United Nations Regional Workshop on Data Dissemination and Communication

1. United Nations Regional Workshop on Data Dissemination and Communication THE 21ST CENTURY DATA DISSEMINATION PARADIGM – AN AFRICAN PARADOX; THE CASE OF UGANDA. 9TH SEPTEMBER 2013 Godfrey G. Nabongo – Uganda Bureau of Statistics

2. CONTENTS • Introduction • Data Dissemination • The Dissemination paradigm • The Emerging trends • The Operating Environment • African Dilemma • Uganda’s Case • Challenges – the paradox • Recommendations • Conclusion Uganda Bureau of Statistics <> Plot 9 Colville Street , Kampala, Uganda<> Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 <> E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

3. INTRODUCTION UBOS is a semi- Autonomous Agency of government whose mandate is the Production, Coordination and Dissemination of socio-economic statistics; and is responsible for Coordinating, Monitoring and Supervising the NSS. Uganda Bureau of Statistics <> Plot 9 Colville Street , Kampala, Uganda<> Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 <> E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

4. DATA DISSEMINATION It has to do with: • spreading, • scattering, • circulation, • dispersion, • diffusing, • rolling-out, • storage and • transfer of data. Uganda Bureau of Statistics <> Plot 9 Colville Street , Kampala, Uganda<> Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 <> E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

5. DATA DISSEMINATION PARADIGM • identification of user and customer groups • Central Government • Local Governments • NGOs, Private Sector and Civil Society • Educational institutions and public libraries • Research institutions • The General public • Media • Establishment of Databases • Development of dissemination systems • Development of metadata Uganda Bureau of Statistics <> Plot 9 Colville Street , Kampala, Uganda<> Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 <> E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

6. EMERGING TRENDS • Different service concepts for different user groups • Better services in line with the service concepts • Increased use of visualisation and GIS • Customisation of the data • Making data access systems easy, understandable and user friendly • Marketing the data and related services & how to get them - efficiently and systematically • Necessity for metadata and data production methodology November 3,2010 Uganda Bureau of Statistics ¤ Plot 9 Colville Street, Kampala Uganda ¤ Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 ¤ E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

7. DATA OPERATING TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT Fast changing and high level IT options Social Media Mobile Devices New Information Access Culture All information, any place Information explosion – Grey data Digital populations All generations (builders, baby boomers, X, Y) Uganda Bureau of Statistics ¤ Plot 9 Colville Street, Kampala Uganda ¤ Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 ¤ E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

8. THE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA DILEMMA Legal environment - Weak, obscure and/or missing Information policy, IT policy Technological imbalances/ Apparent digital divide Low computer penetration – social surfing/ email High mobile phone penetration – basically text and voice Cultural impediments and social diversity Poor reading/research culture Low statistical literacy/ numeric averse Relatively low education levels Multiple Ethnicity/ multitude of languages Chronic dependency on finished products Survey/census reports not data (spoon feeding) Weak economic base Low prioritisation of investment in data infrastructure & Initiatives Uganda Bureau of Statistics <> Plot 9 Colville Street , Kampala, Uganda<> Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 <> E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

9. UGANDA’S CASE Ugandainfo Data & indicators from: Censuses, Surveys and routine administrative sources on: Agriculture, Health, Education, Energy, Water, Housing, Gender, Revenue, Finance, Immigration etc www.ubos.org Other information – Governance, UBOS products: Reports, Indicators, etc Country STAT Data on Food and Agriculture Uganda Bureau of Statistics ¤ Plot 9 Colville Street, Kampala Uganda ¤ Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 ¤ E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

10. UGANDA’s CASE Contd • Press Releases for Regular Indicators • Dissemination Workshops for Survey releases • Distribution of hard copy publications, CDs and email (mailing list) • Enhancing the LRC (under Communication and PR) capacity to handle data dissemination • Partnerships with Libraries/Resource Centres • Database dissemination partnerships (eg IPMUS, Google) • UNSD-DFID Data compilation & Dissemination project (to improve dissemination of development indicators through a central point with corresponding metadata) Uganda Bureau of Statistics ¤ Plot 9 Colville Street, Kampala Uganda ¤ Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 ¤ E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

11. UGANDA CASE Contd Achievements • Constituted a functional MDG sub committee. • Updated MDG database and identified missing indicators. • Developed an MDG data development Strategy. • Enhanced capacity of MDG focal points in generating • metadata, production and management of MDG database. • Matched all MDG indicators with relevant data sources to address their sustainability. Uganda Bureau of Statistics ¤ Plot 9 Colville Street, Kampala Uganda ¤ Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 ¤ E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

12. UGANDA CASE Contd Lessons • Effectiveness of developing and sustaining the MDG database depends on coordination, cooperation and collaboration of key players. • SDMX exchange must be supported by a reasonable internet connectivity. • Efforts underway to operationalise the National Statistical Data Bank concept to address the data quality, central data repository and exchange in the NSS. • Support from the top leadership of the NSO is key. • The incentive for the dissemination platform is key for continuous buy in of the respective MDAs. Uganda Bureau of Statistics ¤ Plot 9 Colville Street, Kampala Uganda ¤ Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 ¤ E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

13. CHALLENGES • Many dissemination systems on offer BUT not promoted outside NSOs • Data dissemination systems often not indigenous – short lived, face support challenges • Inadequate metadata • Few local database users – Often remote/ no feedback • Increasing information requests as opposed to data requests • Challenges of Pricing data and related services • Alternative Data sources on the internet (? Credible) Uganda Bureau of Statistics <> Plot 9 Colville Street , Kampala, Uganda<> Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 <> E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

14. THE PARADOX • More effort be put into data dissemination systems • The shift to paperless dissemination • Multiple data dissemination tools • Difference in key target audiences viz their abilities • Less direct local access to data • Weak/poor data access and management infrastructure • Low user capacity to access and manage data into desired forms • Increasing information demand / user friendly formats • Translations • Visualisations • Spartial analysis Uganda Bureau of Statistics ¤ Plot 9 Colville Street, Kampala Uganda ¤ Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 ¤ E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

15. RECOMMENDATIONS • More work to be done in disseminating and reaching the local stakeholders effectively • Increased communication effort required Uganda Bureau of Statistics <> Plot 9 Colville Street , Kampala, Uganda<> Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 <> E-mail: ubos@ubos.org

16. THANK YOU! Uganda Bureau of Statistics <> Plot 9 Colville Street , Kampala, Uganda<> Website: www.ubos.org Tel: +256(0)-41-4706000 <> E-mail: ubos@ubos.org