E-government for Uganda: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The government of Uganda drew an e-government strategy aimed at changing the design operation and culture of the public sector to better respond to the needs of Ugandans. Some flagship programmes were included in the strategy as an opportunity for the Uganda Government to consolidate the position of ICTs in the country. These flagship programmes have been ongoing for long and according to survey reports, some of the programmes have only partially succeeded. Others are reported to have totally failed. This paper looks at what these programmes are and through interaction with personnel in the institutions concerned with the programmes and reviews of documented reports, discusses the underlying challenges faced by ICT initiatives in Uganda. Recommendations that can assist planners when designing ICT programmes are presented. These recommendations are aimed at improving the design of ICT programmes to minimize programme risks. In conclusion, we highlight one of the check tools used in ICT project planning that can be used to identify key factors that e-government project planners must address if ICT projects are to succeed.