1 / 17

ICT & National Guidance Sector: Local Government Budget Consultative Workshops FY 2019/20

This paper discusses the Information Communications Technology (ICT) and National Guidance Sector issues presented during the Local Government budget consultative workshops for FY 2019/20.

paulbmoore
Download Presentation

ICT & National Guidance Sector: Local Government Budget Consultative Workshops FY 2019/20

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND NATIONAL GUIDANCE SECTOR ISSUES PAPER PRESENTED DURING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET CONSULTATIVE WORKSHOPS FOR FY 2019/20

  2. Introduction • Effective FY 2016/17, the Information Communications Technology (ICT) Sector was assigned the responsibility of Government Communication. • The Ministry of ICT & National Guidance (MoICT&NG) was, therefore, formed to accommodate: • The Directorate of Information and National Guidance, the Media Council of Uganda and Uganda Broadcasting Corporation that were previously under the Office of the Prime Minister, plus • Uganda Media Centre which was under the Office of the President. • Therefore, the scope of responsibility for the Sector and the Lead Ministry expanded beyond being a custodian of ICT to include: • Information dissemination and monitoring of Government communications; • Promotion of a National Ideology; • Regulation of the print & social media; • Supervision of the National broadcaster; and • Support and coordination of Government communications

  3. Overview of the ICT & National Guidance Sector • Uganda Communications Commission (UCC); • National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U); • Uganda Institute of Information & Communications Technology (UICT); • Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC); • Uganda Media Centre (UMC); • Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC); • Uganda Post Limited (UPL); and • Media Council of Uganda. Uganda IT Industry Association and Business Process Outsourcing Association

  4. Sector Vision and Mission The Sector Vision is: A knowledgeable and productive society driven by Information, Communications Technology and National Ideology; while The Mission is: To provide effective communication, utilization of information technologies and ideological orientation for socio-economic transformation.

  5. National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) The major aims of the Project are: • Connect all major towns with high-speed Optical Fiber Cable based Network • Connect all Government institutions in MDAs & Local Governments onto an e-Government Network • Connect all Special Interest Groups (schools, tertiary institutions, hospitals, etc.)

  6. Impact of the NBI • Cost of Internet bandwidth dropped from US$1,200 (UGX4.5m) per mbps in 2000 to US$600 in 2012 to USD300 in 2015 to USD190 in 2017 & to date it is US$70 (UGX266,000). • Excess capacity is being used to provide free Wi-Fi in selected areas in Kampala and Entebbe. • It has been extended to 8 Universities and 2 hospitals to facilitate learning, research and telemedicine.

  7. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SITES RECEIVING SERVICES OVER THE NBI

  8. Planned Connectivity to the NBI • The NBI will be extended to over 1,000 MDAs, schools, Tertiary Institutions, Hospitals, Local Governments and Municipal Council sites in 114 districts, to make a total of 131 connected districts. Expected Benefits of the NBI to LGs • High speed connectivity and improved service delivery using online services • Lower cost of Internet Bandwidth and, therefore, lower cost of doing business in Government. • Integrated, seamless, secure and efficient Government communication. • Provision of e-Government Services such as online Education, e-Tax, IFMS, IPPS, etc, across the country. • Revenue generation through Commercialization of the infrastructure.

  9. National ICT Innovations Support Programme (NIISP) • The NIISP is a GoU intervention to facilitate production & consumption of ICT products made in Uganda. • Intended to develop the country’s capacity in ICT innovation to avert reliance on imported applications. How LGs Can Benefit From NIISP • Identify and forward problems hampering service delivery that can be solved through the NIISP;

  10. Presidential Directives & Policy Direction on IT & Communication of Government Programmes (H. E the President’s letters to the Rt Hon. Prime Minister/Leader of Gov’t Business in Parliament Ref. PO/1 dated 1 October 2014, and PO/15 dated 12 October 2016) • All MDAs & LGs should have communication officers senior enough to access relevant information and talk for government. Entities that do not have these officers should recruit or assign capable existing staff immediately to enhance government communication. • All communication organs of government should be transferred to the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance which will be the Parent ministry for all Government Communication staff and IT officers in MDAs and LGs. - PS of Ministry of Public Service and of Ministry of ICT & National Guidance have already communicated this directive. • All MDAs & LGs should invest resources in developing and maintaining websites in accordance with the standards issued by NITA-U in 2014.

  11. Presidential Directives (Cont’d) 4. All accounting officers should take interest in the health of their websites and social media sites. The Office of the President shall hold them accountable. 5. Implement the National Information Security Framework within your MDAs and LGs to promote a safe cyber space for our citizens and avoid websites being hacked into. • All accounting officers should give priority to Uganda Broadcasting Corporation family when placing adverts in electronic media. - The Head of Public Service/Secretary to Cabinet was directed to write a circular to MDAs and LGs to this effect.

  12. Current Status of Websites • Up to 284 websites have been developed for MDAs, LGs and Foreign Missions. • To date, 1,275 communication officers, IT Personnel and 21 LGs have been trained in web management, digital communications, social media management and cyber security. • As a result, 83% of MDAs have functional websites.

  13. Why Digital Communication • Promote tourism & investment in LGs. • Improved communication & stakeholder engagement. • Enhanced service delivery. • Accountability & monitoring.

  14. Required Actions for LGs • CAOs through District Communication Officers to liaise with radio/TV stations for free weekly airtime during prime time for government officials to talk about their departmental programmes and government policies; • Provide for communication officers whose duty it is to coordinate communication on service delivery in LGs. • Entities which do not have them should assign their duties to capable existing staff within their structures immediately; • Increase the levels of citizen awareness of Government policies and programmes for effective participation in national development. • During annual staff performance appraisals, all accounting officers (the ATIA refers to them as information officers) will be assessed on how effectively they communicate government programmes to the public • The information officer should regularly prepare and submit facts and figures about achievements registered in the LGs to the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC) for wider citizen engagement. • GCIC is a primary contact centre for citizens to enhance monitoring of service delivery and provide feedback from them. The Centre is accessible through a TOLL FREE number 900, both voice and sms. It can also be accessed through e-mail, twitter, Facebook etc.

  15. Required Actions for LGs (Cont’d) • Develop and implement District ICT Policies and plans, and District Communication Strategies with available resources • The National ICT Policy and the Government Communication Strategy, 2011 which were passed by Cabinet should guide the LGs. • Technical support can be sought from the Ministry. • Report progress to the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance. • At least 8% of the Budget can be set aside for communication activities • LGs that have IT connectivity should have functional websites and intranets; • Set up Local Area Networks (LAN). • A LAN is basically two or more connected stations (PCs, Servers) in the same limited area, sharing data and peripheral devices e.g. printers. • Contact NITA-U for assistance. • Constitute District ICT Steering Committees • Budget for operationalisation of e-services • Contact NITA-U for guidance • Equip staff with basic knowledge on computer usage • Protect the infrastructure against vandalism and damage.

  16. Conclusion - Actions for the Sector The Sector will • Provide the necessary technical support for e-services delivery and the communications function to LGs; • Develop a model plan for district disaster recovery and continuity; • Take lead in setting policy and standards regarding recruitment, training, conduct, career growth and development of the communication officers and IT officers in LGs; • Provide radio and television broadcasting services and programmes that contribute to social economic development with emphasis on national unity in cultural diversity.

  17. The End Thank You!

More Related