INFORMATION FLOW MANAGEMENT AND NETWORKING (IFMN) PROJECT

Background

In November, 2000, MTTI and International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) organized an ICT roundtable in Jinja - Uganda, where all stakeholders agreed to the fact that the poor information flow within the sector was a hindrance to its development and indeed may have a negative effect upon the alleviation of poverty which is one of the most important objectives of the Ministry. The roundtable agreed therefore that a project (Information Flow Management and Networking (IFMN) , among the many identified, be formulated and implemented to address this weakness as one of the ways to stimulate development in the sector.

The Information Flow Management and Networking (IFMN) Project The Information Flow Management and Networking (IFMN) project falls under the Resource Center of MTTI. Its activities cover the five departments within the ministry. It was formulated to improve information flow within the Ministry departments i.e. Tourism, Wildlife, Trade, Cooperatives, Industry and Technology as well as between the ministry and its affiliated institutions e.g. Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB), Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), Uganda Tourist Board (UTB), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC), Management Training and Advisory Center (MTAC), Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and some others.

Funding

IFMN project was a result of negotiations between stakeholders in the MTTI and International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD). The Government of Uganda and IICD are the official sponsors of the pilot project. The major objective of IICD is to bridge the development gap (by exploring ways of using ICT) between countries of the "North" and those of the "South".

Objectives

• Improve the livelihoods of the Ugandan people by improving information flow within and between departments of MTTI, and between MTTI and its affiliated organizations.



• To put in place online communication channels between the policy makers and the consumers of the MTTI services.



• To make it possible for beneficiaries to access information from MTTI whenever they want it by facilitating the activities of the Resource Center.



• To train MTTI staff in use of modern ICT in their day to day operations.



• Generate electronic databases that will be regularly updated so as to provide up-to-date information to the beneficiaries.



• Recommend a suitable mechanism that will ensure continuous use of the established communication system.

Purpose

• To facilitate improving of core competencies within MTTI through capacity development activities



• To ensure that sharing of information within the ministry and between MTTI and its affiliated institutions is made easier.



• To ensure that MTTI is able to meet the needs of its constituents who themselves are operating in the increasingly digitalized and globalized operating environments and whom an email or access to the internet could make a difference between an opportunity gained and opportunity lost.

Project Activities

The major activities of the project include the following:

• Over the last one year, training in the use of ICTs has been provided to MTTI staff. Currently, there is a Capacity Development plan for the year 2005, from which MTTI staff shall benefit. Invitations have also been sent to affiliated organizations to benefit from that training.



• A centralized documents database has been developed. It will be accessible on the ministry LAN, and the future plan is that the affiliated organizations will be able to access it as well.



• A website for the ministry was developed and can be accessed at www.mtti.go.ug It is currently being reviewed for improvement.



• Resource center/Project Office: The project enabled setting up of a resource center office at the ministry, and facilitated its furnishing. The resource center shall be used for capacity development activities. There is a Project Information Team (PIT) comprising of one desk officer from each Department. The PIT members have been trained at different training centers like Kyambogo, Rank Consult, Technobrain at Metropole House - Entebbe Road. Capacity development both within and without will be done throughout the year.



• Give support in the formulation of the ICT policy for the ministry.

Target group

• Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry (MTTI)



• Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS)



• Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI)



• Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)



• Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB)



• Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC)



• Management Training and Advisory Centre (MTAC)



• Private Sector Organisations.

Expected results

• MTTI staff will be able produce timely results.



• The system is expected to cause a reduction in paper work within the MTTI premises.



• It will call for all employees to acquire ICT skills so as to be able to use the modern technology so introduced.



• It will narrow the communication gap between the executives and the subordinates.



• The system is expected to save time that would otherwise be wasted in meetings to discuss issues, which issues would now be posted on the ministry intranet.



• MTTI affiliated institutions will have "extranet" login to directly access a variety of information without necessarily going physically to the ministry.


• Implementation of the ICT policy.