Government Citizen Interaction Centre Facilitating Uganda's Open Governance Agenda.

Governments around the world are recognizing the need to introduce open government reforms to better deliver on the demands and aspirations of their citizens. This is not, however, something that can be achieved by government reformers alone.

At the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC), Ministry of Information and National Guidance, we believe that there are significant opportunities which can improve the efficiency of service delivery through leveraging the power of digital media for open government.

From paving roads, accessing health care, education services to electing politicians, digital media are reshaping what citizens know, who they communicate to, and what they need to know to get things to move.

GCIC is therefore designed to function and operate as an open government platform where citizens can share their views about what they want, what they like and dislike, and their overall expectations from Government.

Our strategic focus on Open government is about increasing access to information and data. At GCIC we seek to leverage existing and meaningful opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between government and the public.

GCIC uses interactive digital tools, approaches and strategies to better connect citizens and stakeholders to the government of Uganda. Currently, we are utilizing the unique opportunity of increased usage of smartphones in Uganda. This has simplified our messaging to citizens, subsequently improving access to critical services.

By and large, bigger portions of Uganda’s population with access to the internet are signed up to at least one social media account. This makes the involvement of GCIC with a niche in online engagements critical to reaching out to Uganda’s online community.

The Government has further deployed other open government initiatives such as the Open Budget Week which is championed by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED).

Here, citizens are invited to attend countrywide exhibitions organized by MoFPED to showcase the successes of various government agencies and the services provided. Citizens are also consulted on the Budget framework paper where their views are taken into consideration, making them a huge component of the National Budget planning process.

So far, the Open Budget Week has been well received by the public which has for long felt marginalized in decision-making processes. Open Government, therefore, recognizes the value of feedback and the contribution that citizens make towards National Development.

Open governments acknowledge and benefit from the input, knowledge and expertise that citizens can contribute to the operations and decision-making of government.

The National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U) is a strategic partner in enabling robust internet connectivity countrywide. The cost of internet bandwidth has reduced to $70 per Mbps from $300 per Mbps coupled with 284 free public hot-spots. More is being done to reduce the cost-push factors for more inclusive internet access.

Through adopting NITA’s integrated systems built to enhance service delivery, GCIC has been able to work seamlessly and efficiently to sensitize citizens on Government projects and services. This supports existing efforts by the government to bridge its widening gap with the public.

More interestingly, we now have a fully operational call centre service with 900-toll free number. The centre is manned by a dedicated team which is always on standby to provide timely feedback to queries on service delivery to citizens.

The data generated through GCIC’s call centre is analyzed to inform policy decisions, guide in the formulation of policy interventions and in the creation of targeted messages to citizens.

This is because we recognize that Central and Local Governments are faced with a challenge of lack of access to information and most importantly lack an aspect of Citizen’s participation.

Officials most often withhold public information from citizens which create public distrust. On the other hand, Government officials lack reliable data to facilitate evidence-based policymaking.

They need open data which is reliable, accessible and consistent so it can be placed in the right hands and in the right form to create policy impact.

Moving forward, adopting new technologies to improve service delivery will enhance the efficiency of Uganda’s government and can serve different aims: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with businesses and industries, citizen empowerment through access to information and above all more efficient government management.

On Thursday this week, GCIC is holding an open government workshop in conjunction with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung to build capacity aimed at enhancing the efficiency of government.

The Writer is Head of Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC), Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.