Current ICT Initiatives and Projects in Uganda
Uganda is currently implementing a number of ICT-related initiatives in the area of eGovernment, Technology-enhanced Learning, eHealth, eCommerce and ICT for Rural Development. The section below provides an overview of the projects being implemented, funding sources and geographic coverage.
World Bank Cycle II project Development Process
The World Bank Board approved a total grant amount of US 8 million for ERT cycle II programme under ICT sub-component. The main investment programme of the project includes sub county broadband services for Northern Uganda and Communication Information Centres are going to be implemented in the next financial year. The National Commission for Science and Technology has put the criteria for disbursement of the funds in place.
eGovernment
Current status
- The e-Government readiness survey is being conducted. The survey will assist in establishing the current status of availability, access and usability of ICTs for governance and service delivery.
- Piloting of Unified Messaging Collaboration System (UM&CS) - for intra and Inter-institution communication and data sharing has been completed in two MDAs - NITA U and MOICT. The State House will be next in the pilot before UMCS is rolled out to other MDAs. The proposal for roll out is already prepared.
- Piloting of Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) has been finalised in NITA U, MoICT and Ministry of Internal Affairs and a roadmap for roll out has also been developed. UMSC and VOIP aim at improving efficiency in flow of information across government and cutting own on communication costs.
- The plans are underway to establish a government portal (www.gov.ug ) that will ensure that government information are uploaded and managed under a single resource/facility so as to improve security of information and improve its sharability.
National backbone infrastructure and e-government project
The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Information Communication Technology is spearheading the development of the National Data Transmission Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) and the Electronic Government Infrastructure (EGI) The over US$ 100 million project is designed to complement the private sector initiatives to relieve the acute shortage of bandwidth and takes the form of public-private partnership with the ultimate benefits being to the consumer. It is planned that implementation will be in three phases which are similar but only differentiated by magnitude of scope in terms of geographical coverage. When completed the NBI will link all the districts of Uganda by 2010.
The NBI is intended to ensure that high bandwidth data connection is available in all major towns of Uganda at reasonable rates. The EGI is designed to reduce the cost of doing business in government, improving communication between government agencies and reducing the need for officials to commute for meetings and thus increasing efficiency.
Phases I and II of the NBI have been completed. They consisted of laying of 1536.39Km of Optical Fibre Cable across the country to build the National Data Transmission Backbone; connection of NBI to the borders of Southern Sudan (Elegu) and Kenya (Malaba and Busia) thereby linking the country to other regional backbone infrastructure and expansion of the Government Metropolitan Area Network into a Wide Area Network covering the towns of Kampala, Entebbe, Bombo, Mukono, Jinja, Busia, Tororo, Malaba, Kumi, Mbale, Soroti, Lira, Gulu, Masindi, Nakasongola, Luwero, Mbarara, Kasese, Fort Portal and Kyenjojo.
The EGI component is intended to connect all Ministries and some Government Departments into an e-Government Network to provide services such as videoconferencing, Data and Voice communication. The EGI consists of Installation of the Primary Data Centre for the Government at Statistics House has been completed with messaging and collaboration software installed that will be piloted in State House, Ministry of ICT and NITA - U. Extension to other MDAs will follow the rollout of the pilot sites; Connection of 27 Ministries and some Departments through the laying of Optical Fibre Cable onto the e-Government Network and Deployment of services such as videoconferencing, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Data exchange and internet access over the e-Government Infrastructure.
Planned Activities during Financial Year 2012/13 include to ensure optimum utilization of the existing NBI; Address the Security issues Identified on the FTA; Implement Phase III of the NBI; Implement the alternative route to the submarine cables (Masaka-Mutukula via Tanzania); Implement the Masaka - Katuna OFC network; Implement the Entebbe Monuc; Connect the Main IFMIS Data Center onto the NBI/EGI Network; Add at least 5 MDAs onto the NBI and Last Mile connectivity to MDAs, LGS and priority Target User Groups (Universities, research institutions, hospitals etc)
Funding sources: Uganda government and implement by the Uganda Ministry of ICT
Geographic scope and time frame: National; ongoing.
