The document discusses a radio content analysis application developed in Uganda to analyze discussions on public radio to better understand community concerns and feedback on issues like health and education services. The application uses speech recognition software to identify keywords in broadcasts and provides qualitative and quantitative insights to help policymakers identify gaps and modify programs. It was tested across several regions of Uganda and aims to scale up to provide near real-time feedback to improve public services.

1. RADIO CONTENT ANALYSIS
APPLICATION FOR
IMPROVING PUBLIC SERVICE
DELIVERY IN UGANDA
Radio is a device commonly used to share information in Uganda. Even though not everyone has access to the
Internet or a smartphone it’s likely they own a mobile and/or a radio. It doesn’t matter if someone lives in a big city,
small town, or remote village, radio’s far-reach results in large amounts of data crossing the airwaves every day.
These public discussions are goldmines of information if listeners can analyse what is being said. Big data gives us
a better understanding of the concerns and issues communities face, and challenges people are forced to live with.
HOW IT BEGAN
The first prototype of the Radio Content Analysis
application, funded by the Government of Sweden, was
tested in two sites in Uganda. The success of the pilot, and
potential uses of the software, led to new partnerships with
the Belgian Government, United Nations Development
Group and others—the United Nations Peace Building
Commission (PBSO) and the Government of the
Netherlands—as the Lab developed a second prototype.
Pulse Lab Kampala set up data-to-data streaming in five
locations across Uganda: Gulu, Kampala, Fort Portal, Arua
and Mbarara. Government of Belgium support resulted in
testing of the second prototype in Rwenzori and West Nile.
SCANNING THE AIRWAVES
Pulse Lab Kampala developed the Radio Content
Analysis application to collect and analyse large
quantities of information from community radio shows.
This method was selected since many shows cover
issues linked to health and education service delivery,
and almost all ask listeners to call in and share their
thoughts at the end of the segment.
The application gathers and assesses individual and
collective perceptions on various issues—education,
health care, governance. That way government officials,
policy makers, and experts can identify critical gaps, get
qualitative insights, or determine what emerging issues
need to be addressed.

2. The keyword spotter identifies and extracts relevant audio
from broadcasts using speech-recognition software. This
type of radio mining makes it easy to analyse public
discussions in real-time. It enables policy makers, officials,
and development staff to source relevant content on a
multitude of issues like
Harnessed information can be used to identify gaps and
challenges people face, regardless of location. Folowing
an analysis of topics, partners can design or modify
responses, making them time-sensitive, relevant, and
context-specific.
QUALITATIVE: The digital platform captures qualitative
insights that facilitates early warning on emerging issues.
QUANTITATIVE: Trend analyses and statistics are
produced on topics such as public discussions on health or
education service delivery.
With support from the Government of Belgium the filtering
process of the prototype was improved through the
following developments:
With the above accomplished, next steps involve finding
partners to work with the Lab on integrating the keyword
spotting system in the Radio Content Analysis software,
and testing the system to make sure all bugs are ironed
out.
Collection of training data: 84 keywords related to
health and education were defined by analysts in
Lugbara and Rutooro.
Mapping of radio stations: identification of which radio
stations and radio broadcasts are relevant for analysis
in the main sites of the project.
Software developed that filters out music content
(five-minute clips that contain more than 70% of music
content).
Goldie software browses radio broadcasts from various
locations at times that are relevant for analysis. It is used
by analysts to identify, tag, and translate relevant radio
discussions.
Keyword spotting system is developed for Rutooro and
Lugbara (84 keywords) in collaboration with
Stellenbosch University.
LET’S GET TECHNICAL QUALITATIVE VS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
Health Service Delivery
Education
Business Technical
Vocational Education
Training (BTVET)
Programmes
Prototype II developed for Rutooro and Lugbara languages,
spoken in Rwenzori and West Nile sub-regions of Uganda
706 hours/week only speech (no music)
1,176 hours/week in 7 targeted radio stations
Estimated discussion on health service delivery
2,856 hours/week in all radio stations in Arua and Fort Portal
146 hours/week targeted radio shows
40 hours/listening capacity of 1 analyst
Keyword spotting system is tested in Luganda1
2
3
5
4
6
DEVELOPMENT STAGES OF
THE SECOND PROTOTYPE

3. When it comes to health and education service delivery, most information systems
in Uganda are based on reports from medical or academic staff. Being able to
analyse radio messages closes the gap by providing change makers with real-time
information on the challenges people living in remote areas face when accessing
sector-specific services.
CLOSING THE DIVIDE, TOGETHER
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Health plans on using
community-generated information to define strategies and
interventions in line with the expectations of the people
they serve. The problem? Information on heath consumer
satisfaction or client perception of services is not part of
the ministry’s existing systems.
The radio analysis application is an innovative method to get feedback on the attitudes
and perceptions held by various segments of a population. The information is priceless
because it provides insight into how well health and education campaigns are received,
or ways programmers can modify, improve, or scale-up initiatives.
And every new prototype Pulse Lab Kampala launches helps to bring the needs of rural
communities, and the challenges people face to the forefront.
Provided there is funding, Pulse Lab Kampala proposes to
use the Radio Content Analysis software to rank critical
issues affecting the health service sector, as perceived by
the population, as well as highlight feedback on national
campaigns and initiatives (e.g. mosquito net distribution,
emergency services, contraceptive methods, disease
outbreaks, or immunization).
SCALING UP THE APPLICATION BY
PUTTING COMMUNITIES FIRST
Some hospitals use solar power so
whenever the generators go off it does not
paralyse hospital operations. I thought we
pay taxes so that the government provides
citizens with services, not [for them] to tell
us again to start paying medical fees that
were scrapped by the government.
Moroto 104.7FM
There is no university in Karamoja so how
will our children learn [to use] computers?
And if you look at the teachers they are so
demotivated they do not inspire the
children they teach. A lot of things have to
be done.
Moroto 104.7FM
” ”
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