Uganda Chapter

Contact:

CPSR Uganda Chapter
P. O. Box 2618
Kampala, Uganda

Mob +256-77-458010
Fax +256-41-220174
email wobusobozi@yahoo.co.uk

STRATEGY

An evolving work plan

Facilitate IT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Preamble

Information Technology (IT) is the bedrock for national survival and development in a rapidly changing global environment, and challenges us to devise bold and courageous initiatives to address a host of vital socio-economic issues relating to the proper application of computing.

While government and the private sector face challenges such as provision of reliable infrastructure, skilled human resources, open government and other essential issues of capacity building, CPSR-Uganda comes in timely to facilitate the proper application of IT. In addition, an Information Technology strategy built on "reliable" human resources and infrastructure constitutes the fundamental tool and means of assessing, planning, managing development change and for achieving sustainable growth.

It is for this reason that CPSR-Uganda Chapter has prepared this strategy paper to respond to the emerging global reality and thus avert becoming a victim of misuse and misapplication.

A developing nation like Uganda, that aspires to participate effectively and become a key player in the emerging Information Age needs to have in place, a highly efficient Information Technology monitoring and evaluation system.

Vision Statement

Mission Statement

To "facilitate" responsible use of IT for Education, Wealth creation, Poverty Eradication, Creation of Jobs, and Competitiveness in the global context.

CPSR is a public-interest alliance of computer scientists and others concerned about the impact of computer technology on society. We work to influence decisions regarding the development and use of computers because those decisions have far-reaching consequences and reflect our basic values and priorities.

CPSR members provide the public and policymakers with realistic assessments of the power, promise, and limitations of computer technology. As concerned citizens, we direct public attention to critical choices concerning the applications of computing and how those choices affect society.

CPSR Uganda Chapter is to explore the impact and social issues of computers and computing, to serve as a clearing-house for information regarding computers and computing, and to advocate for proper use of computers and computing.

We believe that public communication and information systems are critical to the maintenance of democratic societies now and are likely to be increasingly so in the future.

We are interested in exploring issues of information technology as it relates to our community, through public forums, neighbourhood networking, and coalition building with other public interest groups.

We also believe that other community core values such as cultural identity, economic development, health, and education can be well served through well-designed public systems. At the same time we believe that world-citizens acting through public interest groups can help these achieve their inherent potential.

General Objectives

1. To ensure that the Uganda community is socially responsible in her use of Information Technology resources and that IT is readily available to promote efficient national development.
2. To ensure that the country benefits maximally, and contributes meaningfully by providing global solutions to the challenges of the Information Age.
3. To empower Ugandans to participate responsibly in software and IT development.
4. To improve accountability to the public for all IT users, bringing transparency to software and hardware development processes.
5. To assist the improvement of judicial procedures and enhance the dispensation of justice.
6. To enhance social and political planning mechanisms and forecasting for the development of the nation.
7. To enhance the effectiveness of environmental monitoring and control systems.
8. To empower children, women and the disabled by providing special programs for the acquisition of IT skills.
9. To empower the youth with IT skills and prepare them for global competitiveness.
10. To participate in the integration of IT into the mainstream of education and training.
11. To create IT awareness and ensure universal access to vital information in order to promote IT diffusion in all sectors of our national life.
12. To create an empowering and enabling environment that will facilitate confidence in IT investment effort.
13. To encourage government and private sector joint venture collaboration and strategy ownership.
14. To enhance national security and law enforcement through IT solutions.
15. To endeavour to bring the defence and law enforcement agencies in line with accepted best practices in the national interest.
16. To promote socially responsible legislation (Bills & Acts) for the protection of on-line, business transactions, privacy and security.
17. To encourage establishment of new and socially responsible multifaceted IT institutions as centres of excellence to ensure Uganda's competitiveness in international markets.
18. To support the development of human capital with emphasis on creating an ethical knowledge-based society.
19. To influence the setting up of advisory standards for education, working practices and industry.
20. To establish appropriate institutional framework to achieve the goals stated above.

CORE VALUES

Every project we undertake is based on five principles:

1. We foster and support public discussion of, and public responsibility for decisions involving the use of computers in systems critical to society.
2. We work to dispel popular myths about the infallibility of technological systems.
3. We challenge the assumption that technology alone can solve political and social problems.
4. We critically examine social and technical issues within the computer profession, both nationally and internationally.
5. We encourage the use of information technology to improve the quality of life.

CPSR is a democratically organised membership organisation. Our accomplishments result from the active involvement of our members, supported by the CPSR staff, various organisations and professionals across the country.

SPECIFIC STRATEGIES

1. Encouraging massive IT skills acquisitions through training in the public and private sectors within local communities.
2. Influence the establishment of an institutional IT framework at the national, district, and local council levels in order to effectively accomplish the objectives of socially responsible IT vision and mission.
3. Establishing national IT awareness machinery at all levels of government and encouraging private sector participation in exposing Ugandans to the features and benefits of IT.
4. Strengthening collaboration for the attainment of national self-reliance, accountability and integrity.
5. Facilitate utilisation of IT facilities to develop and transform the entertainment industry for responsible wealth and job creation.
6. Establishing appropriate mechanisms to accelerate and enhance reliable trade and commerce transactions.
7. Influence and participate in the creation of national database management systems as tools for effective planning & communication between citizens at home and abroad.
8. Influence and participate in the establishment of national databases and other IT infrastructure to enhance defence and law enforcement.
9. Influence the enacting of Bills & Acts to stimulate and protect the rights of users and developers including intellectual property rights.
10. Bringing the government to the doorsteps of people by creating virtual forum and facilities to strengthen accessibility to government information and facilitating interaction between the governed and government leading to transparency, accountability and the strengthening of democracy.
11. Facilitate the utilisation of IT opportunities to restructure systems, citizens and business interfaces for better governance, improved trade and commerce and administrative effectiveness.

In order to achieve the objectives of this strategy with maximum effectiveness, CPSR-Uganda Chapter will encourage establishment of Working Groups focussing on various issues relating to IT development and application.

CPSR-Uganda recognises IT as a strategic imperative for national development.