Migration from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting Project
This project aims to provide choice to consumers with different service providers through
- Interoperability of systems
- Ensuring the presence of a competitive market
- Efficient use of spectrum
- The development of the national postal code to be harmonized regionally.
Current Status: UCC has conducted various migration awareness campaigns in the media to sensitise the public on the benefits and the need to meet the national migration timeline of 31st December 2012. In view of the delays in getting the signal distributor ready, UCC has planned to procure equipment to support UBC in meeting the deadline. The key benefit of digital broadcasting is that it enables the utilization of the scarce national radio frequency spectrum far more efficiently than analogue technologies.
The Digital Broadcasting Migration Policy envisages the delivery of quality education, health and small, medium and micro enterprises, the opportunity for developing new skills and the creation of new jobs, and new investment opportunities.
Funding sources: Chinese government and implementation by the Uganda Ministry of ICT
Geographic scope and time frame: National; ongoing.
Voter registration- Electro commission Uganda project
This project aims to enhance transparency, accountability in the election management process, increase voter confidence in the electoral process in the 2010 general elections (scheduled to take place in February 2011). This project is supported by the International foundation for Electoral systems and USAID. The purpose is to support the voter registration process and enhance the credibility of the voter registers by strengthening access to the register and providing it online.
Current Status: The Electoral Commission is now displaying the national voter's register online. Facilitating citizens to browse the entire register at their convenience. The national voter's register can be accessed via the electoral commission website at http://www.ec.or.ug
Since many Ugandan voters do not have Internet access, the USAID, the Electoral Commission, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) are also working to develop an SMS text messaging system that will allow any voter with a cell phone to verify voter registration status and polling station assignments via text. This SMS text messaging system should be fully operational soon.
Organization(s)/funding sources: USAID and Uganda government, Implemented overseen by Uganda Electoral Commission
National Identity Cards project
The project is focused on implementing a biometric and central data management and identity card registration. It aims to help government to have easy identification of Ugandans on the government pay roll, social security, police and army and within the east African community. The project, which is the initial stages, will cost over 189 billion shillings
Current Status: About 54.6 billion shillings is needed to kick start the national identification card project that will see all Ugandans acquire a national identification card and number. The Uganda National Population Data Bank and Identification project, which stalled in 2002, is a Uganda Bureau of Statistics project aimed at retrieving information on all Ugandans and providing them with a national identity card for easy identification.
Organization(s)/funding sources: Uganda Government, Implementation overseen by Uganda Ministry of ICT
Geographic scope and time frame: National
ICT4Democracy in East Africa (June 2011 - July 2012)
This project is based on leveraging the potential of ICT to increase citizens' participation in decision making processes, thus strengthening democratisation. Launched in June 2011, ICT4Democracy in East Africa consists of 7 partners in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The initiative has seed funding from the Swedish Programme for ICT in Developing Regions (Spider). It is a network of organisations collaboratively leveraging on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance communication and the right to freedom of expression, as well as the right to seek, receive and impart information to enhance civic empowerment and improve governance.
Geographic scope and time frame: Regional - Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
Technology-enhanced Learning
Connectivity for Educator Development Project (Connect Ed)
With the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE), there has been greater demand on teachers and the quality of primary education has increased. In order to address the need for quality primary education and the provision of additional resources for Ugandan primary teachers, the Connectivity for Educator Development (Connect-ED) project was initiated in May 2000.
Phase I of the Connectivity for Educator Development Project (Connect Ed) set up computer centres and Internet points of presence at Kyambogo University (KyU) and at eight primary teachers' colleges (PTCs). It provided computer literacy and materials development training for teacher educators, and began to re-purpose the print-based national PTC curriculum into an interactive, accessible online version. Connect-ED Phase II builds on the infrastructure established in Phase I but with closer collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports and KyU.
