

19. ICT Training for VSACs

20. Incomplete toilet in school

21. Bad roads

22. Bad road Apac -Oyam

23. Poorly constructed Class rooms

24. Crack in the building

25. Thank You for Listening
For more information about WOUGNET, visit
http://www.wougnet.org
http://www.wougnet.org/ushahidi/reports
http://www.kic.org