An initiative of IICD and bridges.org

The bridges.org/IICD Case Study Series on ICT-Enabled Development sets out to illustrate how ICT contributes to development in Africa. The aim of this series is to help ground level initiatives imagine the possibilities of what can happen if they use ICT successfully to overcome development obstacles, and to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the digital divide.

The following case study on the I-Network in Uganda, is presented in a slightly different format to previous case studies in the series, with the story presented in the first section of the case study that provides an overview narrative of the initiative. We have also placed video clip footage of this initiative on the OneWorld website, go to: http://tv.oneworld.net/tapestry?story=1013&window=full

I. The Story

This section presents a narrative description of the initiative that highlights why this use of ICT for development is particularly interesting.

Despite the piercing battle cries and menacing whirrs of bullets in a strife-torn Uganda, individuals and organisations from the private sector, government and civil society, are coming together to work towards ICT-enabled development and rebuilding the nation. At the forefront of this information networking revolution is I-Network Uganda, connecting people to each other and the technologies that will help the country overcome many of the development challenges that still lie ahead.

The application of new knowledge, the dissemination of information concerning best practices and the exchange of views and opinions are now considered essential elements of development work. These functions are effectively facilitated by the networking and connections formed between both people and technologies. The I-Network Uganda organises activities aimed at the sharing of ICT development experiences via seminars, workshops and meetings that bring together stakeholders interested in a particular substantive area. These monthly seminars cover a range of topics including health, education, agriculture and poverty alleviation. The I-Network Uganda forms part of a broader knowledge and information-sharing community supported by the International Institute of Communication and Development (IICD), that enables the I-Network to share its experiences with a further 8 developing countries that form part of the information network (namely Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ghana, Jamaica, Mali, Tanzania and Zambia).

The success of the I-Network is a direct result of the commitment that development organisations already working in the field have shown to using ICT for development, and the strong political support -from local district council members through to national parliamentarian champions. These are essential elements in continuing the formation of an enabling policy framework, ensuring local ownership of programmes, and mobilising community involvement.

Owing to Uganda's vast geographical expanse, the network has made a concerted effort to reach over eighty percent of the population who might otherwise be at a disadvantage due to the urban-rural divide and who have much to gain from accessing the benefits of ICT for development. "By having more of our activities centered in the urban areas (specifically Kampala the capital) we are not doing any favors to the people upcountry. It is a case of making the rich richer and the poor poorer", says Vincent Waiswa, coordinator of the I-Network Uganda. Seminars are held in partnership with institutions that have a presence in upcountry districts, so as to draw on their experience and networks and provide a base for the networking event. Seminars are being planned in districts as far afield as Mbale for eastern, Kayunga for central and Mbarara for western Uganda, which form part of a Government initiative ensuring each rural district is connected to the Internet and each other.

Despite Uganda being almost razed to the ground by civil wars and strife, the human spirit perseveres, both on the streets and within the governing structures. When next in Uganda, listen out for the gentle whirr of computer processors in Kampala, and the tap-tapping of keyboards writing messages for a better future.

II. Overview

Initiative: The Information Network (I-Network) Uganda is a national network of individuals and organisations (drawn from the private sector, government and civil society) that provides a platform for sharing knowledge and forming partnerships around the use of ICT to address development challenges and to extend equitable national development.

Implemented by: I-Network Uganda was initiated by the International Institute of Communication and Development (the IICD), under the patronage and leadership of local ICT experts and champions.

Funding or financial model: The network received initial financial support from the IICD, and has since registered as a company limited by guarantee and with no share capital, with planning underway to ensure the initiative's longer-term sustainability.

Timeframe: I-Network Uganda started in June 2002.

Local context: Political instability and civil war have had a detrimental impact on Uganda's socio-economic and human development, with obstacles faced in a range of development sectors including health, agriculture, education, poverty alleviation and entrepreneurship. Under the stabilising leadership of Yoweri Museveni, there is a strong political will at National and District level to rebuild Uganda, with focused education and training policies having been adopted. There is also government policy to support to the use of ICT for development with the removal of value added tax and customs duties on the import of computer hardware and software. Member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developments have also provided GBP 381.9 million in international development aid assistance to address these challenges. Furthermore, most of the international development aid organisations have a physical presence in Uganda which adds to the many development activities undertaken by the over 1000 registered NGOs in the development sector .