The focus is on sustainability and long-term ICT strategies for KyU and the PTCs and on continuing to provide computer training and completing the digitisation and enhancement of the national PTC curriculum.
Current status: The Connect-ED project is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in close cooperation with Uganda's Ministry of Education and Sports and within the framework of the U.S. Education for Development and Democracy Initiative (EDDI). Connect-ED is using technology to enable and enhance learning and teaching for primary educators through the creation of multifaceted approaches to integrating media and computers in the Primary Teacher Colleges (PTC) classrooms. Connect-ED accomplished this by setting up Education Technology Centres thereby increasing access, availability, and provision of relevant and quality learning materials and support for teacher professional development. Connect-Ed is a non-governmental organisation that is providing connectivity to 8 core PTC's: Shimoni PTC; Mukuju PTC; Gulu PTC; Bushenyi PTC; Ndegeya PTC; Kibuli PTC; Soroti PTC and Boroboro PTC.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: Phase I was funded by USAID. Initial partners included Computer Frontiers (for Internet connectivity), World Links (for Development for training in the colleges), Schools Online (for equipment procurement), and Academy for Educational Development (for the projects at ITEK). Phase II is supported by International Education Systems, a division of Education Development Center, an international, non-profit organisation.
Geographic scope and time frame: National. Phase I: 2001-2003; Phase II: 2003 to present.
More information available at http://ies.edc.org/ourwork/project.php?id=3448
National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC)
The National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) established the Curriculum Net project in an effort to create electronic learning materials using CD-ROMs. The project is now using ICTs to provide instructors with multimedia materials they can use in selected core subjects.
Government approval was given in 2004 for ICT-based curriculum materials in mathematics and geography for primary schools and mathematics and science for secondary schools, thus enabling use of the material by all schools in the country.
Current status: The National Curriculum Development Centre has worked with the International Development Research Centre to come up with the CurriculumNet project to develop, test and implement a mechanism for curriculum integration and delivery for primary and secondary schools in Uganda via communication networks using computer related tools.
It was conceived to influence both the practice and policy of Education. While these initiatives had made tremendous strides in school connectivity, teacher training and promotion of global learning, none had ever attempted content development-online to supplement the current campus learning system of the curricula of Uganda.
This necessitated development of local content that is relevant to the learner and the Ugandan approved National Curriculum, thus creating an added value. Thus the difference with Curriculum Net was it intended to enable students, educators and educational administrators to develop appropriate competencies to effectively use ICT in the teaching and learning process. The ultimate goal of this project is to accelerate the participation of schools, teachers and learners in the use of ICT in teaching and learning process. The project supports all educators, and students who foster the use of ICT in the teaching and learning process. As an action research activity, it was intended to test the technical and operational feasibility, and economic viability of ICT in the education delivery process. It is also expected to examine the "value added" of ICT in core subject areas of the educational system in Uganda and the extent to which teaching and learning is enhanced.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: SchoolNet Uganda with funding from IDRC
Geographic scope and time frame: National; 2001-on going
More information available at www.idrc.ca/en/ev-64993-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
VSAT project
This project is using VSATs to offset the high cost of connectivity and to demonstrate the use of ICT-equipped schools as school-based community learning centers.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: World Links, Schools Online, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and SchoolNet Uganda
Geographic scope and time frame: Rural focus; ongoing.
More information available at
www.schoolnetuganda.sc.ug/homepage.php?option=vsatproject
SchoolNet Uganda project
SchoolNet Uganda's mission is to make graduates of Uganda's education system more globally competitive. SchoolNet Uganda supports educators and learners by providing pedagogical and technical expertise and advice, infrastructure and human resources, coordination, training and capacity-building, and developing local and international partnerships.
