Information Use in Uganda Information flow and use at different levels of government in Uganda on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

Problem The Uganda national government has a policy towards total sanitation At lower levels of government, priorities are different Information from national level does not reach/is not used by lower levels Why not?

The Uganda national government has a policy towards total sanitation

At lower levels of government, priorities are different

Information from national level does not reach/is not used by lower levels

Why not?

Research Five-month visit to Uganda Interviews with stakeholders at national, district, and sub-county level Find out about flow of information (who receives what) use of information (is something done with it?) reasons (why do people do what they do?)

Five-month visit to Uganda

Interviews with stakeholders at national, district, and sub-county level

Find out about

flow of information (who receives what)

use of information (is something done with it?)

reasons (why do people do what they do?)

Flow of Information Flow of information: check documents from national level down to district level: 6-8 out of 8 docs to sub-county level: 4-6 out of 7 docs to communities: perceived as problematic So, the more decentralized, the more problematic the flow of information (Internet access only national/district level, mainly e-mail)

Flow of information: check documents from national level down

to district level: 6-8 out of 8 docs

to sub-county level: 4-6 out of 7 docs

to communities: perceived as problematic

So, the more decentralized, the more problematic the flow of information

(Internet access only national/district level, mainly e-mail)

Use of Information At all levels: use of received information is low, with a few exceptions handbooks/manuals are used more than policy documents

At all levels: use of received information is low, with a few exceptions

handbooks/manuals are used more than policy documents

Reasons Poor appreciation of sanitation Water Dept.: prefer hardware (pumps) Health Dept.: prefer curative health (hospitals) Poor appreciation of information No incentives to share knowledge No incentives to improve practices No reading culture No monitoring or follow up

Poor appreciation of sanitation

Water Dept.: prefer hardware (pumps)

Health Dept.: prefer curative health (hospitals)

Poor appreciation of information

No incentives to share knowledge

No incentives to improve practices

No reading culture

No monitoring or follow up

Discussion Do you recognize these problems and the reasons? What motivates you to share knowledge or to use information? Could improved Internet access play a role in improving the situation in Uganda?

Do you recognize these problems and the reasons?

What motivates you to share knowledge or to use information?

Could improved Internet access play a role in improving the situation in Uganda?