The development problem/obstacle addressed: The numerous government, private and civil society initiatives to support Uganda's development operate in isolation, giving rise to the likelihood of duplication of effort. There is little opportunity for synergy or exploring the potential for ICT to support efforts, and in the case of international development aid organisations, this makes building on existing local initiatives working in their substantive areas difficult.

How ICT is used to overcome the problem: The application of new knowledge, the dissemination of information concerning best practices and the exchange of views and opinions are now considered essential elements of development work. These functions are effectively facilitated by the networking and connections formed between both people and technologies. The I-Network Uganda forms part of a broader knowledge and information-sharing community supported by the IICD, to enable all local stakeholders to generate and share ideas, experiences and best practices and provides a vehicle to communicate these to policy decision makers. These experiences are also disseminated further afield, connecting local stakeholders with those in another 8 developing countries that form part of the international information network (namely Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ghana, Jamaica, Mali, Tanzania and Zambia).

The I-Network Uganda organises activities aimed at the sharing of ICT development experiences via seminars, workshops and meetings that bring together stakeholders interested in a particular substantive area. The I-Network further maintains a web presence and mailing list and publishes both quarterly online and print newsletters with articles discussing technology issues pertinent to using ICT for development in Uganda. The networking of people helps overcome the unwitting duplication of efforts, and allows for more targeted projects tackling development obstacles in a strategically structured and resource wise manner. The website acts as a tool promoting awareness of the I-Network's activities and the potential development impact of ICT. Seminars and workshops cover a broad range of issues, including the potential benefits of using hand-held computers in the management of rural healthcare information, and the use of virtual reality technologies to support physics tuition and the delivery of educational content.

Next steps: Future plans for the I-Network include a broad public awareness-raising and marketing campaign, coupled with additional monthly seminars and workshops in rural parts of the country. The I-Network also plans to manage their activities and content produced along substantive themes (such as health, education, agriculture, entrepreneurship), which will draw further sponsorship from donors and organisations in these fields.

Contact information:
Contact person: Vincent Waiswa
I-Network Coordinator
email: vincent AT aitecafrica DOT com
tel: +256-41-251632
fax: +256-41-343005

III. Gauging Real Impact

This section considers whether and how the initiative has made a Real Impact at the ground level by looking through the lens of basic best practice guidelines for successful initiatives. The bridges.org 8 Habits of Highly Effective ICT-Enabled Development Initiatives are used here as a framework to highlight what the initiative has done well.

The 8 Habits of Highly Effective ICT-Enabled Development Initiatives

1. Implement and disseminate best practice. The efforts of I-Network Uganda are based on best practises in the field of disseminating knowledge and forming information networks, as practised throughout all each of the IICD's nine country programmes. These include supporting local ownership, responding to the needs of the communities served, working in partnership, ensuring multi-stakeholder involvement, and supporting capacity development.

2. Ensure ownership, get local buy-in, find a champion. The I-Network Uganda coordinating team consists of experts drawn from both the public and private sectors who are champions in developing Uganda as an Information Society. The network partners with organisations already working in the field and on the ground, which is essential in ensuring local ownership of programmes and to mobilise community involvement. This has proven so effective that within the network, and dependent on the community's needs, the I-Network has supported the establishment of interest groups within the membership (Junior I-Network Node, Media Node, Techies Node).

3. Do a needs assessment. Despite there being no initial needs assessment, it was clearly self-evident that there was a need to connect people to share their experiences, knowledge and disseminate best practises. This is based on the initial interactions of a group of ICT for development individuals and organisations that saw the potential of extending the benefits and reach of their individual projects if they worked together. Subsequently, the I-Network has begun arranging its quarterly activities around certain themes determined by conducting a brief research project and needs assessment of what the community's information needs are.

4. Set concrete goals and take small achievable steps. The I-Network has undertaken a systematic approach to its growth, scaling up the number and thematic range of its activities, the number of knowledge products published, and the geographic reach of the network's activities.

5. Critically evaluate efforts, report back to clients and supporters, and adapt as needed. There are currently no formalised monitoring and evaluation procedures in place. However, the I-Network does have a list of clearly stipulated objectives, and measures its level of performance according to how closely it delivers against these. . Furthermore, the newsletters are used to report back to members and the broader public about developments within the network. Plans are underway to have an independent evaluation conducted on the I-Network.