Organization(s)/funding sources: Multiple partners depending on projects
Geographic scope and time frame: National; ongoing
More information is available at www.schoolnetuganda.sc.ug/homepage.php?option=home
Content Development at National Teachers Colleges, Uganda
The goal of this content development project is to use computers and Internet to develop educational materials for secondary schools and National Teachers' Colleges (NTCs) throughout Uganda. Its main focus is on developing educational content. For example, it aims to create over 20 modules for all ordinary level subjects and place them on CD-ROMs so that they can be used by other National Teacher Colleges (NTCs) and secondary schools.
To make the project sustainable, large numbers of Kyambogo University staff as well as staff from the NTCs are being trained on how to work with computers and internet to look at, create and share educational materials. The goal is to make abridged versions of the finished products available as printed pamphlets, via a website, on CD-ROMs, and through intranet web servers. The content development programme started in 2005, has 2000 users and can potentially reach 40,000 students and teachers throughout Uganda.
Specific short-term objectives of the project are: Develop and digitise more than 20 courses at Kyambogo University, Develop high quality teaching modules to be used at NTCs and secondary schools throughout Uganda, Provide quality control checks on the educational content developed, Devise a good dissemination system for the digital content developed
Organization(s)/funding sources: IICD supported programme:
Geographic scope and time frame: National
More information is available at
http://www.capacity.org/en/content/download/3656/54913/file/issue+10.pdf
Connecting Classrooms project
The British Council launched a project to link schools in Uganda to other schools in Africa and the UK. The project, code-named Connecting Classrooms, aimed at co-coordinating ICT, science, vocational skills, global citizenship, and cultural science in the schools.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: The British Council
Geographic scope and time frame: Limited number of schools; 2006-2007.
More information is available at www.britishcouncil.org/uganda-governance-connecting-classrooms.htm
Providing donated computers to schools plus capacity-building support to recipient local partners
Organization(s)/funding sources: World Computer Exchange in partnership with local organizations.
Geographic scope and time frame: National
More information available at www.worldcomputerexchange.org/
Uconnect - Providing computer connectivity and training for schools
Uconnect is a non-profit NGO that aims to advance public education by using ICT to improve the quality and efficiency of communications. Activities focus on providing computer connectivity and training for schools and recently on providing ICT training to officials of 22 mostly rural districts.
More that 225 schools have benefited to date and 22 district offices have been connected to the Internet.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: Multiple sponsors are involved such as telecom, hardware, learning software, transportation, and Internet provider companies.
Geographic scope and time frame: National; began in the late 1990s and continues to thrive.
More information available at www.uconnect.org/
Providing equipment and training to schools
The Uganda Ministry of Education and Sports has undertaken several initiatives over the past years as part of its policy implementation agenda. Examples include providing equipment and training to selected schools, providing Microsoft software to government-aided secondary schools, and including the approval of a curriculum for ICT training for secondary schools.
Organization(s)/funding sources: The Ministry has allocated some funds for these initiatives and is discussing provision of additional support with various donors.
Geographic scope and time frame: National; 2006-2007.
I-Network Project
I-Network Uganda is a national network of individuals and organizations that act as a platform for sharing knowledge and information on applying ICTs. One of its programmes, District Net, focuses on providing public information using ICTs.
Organization(s)/funding sources: ICT4D practitioners including IICD project partners; policymakers such as ministries; students and teachers; NGOs; rural communities
Geographic scope and time frame: National; over 700 registered members from the public, private, and civil society sectors. Began in 2002; ongoing.
More information available at www.i-network.or.ug/
eHealth
Improving health care delivery through continuing medical education for rural health workers
This project is focused on improving health care delivery through continuing medical education (CME) for rural health workers by using ICTs and multimedia. The major focus is on gathering and repackaging high-quality health information for dissemination through ICTs. Training in the use of basic ICTs is provided.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: Co-sponsored by Cordaid and IICD and implemented by Uganda Martyrs University, Faculty of Health Sciences, and the three hospitals of Itojo in Ntungamo district, Nkozi in Mpigi district and Mutolere in Kisoro district
Geographic scope and time frame: District-based; ongoing.
