Business information systems design for Uganda's economic development: the case of SMES in northern Uganda

This study was conducted on the premise that if quality business information is provided to business enterprises, socio-economic transformation could be achieved. The study emanated from the documented problem where business enterprises in northern Uganda were found to depend on "word of mouth" rather than any meaningful formal mechanism for accessing information efficiently. The aim of the study was, therefore, to design an information system for northern Uganda business enterprises. The study makes use of document analysis, questionnaires and interviews. The Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs), information providers and business policy-makers in northern Uganda constituted the population of the study. The data which was collected was edited and analysed to produce graphs, charts and percentages. The main findings indicate that business activities in northern Uganda are diverse - covering almost the entire sector of the economy. The SMEs need information on finance/capital/loans, local markets, business management skills, appropriate technologies, business competitors and security. They are lagging behind in using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). There is a lack of familiarity with changing technology - especially the Internet. Although the SMEs are making a fundamental contribution to Uganda's economy, they face serious challenges, such as insecurity, inadequate electricity, lack of trained information professionals and appropriate technology to access electronic information. The findings further indicate that respondents want business information to be selective to address their needs. The study concludes that the SMEs need an efficient, effective mechanism to provide the required business information. Hence, it is recommended that a business information system (BIS) design be implemented to address their needs. The BIS should provide business information in terms of legal, technical and economic information as well as contact information and management skills. Information should be processed by means of radio broadcasts, the telephone, short text messages, posters, online and CD-ROM formats - as required by the SMEs managers. To facilitate access, BIS should have telephone services; Internet-based services; online small business workshops; business start up assistant; and Talk to BIS services. BIS should have a flexible interface.INFORMATION SCIENCEDLITT ET PHIL (INF SCIENCE

Improving information use by SMEs in Northern Uganda through information and communication technologies (ICTs)

Uganda's economy has great potential. Endowed with significant natural resources, including ample fertile land, regular rainfall, and mineral deposits, it appeared poised for rapid economic growth and development at independence. However, chronic political instability and erratic economic management produced a record of persistent economic decline that left Uganda among the world's poorest and least-developed countries (United States, Bureau of African Affairs 2007). Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have an important role in uplifting the economic standards of the majority of poor people because such enterprises involve little financial investment but much time and effort. The success of SMEs requires investment and use of ICTs, especially the internet, which has become a vital platform for both business information and transactions. Based on the above premise, a study was conducted to establish the ICTs application by SMEs in business transactions in northern Uganda. Using a quantitative descriptive survey design, the study solicited the views of SME managers, information providers and business policy makers in northern Uganda. Both questionnaires and interviews were used as data collection instruments. The aim was to obtain data regarding the ICTs used for business operations, usefulness of different ICTs for business operations, the ICT skills of SMEs business managers, ICTs utilisation for business information access and problems faced in internet utilisation for business and information transactions. This paper reports some of the interesting findings on ICTs utilisation especially the internet in this disadvantaged region of Uganda. Mainly is the fact that SMEs in northern Uganda are lagging behind the trend of applying ICTs to access, use and share pertinent business information. As such they are disadvantage in the current world of e-commerce and web presence. A number of problems that hinder fast-tracking these enterprises into mainstream ICT usage need to be urgently attended to. The study recommends the establishment of integrated ICTs based business information provision strategy that should include: telephone text services, client's based services, interactive business planner, online small business workshops, e-mail services and Talk to Business Information Systems services.Information Scienc

Financial Inclusion and the Growth of Small Medium Enterprises in Uganda: Empirical Evidence from Selected Districts in Lango sub-region

The growth and failure of small and medium enterprises has been a topic of discussions world over among policymakers and researchers. This study was guided by the following objectives: to examine the contributions of small medium enterprises (SMEs), to determine the challenges affecting small medium enterprises, to examine how financial inclusiveness supports the growth of small medium enterprises, and to establish the relationship between financial inclusion and growth of small medium enterprises. The study used a cross-sectional research design. Descriptive design was used and supplemented by inferential statistics. Correlation and regression analysis were adopted. The study revealed that financial inclusion is significant in supporting SME growth. The study further also revealed that the cost of acquiring and servicing financial services is high; there is also difficulty in using some of the financial services, and the way financial providers treat financial users, some lacked some degree of respect and dignity. The study recommends that financial providers should continue sensitizing the public on the available financial services beyond credit services, which are common and known. Digital financial service providers should encourage their clientele to use digitalized financial services which are cheap, secure, and risk averse. The cost of capital should also be reduced to encourage borrowing while SMEs should innovatively produce goods that can be competitive at both domestic and international markets

Information and Communication Technology Adoption and the Growth of Small Medium Enterprises in Uganda: Empirical Evidence from Kampala City Council Authority

The study used cross sectional study design and data were collected from business owners operating within the divisions of Kampala Capital City Authority. The study found out that the level of ICT adoption in Kampala Capital City Authority was moderate. ICT adoption was mostly marked with establishment of separate IT department, use of bulk SMS, printers, scanners and photocopiers. Specialized ICT skills, regular updates and outsourcing of ICT functions appeared to be a key challenge business face in ICT adoption. The findings however, indicated that growth of SMEs is a conglomeration, of which adoption of ICT is a microcosm. The study recommends that Government of Uganda through Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation and Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development should consider promoting ICT business growth by sponsoring business software development, and distributing the same at subsidized costs. Training institutions should strengthen the ICT training programs by aligning them to the required job demands as dictated in the field of business. Government should also promote the application and adoption of ICT e-business by slashing the exorbitant taxes charged on the use of these products. Government should stimulate entrepreneurship development training to curb the shortfalls in staff competence, individual job creation and profitability skills

