Policy on Information Systems and Services for Uganda: Suggested Formulation and Plans for Implementations.

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Date

1992-07

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

An attempt has been made in this study to examine the problems of information development and information and development in uqanda. Uqanda has potential for socio-economic development. Transport and communication are r easonably veIl developed. Information communication is however, still a problem. There is no sinqle national lanquaqe used in all parts of the oountry. Bnqlish, the offioial lanquaqe, has not spread adequately to serve as a oommon lIedium of }t ,~ " communioation. The present eoonomio infrastructure cannot support national free and compulsory basic education to eradicate illiteracy. Information activities in the oountry are weak. :Information seekinq and use behaviour has not evolved to oonstitute a hiqh demand for information. Access to technical and specialized information is still limited to a small section of the society I the educated and elite vorkinq and livinq in towns. Almost all lIedia infrastructures and other supportinq infrastructures are urban based. The available media servioes are not adequately servinq the rural people who oonstitute more about 90% of the population of Uqanda.Institutions in the rural areas cannot buy and maintain information dissemination equipment and materials due to poverty and illiteracy. Multiplicity of languaqes al so limits media services. Information as an overall resouroe for national development needs t o be properly coordinated. There is need to ooordinate information qeneratinq and disseminatinq i nfrastruotures in the oountry. Application of information to national development should be done consoi ously and deliberately not aocidentally or haphazardly. I nformatics vill not make an impaot on national and information resouroe sharinq in suppor t of development vi thout a national i nformation ooordination and olear a policy on information. without proper coordination and applications of information, involvinq into information aotivities miqht prove a liability, exposinq the nation to unoheoked exploitation. Proper coordination requires well trained and competent information personnel. Information policy issues and their implications are discussed. policy statements relatinq to information systems and services, and their implementation steps have been suqqested. Finally, some short and lonq term recommendations in the view of information infrastructure development in Uqanda to support national development have been made.

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Keywords

Policy on Information Systems

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