By Joachim Twino
National Information Technology Authority (NITA)-Uganda is this Thursday evening holding an awards-giving dinner to recognize government Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that have excelled at leveraging on ICTs to improve efficiency in service delivery.
According to NITA-U Communications Manager Angela Ndagano, the dinner venue will be Speke Resort Munyonyo which is as well hosting the full day conference on the role of the ICTs in harnessing service delivery by government agencies. Her colleague Florence Mukankusi adds dinner guests will begin arriving at 5pm for the event to begin in earnest.
The involvement of credible brands like Ernst & Young, World Bank, Huawei, Dell Technologies and Redington Seamless Partnerships implies the entire selection exercise is integrity-assured meaning whoever wins will indeed have merited that recognition.
The awards night is the climaxing of month-long activities all aimed at enabling government MDAs demonstrate to the public services they offer online; get instant feedback from the public amongst whom they serve and to ultimately increase uptake of the online services on offer.
The well-attended two-day e-government at Garden City Rooftop was of critical importance as the MDAs had direct interface with the general public. Key public officials gave rousing endorsement for the expo as those who attended included Ministers, CDF Gen David Muhoozi and Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo. Judges too attended examples being justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire.
Being the agency mandated, NITA is interested in increased utilization of ICTs to deliver quality services to citizens by the MDAs. According to NITA’s Director Technical Services Vivian Kankya Ddambya, they are working towards ensuring that the government target to 100% digitalize service delivery by 2022 is realized. She is optimistic the target is within reach and achievability.
Peter Kahigi, NITA’s all-powerful Director e-government services, says NITA’s readiness to keep supporting and enabling MDAs to digitalize service delivery is evidenced in many ways including the 3,000km fiber optic cable infrastructure they have put in place already and are planning expanding it even further. This infrastructure ensures that all government entities have access to affordable and speedy internet connection to be able to deliver services electronically.
THE NOMINEES
Ndagano explains there are five categories of awards to be won during tonight’s ceremony at Munyonyo. These include outstanding web portal award; e-service excellence award; e-government agency of the year award; e-government citizens’ choice award and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the year award.
Remarkable on the list of the nominees is the Entebbe-based National Medical Stores (NMS) with nominations in four categories. Their Smart Care solution is being recognized for enhancing public participation in monitoring delivery of medicines and other medical supplies. The same online solution enables stakeholders including heads of the public health facilities, MPs and other elected leaders to give feedback regarding what has been or hasn’t delivered by delivery teams.
Closely trailing behind NMS in the health sector category is Uganda Cancer Institute whose electronic patient’s records management system is being recognized.
NMS is also a nominee for three other important categories namely best e-government expo exhibitor, government entity of the year and best CIO award with it’s Principal MIS Officer Stephen Kisuze being recognized for digitalizing procurement, storage and distribution functions.
Kisuze faces other nominees like UNEB’s Peter Waiswa Wakabi, KCCA’s Martin Sekajja, Petroleum Authority of Uganda’s Dr. Joseph Kobushehe, CAA’s Dr. James Mubiru, the Judiciary’s David Kikabi, NHCCL’s David Etuket, NDA’s Daniel Kalibala and ERA’s Anslem Olweny.
URA DOING WELL TOO
Dorris Akol’s URA is equally a formidable competitor with a number of nominations including government entity of the year where it faces NMS, NSSF, Ministry of Education and ERA.
URA also features on the best e-government exhibitor nomination list along with NMS, PAU, UTB, JLOS Secretariat and the Works Ministry.
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) also features on the nominees list for the “citizen choice award” along with Immigration, Electoral Commission, KCCA, Finance Ministry’s IFMIS, Gender Ministry, NWSC, NSSF and URSB. The organizers categorize these as the “most useful and helpful” entities daily impacting on people’s lives. Their online platforms are also the most visited as citizens seek information and services online.
URA is also nominated under the Accountability & Governance sector whereby their mobile tax payment solution is seen as enabling taxpayers to comply with their tax obligations using their mobile phones and other devices from the comfort of their homes and workplaces.
In this same category, URA faces NSSF (for its NSSF Go), the Finance Ministry for its IFMIS and the IG whose online assets/wealth declaration platform has enabled over 20,000 government leaders to comply with their Leadership Code Act obligations using mobile phones and other electronic devices.
Other categories on the NITA list include running web portals and institutional websites in a manner that complies with NITA-U guidelines and the nominees include Kyambogo University, URSB, Makerere University, URA and KCCA.
When it comes to government MDAs having the most interactive and ever updated web portals, the nominees include Parliament of Uganda, CAA, Uganda Police Force, UNBS and Ministry of ICT & National Guidance.
As for MDAs running websites that the public finds informative because of the well-prepared timely content, the nominees include UMI, DPP, OPM, Education Service Commission and Office of Auditor General.
DISTRICT LOCAL GOTVS
When it comes to Local Governments/districts having websites that are frequently updated, the nominees include Masindi, Bulambuli, Buikwe, Mbarara and Rakai districts. When it comes to having in place innovative ways to provide online services, the nominees include PAU (for their national supplier database) and UNRA whose PDU is already ahead of the e-GP protect by already having over 3,292 procurements properly tracked online.
Others are UMEME whose YAKA innovation is already serving over 700,000 customers; ERA whose certified installation permit holder online verification system enables quick identification of entities authorized and certified as good enough when it comes electrical installation and connection of both residential and commercial premises. This helps to diminish cases of harmful installations.
The Works Ministry is also featuring under this category for the digitalization of renewal and fresh application for driving permits. These days one can have renewal of permit within just one day.
The trade Ministry too features for its digitalization of the processes relating to the reporting of non-tariff barriers by traders. UIA is also featuring for its One Stop Center whose digitalization now enables potential/intending investors access information regarding business registration procedures for things like licensing, work permits, land acquisition etc. UNEB is also recognized for digitalizing registration for its exams and the access to results once national examinations results are released.
Makerere University is also nominated for digitalizing distance learning whereby learners can these days read and revise without having to travel to campus libraries but via the virtual library resources that management has made abundantly available online.
The Gender Ministry is also a nominee for its deliberate efforts to leverage on technology to expedite registration of labor export recruits and that of labor externalization recruitment firms as well.
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