More information is available at www.iicd.org/projects/articles/iicdprojects.2005-12-09.7746900390
ICT Maintenance Facilities for rural technical colleges
ICT maintenance facilities for rural Uganda have been established at five technical colleges. An ICT maintenance facility will be set up at each college to provide technical support and to introduce a new course called ICT Installation and Maintenance to train technicians.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: The Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology, established by Uganda Communications Commission, manages the project with the support of the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD).
Geographic scope and time frame: The five UTCs are located in or near upcountry towns and are geographically well distributed throughout the country. Launched in 2005; ongoing.
More information is available at www.iicd.org/projects/articles/iicdprojects.2005-07-29.8068367475
e-Network
Makerere University Faculty of Computing and Information Technology has won an Africa Union (AU) bid to create an e-network that will provide connectivity for Eastern and Central African countries to a pan-African network through fibre optics and wireless links. This will enable the sharing of resources such as BlackBoard digital learning software, backups, and elearning courses. The faculty has a department that trains staff in e-learning and supports elearning in the whole of the university.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: Funding is provided by the Government of India through the AU. Makerere will be the lead university serving Comoros, Djibouti, Eriteria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Geographic scope and time frame: Eastern and central African regions; project was announced in July 2006.
More information available at http://cit.ac.ug/site/downloads/issue4.pdf
Electronic Rural Health Information project: Feasibility and Acceptability of e-Card Maternal-Child Health Passport in Rural Community
Towards the end of 2010, the Ministry of Health will release a Mother-Child Health Passport (MCH HP). The Mother-Child Health Passport is an initiative to improve maternal and child health in Uganda. It has already been started in a number of African countries including Malawi, Benin, Tanzania and Kenya. It replaces and combines the antenatal and child health cards. This Mother-Child Health Passport is a medical document that records pertinent facts, findings, and observations about an individual child's health history including natal history, past and present illnesses, tests, treatments and outcomes. It will also chronologically document the care of the mother during pregnancy and the child after delivery, thus offering an important element contributing to high-quality care. As with the rest of Africa, it will be paper based and therefore will have the inherent problems associated with manual paper based medical documentation systems. To ameliorate these problems, the paper system should be supplemented by an electronic system. This will revolutionise the health care system and efforts need to be made to enable the health system proceed from manual or semi-automatic data processing to a new method of entering, storage, and searching and protecting data using an affordable and safe electronic system.
This will also improve efficiency in data for health care and administration such health insurance accounts and other health surveys.
Organisation(s)/funding sources: Uganda Government in collaboration with ICTs for African Rural Development (ICTARD), Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi. Department of Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS)
Geographic scope and time frame: National
More information available from Ms. Hellene Karamagi, email: hellenek@gmail.com
Malaria Diagnostic Systems project
The overall objective of the malaria diagnostic systems project is to design and implement as easy to use computerized system that has the capabilities to perform accurate diagnosis of malaria, recommend appropriate treatment for malaria, capture and update malaria patient data in real time, provide a platform for sharing data among health establishments, streamline the reporting to the ministry of health and also generate relevant patients and dug management reports
Organisation(s)/funding sources: Uganda Government
Geographic scope and time frame: National
eCommerce
District Business Information Centers
This project aims to address the needs of the community demand driven ICT based services .
Current status: Six DBICS are operational in the Districts of Kamwenge, Lira, Busia, Mityana, Iganga and Rukungiri. Special Training was provided to the current DBICS Managers to improve their Operations (August 2011). Six DBICS Managers have been trained to provide E-Tax services in their Districts - this was made possible by collaboration with the E-Tax Department in Uganda Revenue Authority. NITA-U has partnered with the United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO) to further improve the delivery of services in the existing DBICS centres.
Following the ICT Parliamentary Committee directive to harmonize all DBICs similar projects under UCC, Posta-Uganda and NITA-U, a report has been developed and an MOU with Posta-Uganda has been developed to guide onward deployments of DBICS. Internet services have been availed in Lira and Kamwenge that were missing due to ISP Internet Service provision challenges when the DBICS were first installed.
