TWENTY FIVE WEBSITES AND E-LIBRARIES DEVELOPED BY RIC-NET DEPLOYED AND LAUNCHED

At a colorful ceremony held at Hotel Africana on 14^th June 2013, RIC-NET in collaboration with it’s partner CEW-IT launched the 25 websites and 25 electronic libraries that RIC-NET has over the year been developing, deploying and introducing to the users.   

Under it’s EU-HIVOS funded project CEWIT through RIC-NET developed and deployed 25 websites and 25 electronic libraries  for five districts in each of the in the five regions of  Uganda; Central, Teso, West Nile, Rwenzori and Northern. The project code named “Enhancing Civic Competence for Social Accountability in 25 Districts in five regions of Uganda” aimed at promoting easier access to and sharing of information between local governments and the community. 
Besides the development and deployment of these on-line platforms, RIC-NET also trained the respective District leaders in all the five regions on how to use, maintain and manage them. Approximately 15 training sessions were conducted and 90 district staff trained. They included Chief Adminstrative Officers, District Information Officers, District Planners, District secretaries , Staticians, and Population Officers. During the same trainings, the particpants were also oreinted on how to use other social media like Skype, Facebook,Twitter,blogs and Youtube. Participants were supported  to open accounts and also shown how to use them.

RIC-NET Executive Director speaking at the Launch

Having tested their functionality and user-ability it was time for RIC-NET to officially hand them over to the different districts to manage. The Launch attracted 50 participants; they included officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of I.C.T, representatives from European Union (EU), Oxfam Novib, District Officials and representatives from the CEW-IT fraternity.

Presiding over the launch as Chief Guest Mr. Mr. David Turuho on behalf of the Minister for I.C.T appreciated the work of CSOs in bridging the communication gap between local governments and the community and for their continued collaboration with government bodies. Besides the websites and electronic libraries, a policy brief paper on on the evidence of fruits of the government policies in the Acholi region and the Huduma platform http://citizensvoice.ug  were also launched. Huduma is a service delivery platform that allows citizens to send/share service delivery challenges with their leaders using the short code 6030.

Evidently, RIC-NET’s intervention in enhancing civic competence for social accountability using I.C.T has had an impact in the community, for it has facilitated easy access to and sharing of information, strengthened the ICT skills of 90 District leaders in the five regions of Uganda.  For example some leaders in Nebbi and Kyenjojo districts have been able to routinely update their websites and electronic libraries www.nebbi.go.ug/elibrary , www.kyenjojo.go.ug/elibrary  on their own. 
This shows that our efforts have been appreciated and proven to add value to the work of the different Local Governments.  Great thanks to EU-HIVOS and DGAP for enabling us to deliver this wonderful service and to the different local governments for welcoming, supporting and owning the initiative.