Advancing knowledge in responsible digital technology (digitalization) for development is always at the core of ToroDev’s long standing work. Every year, we target, in collaboration with our partners, to prepare and publish articles, reports and other rigorous researches that generate knowledge from our program and project interventions. We place premium to knowledge that target to promote; urban development, health & well-being, education & skilling and economic and/or entrepreneurship development. Below are some of the peer reviewed published works for propagating practitioners’ and scholarly discourses, arising from our interventions over the recent years;
Authors: Johnstone Baguma, Dr. Edwin Akugizibwe, Prof. Moses Muhumuza
Abstract: The East African countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are part of Sub Sahara Africa, a region that has the lowest life expectancy in the world, largely due to inadequate health management. Other factors notwithstanding, health data governance is a vital part of a vibrant health management system of any jurisdiction. Data governance is key for proper health management. It implies creating an enabling environment for collecting and processing as much data as possible, and managing it in such a way that its access and usage by authorities and other stakeholders, forms the basis for key planning and decision making, while ensuring compliance with established data protection, security and privacy laws (Labhuram et al., 2021). To have a robust health data governance framework, policies, laws and regulations, must be well stipulated and widely published to all stakeholders. The perceptions and beliefs of the public and debates regarding management of health data are equally important. In this report, we explored the key policies, regulations and public perceptions underlying health data governance in the above three East African countries. We assessed how data usage is influencing decision making in health management. We found points of convergence and divergence in the policies, regulations and practices in health data governance in the three countries. We identified positive trends and made recommendations on how health data governance can be improved and relied upon to spur better healthy living in East Africa and other relatable communities.
Urban Data Governance in Uganda: Lessons from and for Newly Created Cities (Report – April 2023)
Authors: Johnstone Baguma & Moses Muhumuza, PhD
Abstract:
This is a report of a baseline study on urban data governance in Uganda’s new cities. The study was inspired by the fact that an estimation of 50% of Africa’s population is expected to live in urban centres and/or cities by 2030. Unfortunately, about 62% of those Africans currently living in cities lack quality essential services like water, health care, energy and housing (AfDB & Cities Alliance, 2022). However, a sizeable number of studies on data governance and management of sustainable data ecosystems in cities have revealed the potential of quality data to support the provision of the above quality and relevant services to city residents (Eke and Ebohon, 2020) Moreover, the UN-Habitat (2016) characterized Africa as the fastest urbanizing continent in the world – which is evident in Uganda with 5.2% annual urban growth. The government undertook ambitious steps of elevating fifteen (15) old municipalities into new cities, with ten (10) fully operational in July 2020. However, among others, there were planning gaps in the operationalization of these cities. Addressing these gaps requires quality data and evidence for planning and formulating policies which can enhance effective, sustainable and inclusive service delivery. The need to understand current data governance issues in the created cities prompted this baseline study by ODA in collaboration with Uganda’s national statistics office, UBOS, and the Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), which supervises the new cities.
“E-participation for Increased Citizens’ Engagement? A case from Uganda”. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29379/jedem.v11i1.542. Journal of eDemocracy & Open Government Vol. 11, No. 1 (2019)
Authors: Martin Nilsson, Dr. Sirkku Männikkö Barbutiu
Abstract: Implementation of an e-participation system in a low-income region with poor infrastructure, limited access to ICT and low awareness of civic rights and responsibilities, is challenging and requires thorough understanding of the contextual conditions and requirements. Present study provides a qualitative analysis of the implementation phase of an e-participation platform mapping the specific factors that play key roles in defining the access to and the use of the system by the citizens. Social and political context as well as the design and management of the platform are found to be the two crucial dimensions defining successful use of a platform.
“Applying Data to Increase Impact of HIV/AIDS Prevention for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda (2018)”. ToroDev, AidData – Global Research Institute, College of William & Mary, Virginia, USA.
Authors: Emilie Efronson, Jacob Sims, Stephen Mugabe, Abel Muzoora
Abstract: Uganda is home to an estimated 1.3 million people living with HIV, including 6.2 percent of adults aged 18-64. Adolescent girls and young women are affected disproportionately by the HIV/AIDS epidemic: HIV prevalence among this group is four times higher than their male counterparts.2 Without timely interventions and forward thinking policy, adolescent girls and young women in Uganda are at risk of being left behind. Ensuring a Uganda where these “girls develop into Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe women” is the goal of the DREAMS program, a multi billion-dollar partnership between a cross-cutting group of development partners, non-governmental organizations, and philanthropic foundations led by the U.S. Department of State. In 2016, the DREAMS partnership launched an Innovation Challenge (DREAMS-IC), managed by John Snow Inc. (JSI). As a component of DREAMS-IC, AidData, a research lab at William & Mary in the United States, collaborated with the Toro Development Network (ToroDev) in Uganda to address evidence gaps applying data to increase the impact of interventions for people living with HIV, particularly adolescent girls and young women.
