Case study: the evolution of a data ecosystem

This post was written by Dr Damazo Kadengye, Head of Data, Measurement and Evaluation at the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC)

What was the problem?

Monitoring progress and tracking performance for evidence-based decision making, at sub-national and national levels is an important part of the development process in any country.

This requires the existence, and utility of strengthened systems to satisfy the demand and supply needs in the data ecosystem. While strides have been made to build and continually strengthen Uganda's data system, challenges still abound.

"Most administrative data systems in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), for example, are funded by donors, thereby imperilling sustainability."

What was done to solve the problem?

Following the promulgation of the Statistics (UBOS) Act in 1998, Uganda has made tremendous progress, making it one of a few countries in Africa with a truly independent and successful National Statistical System (NSS).

The country has also adopted a bold vision for revolutionising the use of data within its borders and beyond. For instance, Uganda is a signatory to several data and statistics protocols, including the African Charter on Statistics, the Strategy for the Harmonization of Statistics in Africa, the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, and Agenda 2063. Most of the principles in these documents have been embedded in the country’s policy and legal framework for data and statistics such as the Access to Information Act (2005), and the Data Protection and Privacy Act (2019), and has established guidelines for usage and reproduction of data.

What was learned?

Some of the seemingly progressive laws and policies are occasionally negated by some other anti-evidence laws in the country, such as the colonial-era Official Secrets Act of 1964 and the Public Service Standing orders which limit civil servants’ right to release information, and the 2011 Computer Misuse Act whose enforcement is often abused.

While investment in data systems has been improving over the years, it is still limited. Most administrative data systems in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), for example, are funded by donors, thereby imperilling sustainability.

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