Records and Archives Legal and Policy Frameworks in Uganda

Records and archival materials are the indispensable foundation of the accountability process in any democratic society. Without reliable and authentic documentary evidence underpinning all essential accountability processes, government, civil society and the private sector cannot ensure transparency, guarantee accountability or allow for the exercising of good governance (Schenkelaars and Ahmad 2004). However, the management of these records and archives cannot be practically achieved without proper legislative backings. As noted by Chibambo (2003), a good records management framework consists of information-related laws, policies and programmes, records management standards and practices, and the necessary qualified human resources to implement and manage the systems. Unfortunately, many countries in developing countries have either weak laws or inactive legislative provisions to promote good records, information and archives management. Secondly, not much effort have been made to engage legal and policy makers on the need and value of functional legal and policy provisions for records and archives management. This study based on literature review makes analysis of the existing legal and policy frameworks that support the management of records and archives in Uganda. The weaknesses in the legal and policy frameworks are highlighted. The paper concludes by proposing viable legislative provisions that will help generate debates among LIS professionals, government and legislators especially in developing countries and Uganda in particular

Documenting Agricultural Indigenous Knowledge and provision of access through Online Database platform

The basic component of any country’s agricultural knowledge system is its agricultural indigenous knowledge (AIK). It encompasses the skills, experiences and insights of people, applied to maintain or improve their livelihood. Regrettably, today, many AIK systems are at risk of becoming extinct because of rapidly changing natural environments and fast pacing economic, political, and cultural changes on a global scale. Practices vanish if not documented and this curtails knowledge growth. Sometimes, many AIK practices disappear only because of the intrusion of foreign technologies that promise short-term gains or solutions. The tragedy of the impending disappearance of AIK is most obvious to those who have developed it and make a living through it. But the implication for others can be detrimental as well, when skills, technologies, artifacts, problem solving strategies and expertise are lost. Because of the worry for the extinction of AIK, this study was instituted to document AIK among rural communities in three districts in Uganda and design an online platform for accessibility. Six graduate students from Agriculture and Information Science were trained as research assistants and later paired up for data collection in each of the three districts. To ensure accuracy in data collection, the researchers visited the research assistants in the field. Data were validated by organizing a workshop with farmers in one of the participating districts. After the analysis of the data, an online data-base that captures and distributes AIK was developed (http://agshare-ik.mak.ac.ug/). This approach is considered important because unless efforts are made to capture oral/indigenous community based AIK the region runs the risk of losing this undocumented expertise and cultural idiosyncrasies as western methods are increasingly adopted

ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF EAST AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS WEBSITES AND SUPPORT TO SMEs IN BUSINESS INFORMATION PROVISION

The electronic presence globally through the Internet has revolutionized the way businesses are conducted and managed. To expand the markets and improve on productivity, the global appearance is vital today. This is not only making many business entities to create websites but also governments world over to rethink on their e-global visibility. This study based on desk research approach to data collection with guided observation and assessment guides assessed the quality of the websites of East African Government Ministries responsible for trade, the provision of Review business information to SMEs through East African Ministries of Trade websites and recommends appropriate measures to be adopted for the design of quality websites and effective business information provision through Government websites. The findings indicate a relatively good compliance to standard parameters of website development but poor provision of business information to SMEs using website. It recommends among others the need for Governments of East African Countries to make the necessary efforts to gather and synthesize the needed business information by SMEs and put it on the websites

WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES APPLICATION IN TEACHING AND LEARNING BY MAKERERE UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC STAFF

The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has become a general trend in virtually all professions including the academia. Professionals in the academia are adopting ICTs with a view of offering the services that they have traditionally provided without these technologies so as to attain their strategic academic objectives. Since 2004, the Makerere University has taken up ICTs as a strategic enabler to fulfill the Makerere University’s strategic objectives (Makerere University, 2014). One of the key features of this movement was the adoption of Internet in academic and administrative work of the University. It should be noted that Internet has evolved since then to the advent of Web 2.0 and social software. This paper therefore assesses the adoption of Web 2.0 and social software in the teaching and learning in Makerere University. It findings give the overall adoption picture of web 2.0 technologies in teaching and learning in Makerere University. It notes minimal utilization of web 2.0 technologies in teaching and learning hence requiring strong institutional intervention both at operational and policy levels

Reforms at Makerere University in Uganda: implications for information science with a focus on records and archives management education in the digital era

The global reforms are a reality today. This has not spared education sector and specifically higher education institutions (HEIs). In order to stay afloat, relevant and operate efficiently within the ever dwindling support from governments, universities and colleges are making significant reforms. One of the reforms is the transformation into colleges. The question is: how are these reforms impacting on the operation and training of different professional programmes, especially Information Science and Records Management in the digital era? This article using literature/document analysis and experience of the author explores the reforms in Makerere University with a focus on information science, records and archives management (ISRAM) Education and Training. It highlights the genesis, the strengths of the reforms, weaknesses and makes recommendations that are expected to generate discussions among the LIS professionals

To what extent have ICTs contributed to e-Governance in Uganda?

Abstract Information and communication technologies (ICTs) continue to receive unprecedented attention because of their pervasive influence on society. One such sphere of influence is their role in empowering the citizenry in tackling the fundamental facets of governance which, according to the World Bank, include: graft, rule of law, government effectiveness, voice and accountability, political instability and violence, and regulatory burden – a role giving rise to the concept of e-Governance. Uganda has variously attempted to promote e-Governance; huge sums of financial resources and other factor inputs have been sunk in ICT initiatives. The question which arises is, to what extent has the objective (e-Governance) been achieved; what are the gaps and setbacks, if any? Based on literature review, this paper attempts to answer these questions