6. Address key external challenges. The I-Network has faced some challenges in keeping the networks operating along the lines for which it was envisioned. Clearer guidelines on the purpose of the network had to be highlighted, particularly for members drawn from the private sector who mistakenly saw the network as an avenue to promote their products and services. It has required much effort and creative thinking from the I-Network coordinators to ensure that members remain actively involved in the network's activities and that members assume the responsibility to coordinate their own Node activities.

7. Make it sustainable. I-Network was initially supported by the IICD, but is in the process of preparing a five year sustainability plan that will include various sources of revenue. In the interim, the network operates at a minimal cost by drawing on the network itself, forexample, many of the monthly seminars are hosted at the parliamentary buildings, owing to parliamentarian support. Some special event workshops that incur bigger budgets have received sponsorship from the private sector. The I-Network is also looking into gaining revenue streams from advertising in the newsletters and possible membership to the network at a later stage. The I-Network has also strategically positioned itself to conduct some of the ICT policy awareness raising activities that have been recently approved by Government, and which the network is currently conducting at no charge.

8. Involve groups that are traditionally excluded on the basis of gender, race, religion or age. Due to Uganda's vast geographical expanse, the network has had to make a concerted effort to reach people who might otherwise be at a disadvantage due to the urban-rural divide and who have much to gain from accessing the benefits of ICT for development. Seminars are being planned in partnership with local organisations and drawing on local networksin districts as far afield as Mbale for eastern Uganda, Kayunga for central and Mbarara for western Uganda.

IV. Lessons Learned

We asked Vincent Waiswa, who is Coordinator of the I-Network Uganda, to share his views on the initiative's greatest success, the challenges faced, key constraints and dependencies that affect the initiative, opportunities for future improvement, and other lessons learned. This is what he had to say:

"I-Network Uganda has tremendously increased members knowledge on ICT for development issues and initiatives in Uganda. We have created partnerships with NGOs, Private Sector, Donor Agencies and Government. Most importantly the network has stimulated ICT interest within policy makers and implementers.

Like any other initiative, we have some challenges. The network needs to make a more significant presence in rural areas as a way of checking the urban rural divide. By having more of our activities centered in the urban areas (specifically Kampala the capital) we are not doing any favors to the people upcountry. It is a case of making the rich richer and the poor poorer. That said we have made some attempts upcountry but a lot still needs to be done considering that the majority of the population live upcountry and they have enormous information needs that can be addressed using ICTs.

In doing all we have managed, we have learnt some lessons. It has become very evident that nodes should evolve rather than be created. The nodes are what form the network. At first we thought we could force the nodes to happen and this did not work. But today Special Interest Groups have started (nodes) emerging on their own. We have the media node, techies node and sooner than later we shall have the NGOs.

The other lesson learnt is that members need to be actively involved in the activities of the network lest they get bored and leave the network. In our case, besides them creating nodes we have assigned them responsibilities like making presentation upcountry and also representing the network at international conferences. Ensuring that members do not abuse the network by promoting their selfish interests have been a challenge and lesson learnt.

In summary the network needs to be marketed aggressively in order for it to become a house-hold name that can easily attract support of any kind. That way we shall be able to sustain ourselves."

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Author: bridges.org
Date: 10 February 2004

About the bridges.org/IICD Case Study Series on ICT-Enabled Development

This case study series on ICT-enabled development aims to disseminate best practice examples of how information communication technology has been successfully used by ground-level initiatives to alleviate poverty. Case studies are an effective tool for examining what works best, what fails, and why. The intention of this series is to share knowledge and catalyse lessons learned about ICT by local organisations and the international community. The current focus is on efforts based in Africa.

The case study series is an initiative of the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) and bridges.org, two organisations that share the goal of encouraging the effective use of ICT in developing countries. IICD is an independent non-profit foundation, established by the Netherlands Minister for Development Cooperation in 1997 and based in The Hague. Bridges.org is an international non-governmental organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa. This initiative is supported by the Building Digital Opportunities Programme (www.iconnect-online.org), funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Directorate General International Cooperation (DGIS), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).