“Baseline & Needs Assessment Report: On e-Participation for Good Governance Processes to Improve Public Services Delivery in Uganda and Kenya (2017)”. The Swedish Program on ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER), Department of Computer & Systems Sciences (DSV), Stockholm University.
Authors: Dr. Elly Amaani Gamukama, Dr. Ruth Nalumaga
Abstract: The desire to improve governance and accountability processes for better public service delivery Ugandan and Kenya using ICT4D tools inspired ToroDev’s organizational activities to conceptualized and conduct this study. ToroDev envisaged that a common electronic system could be utilized by citizens or right holders on one part, and leaders or duty-bears, on the other part to maximize public resources allocation for improved essential service delivery. Subsequently, the system, using common tools, would facilitate citizens’ interaction with leadership and public service provider agencies to enhance service delivery and consequently strengthen transparency – a key pillar of democratic governance. Communities would eventually be empowered to improve their knowledge, civic participation and ownership through identification of priority service delivery needs. As such ToroDev with financial support from SPIDER conducted a study that would provide the ground for implementation of this noble cause.
“The Power of ICT Towards Effective Decision Making on Public Resources Allocation: Case of Rural Areas of Uganda”. Communications in Computer and Information Science book series (CCIS, volume 674), Springer. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49700-6_26
Authors:
Abstract: Many researchers have talked about the role of e – participation as a means of linking Citizens with their Leaders and also playing roles in decision making processes on public resources allocation. However, little is known about models which can cater for citizens who are in rural areas where there are limited infrastructures and other factors like low education, culture, gender, marginalization etc. This paper describes an ICT System which uses Mobile Phone SMS to accelerate citizens – leaders’ democratic engagement to improve public service delivery. It builds on the Participatory Action Research (PAR) theoretical framework and aims at operationalizing the PAR e-participation model proposed by Toro Development Network in 2014. The system design develops knowledge required for joint reflection and continuous decision making during the engagement processes between citizens (civil society) and government through a participatory action research approach. The paper emphasizes the ICT convergence approach combining broadcast media specifically radio, mobile phone and ICT system to receive and request grass-roots citizens’ public opinion on national strategies, policies and programs.
“Advancing ICT4Governance in Eastern Africa: The Case of Me & My Leader (MML) e-Participation System Design (2016)”. DOI: 10.1109/CeDEM.2016.25
Authors: Johnstone Baguma, Charles Karemera, Florence Njeri Githinji
Abstract: This paper describes a Mobile SMS-Online-Radio e-participation system designed to accelerate citizens-leaders democratic engagement to improve public service delivery in the Eastern Africa region. It builds on the participatory action research (PAR) theoretical framework and aims to operationalize the PAR e-participation model previously proposed by Toro Development Network (ToroDev) at the end of 2014. The system design develops knowledge required for joint reflection and continuous decision making during the engagement processes between citizens (civil society) and government through a participatory action research approach. The paper emphasizes the ICT convergence approach that combines broadcast media, specifically Radio, mobile phone and online or internet technologies to receive and request grassroots public opinion on national strategies, policies and programs.
“Is there hope in ICTs for Africa? Developing an e-Participation model to improve the status of public service delivery in Uganda (2015)”. Conference for E-Democracy and Open Government, Danube University Krems, Austria
Authors: Johnstone Baguma
Abstract: With ever increasing global proliferation of ICTs, there is urgent need for every e-participation model invented to carefully reconcile its interactions with human intuition – a key pre-requite for sustainable engagement and decision making. This paper describes and analyzes an ICT supported model for citizens’ e-participation to influence improved status of government service delivery in Uganda. The model develops knowledge required for joint reflection and continuous decision making during the engagement processes between citizens (civil society) and government through a participatory action research approach. The paper studies ToroDev’s work with the Tracfm online application that interacts with broadcast media and mobile technology to obtain grassroot public opinion on national strategies, policies and programs, publishes the results of this feedback through online and broadcast media services for response and action from government agencies and political leaders. The model is compared with other well-known e-participation approaches globally to track their conformity with human intuition interaction.
“Citizens’ Advocacy for Public Accountability & Democratic Engagement through ICT Convergence in Eastern Africa”. Conference on eDemocracy & Open Government, Danube University Krems, Austria (2014)
Authors: Johnstone Baguma
Abstract: This paper aims at contributing to the concept of [electronic] e-participation by exploring empirical relevance of the ICT Convergence approach to promoting citizens’ democratic advocacy in the developing world context. It presents an analysis conducted on ToroDev’s ICT convergence approach for democratic engagement in western Uganda. It describes how simple, affordable, and cost effective ICT tools are used to mobilize, activate the intuitiveness, assertiveness and facilitate local citizens’ participation in good governance processes. ICT tools have strengthened offline citizens’ gatherings to deliberate on good governance issues through advocacy forum platforms. As a result, essential service delivery is improved at the grassroots level. The paper also relates ToroDev’s approach to other initiatives in the Eastern Africa and discusses challenges and potentiality of the approach in empowering local citizens to democratically air out their views, monitor and participate in planning, budgeting for improved service delivery together with leaders on a larger scale.
