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Digitalizing Monitoring of National Development Plans: A Case Study from Uganda

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Implications of Information and Digital Technologies for Development (ICT4D 2024)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 708))

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Abstract

Development planning is key to the attainment of global and national goals, especially in low- and middle-income countries where diverse sectors leverage each other’s capacities to maximize limited resources. In this paper, we discuss approaches to digitalizing monitoring of national development plans in Uganda along a two-phase timeline where the first attempt to build a system failed while the second achieved relative success. The cross-sectoral dimension in our case adds to an already challenging situation where monitoring is challenged by duplicated data collection, poor data quality, inadequate technological infrastructures, and limited skills in most of the sectors. The empirical material is obtained from our work with a public organization in Uganda following the building and implementation of a monitoring system for national development plans and related challenges in its digitalization process. Our findings highlight variations in implementation approaches based on how user needs are coordinated and the installed base is cultivated. We posit that achieving national information infrastructures for cross-sector planning not only requires cultivation of the installed base to address emerging user needs but also effectively addresses challenges related to adaptability in a cross-sector setting. The study contributes by providing evidence of information infrastructures constructs especially from low-resource setting countries and the context of truly heterogeneous sectors.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.mn.uio.no/hisp/english/

  2. 2.

    http://www.npa.go.ug/development-plans/national-development-plan-ndp/

  3. 3.

    https://www.kwantu.net/portal/kwantu

  4. 4.

    https://www.mn.uio.no/hisp/english/

  5. 5.

    https://community.dhis2.org/

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oslo, 0313, Oslo, Norway

    Eric Munyambabazi, Abyot Gizaw, Petter Nielsen & Johan Sæbø

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  1. Eric Munyambabazi
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  2. Abyot Gizaw
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  3. Petter Nielsen
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  4. Johan Sæbø
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Correspondence to Eric Munyambabazi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Wallace Chigona

  2. University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Salah Kabanda

  3. University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Lisa F. Seymour

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The authors affirm no competing interests in this research paper. The funders for both the project and the research material are different and there are no relationships that could influence the research's objectivity or validity. All authors have approved the final manuscript and take responsibility for its content.

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Munyambabazi, E., Gizaw, A., Nielsen, P., Sæbø, J. (2024). Digitalizing Monitoring of National Development Plans: A Case Study from Uganda. In: Chigona, W., Kabanda, S., Seymour, L.F. (eds) Implications of Information and Digital Technologies for Development. ICT4D 2024. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 708. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66982-8_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66982-8_3

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