The Turn Key solution contract was signed with United Engineering Services to deliver DBICS in Amuru, Hoima and Rakai was signed in November 2011.
A Board Paper on new sites for this financial year in Kitgum and Tororo has been approved by Senior Management and awaits final approval by the Board. Installation of the DBICS in Rakai and Hoima will be completed by March 30th, 2012 after the MOU with Posta-Uganda has been signed. The Installation for Amuru was completed by 24th February 2012.
Planned activities for FY 2011/12 - Roll out 2 new DBICS sites (Tororo and Kitgum); Continued monitoring and maintaining installed DBICs sites; roll out of additional e-government services to the centres.
Organization and funding sources: UNIDO with funding from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and in close cooperation with local public and private sector representatives has developed a network of business information centers (BIC) in 8 districts, to see how they can support them in terms of ICT access. These include Arua, Gulu, Jinja, Kabale, Masaka, Masindi, mbale and Soroti
Geographic scope and time frame: 8 districts' on start but extending to another 8 districts in Uganda, 6 to be funded by government (Ministry of ICT) and 2 to be funded by UNIDO the project is National; ongoing
Reflect ICT Resource Centre
The Reflect ICT resource centre has been equipped with computers (Internet connected), printers, digital camera and video, generator, UPS, public address system, World Space radio, and solar-operated radios, along with other office equipment including a photocopier. The aim is to facilitate access to agricultural, health, and commercial information based on needs that the 10 community identified.
Organization(s)/funding sources: DIFD, and community contributions.
Geographic scope and time frame: The project is located in Bukuuku sub-county in Kabarole district, western Uganda.
More information available at http://217.206.205.24/Initiatives/ict/home.htm
Village Phone Project
The Village Phone Project provides micro loans to eight local businesses to enable establishing a community phone service. Testing of additional technologies will be done.
Organization(s)/funding sources: Grameen Foundation in partnership with MTN Uganda
Geographic scope and time frame: Started in 2003 in selected communities; ongoing.
More information available at
www.grameenfoundation.org/where_we_work/sub_saharan_africa/uganda/village_phone_uganda/
ICT for Rural Development
Energy for Rural Transformation (ERT) Project
Uganda's rural populations currently either have poor or no access to information communication technologies (ICT) and services. The ERT hopes to redress this imbalance by developing renewable energy and ICTs growth opportunities for communities all around the country. The second phase of the ERT will see the establishment of numerous 30-50MW power units around the country
This project aims to assist rural entrepreneurs with access to previously unreachable markets., will harness local entrepreneurial capacity, in expanding access of rural communities to modern renewable energy. Investments in power generation will increase the reliability and lower the cost of electricity, which is a major setback to businesses
Organization(s)/funding sources The World Bank has agreed to invest US$75 million. Implementation overseen by Office of Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF).
Geographic scope and time frame: National
Adaptive Bandwidth Management in Cooperative Wireless Networks: Affordable and equitable access to the Internet
In 2006, the Community Wireless Resource Centre (CWRC), that was established under the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Makerere University, setup local wireless networks at three sites - Nabweru Telecentre, Lira Canadian Physicans for Aid and Relief (CPAR) telecentre and Kabale/Kachwekano Telecentres. The wireless networks were established with technical support from IT+46, a Swedish ICT organisation, and with financial support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in the amount of US$ 89,866. The general objective of the CWRC is to provide or enhance sustainable Internet connectivity infrastructure, particularly in rural or under served areas in Uganda, by means of wireless technology. The specific objectives are to (1) implement and support the maintenance of community wireless networks, initially targeting the IDRC-funded Telecentres by establishing a Community Wireless Resource Center in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, at Makerere University; (2) build capacity, among students at the Electrical Engineering department and the technical staff at the Telecentres, in the design,installation and maintenance of community wireless networks including bandwidth management and efficient traffic provisioning; (3) undertake research to assess the technical feasibility and economic business/partnership models of community wireless networks; and (4) document and share the results widely.
