Developing country governments are under pressure to become more effective, efficient, and transparent. Using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve both procedures and relationships can transform public services. Rural areas in particular can benefit from better access to quality information. Uganda’s DistrictNet e-governance programme has valuable lessons for other African governments.

Uganda’s District Administration Network programme (DistrictNet) started in 2002 in four districts, with the aim of introducing ICTs to improve both local government transparency and communication within districts to support decentralisation. The emphasis was on data and voice communication between the district headquarters and the sub-counties, and on introducing an integrated information system for storing, analysing and managing financial information. DistrictNet’s progress and success were reviewed by a team from the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) to learn lessons that will help other African e-governance efforts.

The team developed a matrix to analyse how and where DistrictNet was having an impact. It focused on three interconnected areas of e-governance:

• e-administration: improving government processes
• e-services: connecting individual citizens to their government
• e-society: building interactions with and within civil society.

The programme has had the most impact at the e-administration and e-services levels. It has so far concentrated on solving existing problems, so there has been very little space for e-society initiatives. The team also identified six lessons from the DistrictNet case study:

• Think big but begin small. As a pilot programme DistrictNet’s goal is to build knowledge and gain experience. Gradual and phased implementation is key to success.
• Create feedback mechanisms for local government officials in e-governance programmes. Good feedback improves information and enhances commitment to e-governance.
• Develop local skills to operate and maintain applications used in e-governance and educate people about the potential of ICTs for government operations. Training should cover the ‘why’ of e-governance as well as the ‘how’.
• Promote the organisational and social aspects of e-governance from the beginning along with technical and infrastructural aspects.
• Emphasise that information is a commodity. Effective procedures are needed to produce quality information and use it strategically.
• Ensure content availability and use. To maintain information local users need affordable access to information that they find interesting and useful.

DistrictNet provides a rich reference model for other e-governance programmes in Africa. But the lack of ICT skills and equipment in countries like Uganda limits the way such initiatives can move into e-administration and e-services, making e-society unreachable for the moment. The team recommends that governments and development partners:

• continue their efforts to develop ICT infrastructure and ensure that more citizens learn ICT skills
• concentrate their efforts on rural areas
• establish more research programmes to ensure the successful implementation and support of ICTs.

Source(s):
‘E-Governance in the Developing World in Action: The Case of DistrictNet in Uganda’, IICD: The Hague, by Arjan de Jager and Victor van Reijswoud, 2006 Full document.

Funded by: UK Department for International Development

id21 Research Highlight: 13 April 2007

Further Information:
Arjan de Jager
IICD
PO Box 11586
2502 AN The Hague
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0)70 311 73 11
Fax: +31 (0)70 311 73 22
Contact the contributor: ajager@iicd.org

International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)

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