Enhancing government transparency and service efficiency through digital integration: a case of Uganda’s UGhub platform

Abstract

Digital data integration is becoming increasingly vital for public sector reform, especially in enhancing transparency and boosting service efficiency. In Uganda, the UGhub platform was launched to enable data sharing between government and private-sector organizations, but its effectiveness has not been fully evaluated. The study aims to assess whether data integration significantly boosts transparency and service delivery efficiency. This research used a cross-sectional quantitative approach, analyzing secondary data from the 2023 NITA-U UGhub assessment study. The analysis included Pearson correlations, Chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression in STATA 17. The findings revealed that using UGhub data for planning made institutions nearly 30 times more likely to report transparency gains (OR = 29.77, p = 0.003). Data accuracy also had a strong positive effect (OR = 8.25, p = 0.023), while SMS-based communication further enhanced transparency outcomes (OR = 13.23, p = 0.024). For service delivery efficiency, data accuracy was the strongest predictor, with institutions over 7,000 times more likely to report reduced turnaround time (OR = 7333.3, p = 0.002). Decision-making use of the platform showed a positive but marginally significant effect (OR = 21.69, p = 0.066). Although not statistically significant, information dissemination, USSD usage, and integrated services showed positive directional influence. The study concludes that the UGhub platform significantly enhances both transparency and service delivery efficiency through improved data accuracy, planning functions, and SMS-based communication channels. However, limited innovation, uneven adoption, especially among public entities, and low citizen-facing service usage remain key challenges. These findings highlight the need for greater investments in interoperability frameworks, data quality systems, and digital communication infrastructure. Improving staff capacity, expanding access via SMS and USSD, and encouraging user-centered innovation will be crucial for scaling the platform’s impact. Future research should use mixed-method or qualitative approaches to examine adoption barriers, institutional readiness, and citizen experiences with digital integration in the public sector. Keywords: digital integration, e-government, transparency, service delivery