Organization(s)/funding sources: Uganda Government under the MSI World Bank project
More information available at http://cwrc.it46.se/
NUFFIC ICT projects for Uganda's universities
The "Building a Sustainable ICT Training Capacity in the Public Universities in Uganda" NUFFIC One project 2003 - 2008 has been very successful in boosting the capacity of public universities in the field Information Technology and Communications (ICT). The project addressed the issue of ICT capacity building in the four Public Universities in Uganda. The target group was the staff and students in the Ugandan institutions and mid-career ICT professionals. The main activities required expertise from the Netherlands, for support in curriculum development and implementation, in development of research capacity and to advise in the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for ICT Training and Research.
The project which cost about 4 million Euros, has had great impact in the areas of curriculum development and implementation, human resource capacity development, research capacity development, ICT infrastructure development, collaborations among the Public Universities, gender policy, ICT Policy and Master Plans, and the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for ICT Training and Research at Makerere University, for the public Universities in Uganda.
As a result of this project, spin off projects have come up, such as: Netherlands Program for Institutional strengthening of Post secondary education and training capacity (NPT) project on 'Strengthening ICT Training and Research Capacity in the Four Public Universities in Uganda'; and NPT Project on 'Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of Uganda's Technical Colleges. All the project activities and objectives were completed including a boost in human resource of 5 new MSc and 5 PhD graduates.
Due to the excellent performance of this project it was deemed useful to design a follow-up project in such a way that the projects overlap. To this effect a proposal was written leading to Nuffic awarding the four Public Universities another NPT project on 'Strengthening ICT Training and Research Capacity in the Four Public Universities in Uganda'. The overall objective of the Project is to strengthen the Capacity of Makerere University Faculty of Computing the public about ICT issues and in return CIT provides IT support.
Besides, in 2008 CIT together with the Southern Faculty of Computing & Information Technology and IT, the Institute of Computer Science at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, the Departments of Computer Science at Kyambogo and Gulu Universities collaborated to develop, implement and manage relevant educational and research programs for poverty alleviation, rural and economic development. The lead institution in the South is Makerere University with Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Gulu University and Kyambogo University as partners; and the lead institution in the North is the University of Groningen with Radboud University Nijmegen (RUN) and Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) as the consortium partners.
The target group is University staff and students in the above institutions and ICT Policy makers. The project will be implemented from June 2008 - 2011 with a maximum Nuffic grant of €5.7 million. It is expected that at completion, the project will be worth €6.2 million.
More information is available at http://sida.mak.ac.ug/?p=919
Other Initiatives
Huawei Initiative to address the challenges for local content
As part of an ICT partnership between Makerere University and Huawei to boost ICT in the university, Huawei has sent 10 students and tutors for a one week specialized training in ICT at the Huawei Training Center in Nairobi in late June 2012. The programme they participated in included WCDMARAN System Overview, LTE Systems Overview and Transport Solution Training, IP Network Technologies and service Training and Mobile SoftSwitch Fundamental Training.
Microsoft Innovation Centre
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Microsoft have jointly launched the first Microsoft Innovation Centre in Uganda on 21 November 2011. Hosted at the College of Computing and Information Sciences at Makerere University , the Centre is an extension of the global Microsoft Innovation network and is designed to promote the development of innovation and growth of the Ugandan software economy. The facility will focus on skills development, aimed to educate local students to help improve their professional IT knowledge and gain real project experience before graduating. In collaboration with the Ugandan Government, National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) and Makerere University , the Centre will also help developers and IT professionals learn about the latest technologies, stimulate technology innovation and drive the local software economy to boost national competitiveness. In addition to that, it will provide assistance and resources to small and medium sized enterprises to create new and innovative products and services bring those products to the market and spur their business competitiveness. The new Microsoft Innovation Centre in Uganda will provide young entrepreneurs, students, developers and researchers in the local community access to expert information and high-tech equipment for testing and developing the latest technologies built on the Microsoft platform
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