ANKOLE SUB-REGION: Deficient Gadgets, Mindset, Derailing Progress of PDM Baseline Data Collection

Authorities in Ankole sub-region, Western Uganda have said despite the challenges of meager mindset about the Parish development Model (PDM) by the residents and inadequate resources to facilitate the Data collectors, the PDM Baseline Data Collection exercise is progressing and now at 50%.

Dickson Bamusiime, the Bushenyi District Local Government Planner Speaks to a Resident ,Coduis Natuhwera at Kitagata

Launched by President Yoweri Museveni in February 2022 in Kibuku district, the Model positions the Parish as the epicenter of multi-sectoral community development, planning, implementation, supervision and accountability, therefore it is expected to create Wealth, Employment and increase Household Incomes.

Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) together with the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance embarked on the process of baseline data collection to inform the government’s implementation of the PDM.

This exercise kicked off in all the 15 Statistical sub-regions which included Kigezi, Teso , Rwenzori, Ankole, Bunyoro, West Nile, Buganda North, Buganda South, Kampala, Busoga, Acholi, Lango, Bukedi, Elgon and Karamoja.

Speaking to our Reporter on 1ts July 2022, Dickson Bamusiime, the Bushenyi District Local Government Planner who doubles as the focal person for PDM Data Collection says despite the sufficient support from the political wing and the readiness of stakeholders to embrace the PDM, Bushenyi is facing a number of challenges which is derailing the process especially lack of adequate resources.

Dickson Bamusiime, the Bushenyi District Local Government Planner who doubles as the focal person for PDM Data Collection

‘’Remember the government did not give us the gadgets, we are only using our phones. Most of the phones we use the batteries cannot last for five hours. If a data collector goes to the field after five houses they will have to go back and charge the phone. If the government had given us those gadgets where the battery can last for a long time we would have finished .You cannot complete 3-4 households before your phone goes off’’, said Bamusiime .

He added that the District has over 490 villages, 56 parishes and only 149 data collectors, which imply that each person is supposed to cover more than three villages. He says transport has also been a challenge to data collectors and supervisors due to inadequate funds.

‘’We have faced the challenge of networking during Data collection. A data collector may go to a certain area and they fail to get the GPS.

He noted that although the government emphasized on using data collectors already in the system like parish chiefs, CDOs among others, it remains a challenge given the limited resources available to complete the exercise.

‘’Am happy UBOS is giving us support despite the solid challenges of lack of efficient gadgets, networks, and transport among others, Despite the challenges, Ubos has stepped in to support in supervisory roles at all levels and they have already on how to collect data’’, Bamusiime added.

He revealed that District leaders and Ubos agreed to scrutinize whether data collectors left out some villages and also asked the guides who are the Local council 1 chairpersons (LCI) to submit the number of households per village so that it enables supervisors to track whether some households had been left out.

Bamusime further hailed Ubos for the Data application software designed in a way which enables relevant stakeholders like District and sub-county officials to access information which make it possible to do reports on a daily basis.

According to officials, they expect to capture data for about 50,000 households.

Douglas Mucunguzi, the Bushenyi District Local Government Speaker who also represents People with Disabilities (PWDs) said the program is good but cited some gaps in political engagement.

‘’Political leaders should be integrated in this program and trained so that they are able to also disseminate information. As leader in the political wing I authoritatively state that we have just heard about it when the Mps of this region and Ministers engaged us ‘’, he noted.

Mucunguzi noted that if well sensitized they can pass on information to stakeholders adding that political leaders are not also financed to monitor the success of the project.

‘’We have not seen any component where it has been designed for political leaders to go and monitor this project .The funds will be sent directly to the sub county and the secretary is the parish chief who is monitored by the CAO’’, Mucunguzi added that the designers of this program would have included political wing who can monitor the adherence of the people to this project.

Gordon Tumuhimbise, the Bushenyi District Production Officer also noted that the District has over 56 Saccos mainly involved in agriculture and livestock and each has been allocated Shs 8.9M from the 17M earlier announced.

This was attributed to limited funds sent by the central government to the district.

Silverio Mukobi , the Bushenyi Municipality Town Clerk decried the mindset of locals in the area who only focuses on the financial inclusion pillar yet there are many opportunities in PDM.

‘’Other pillars include Production, Storage, Processing and Marketing, Infrastructure and Economic Services, Social Services, Mindset change, Parish Based Management Information System and Governance and Administration but most of our people are looking at the third pillar which is Financial inclusion’’, noted Mukobi.

He said the challenge however, is being solved by engaging stakeholders and using media to create mindset change about the program.

In other Districts like Mbarara and Sheema , authorities say PDM Baseline Data Collection exercise has not started due to lack of funds.

According to Monica Rutahanda, a senior statistician at UBOS and supervisor for Ankole sub-region who is overseeing 17 local governments says the two that have not started the data collection will soon embark on the exercise to meet the deadline.

Monica Rutahanda, a senior statistician at UBOS and supervisor for Ankole sub-region speaks to a resident Elisam Njuwoha, 70 at Kitagata

‘’We were supposed to take 14 days but it seems it will take longer than anticipated because of the challenges encountered especially due to lack funding even during the training .But some local governments have tried to try and finish but others are far behind because of multi-tasking .The public officers assigned this work have other official duties ‘’, she told reporters.

She noted that all stakeholders are coming up to appreciate the exercise because the information collected will be used by other programs besides PDM.

LOCALS SPEAK OUT

Coduis Natuhwera, 35, is a resident of Kitagata Parish, Kyeizooba sub-county in Bushenyi District. She is a member of Twetungure group chaired by Juidth Katushabe. She stays with her mother in-law, Edinansi Bayambuka, 90 years old who has benefited from SAGE four times.

Natuhwera says; ‘’Leaders came and sensitized us that’s why we formed a group and we expected to get money and buy livestock so that each member can benefit ‘’, she said.

Erias Bingana, the LCI for Nyakatooma Village, in Kitagata Parish, Bushenyi District told our reporter that majority residents only know the financial inclusion pillar and they are waiting for money. He says Nyakatooma has 67 households, and only 50 registered to benefit from the program

Jane Njumwoha, she is a member of Nyakatooma Coffee growers in Bushenyi and she also says they are expecting money from the government through their group to benefit and do value addition.

Elisam Njuwoha, 70, also a resident of Kitagata in Bushenyi says he is not registered because of the illness but his son Twijukye Honest, 30, is a member in one of the Saccos. He wants the government to have a special project under PDM for PWDs.

Gloria Ainembabazi, a parish chief for Kitagata and a data collector for the area says they are using their phones which are not reliable when it comes to efficiency in data collection. She says they have cheaper phones that cannot sustain the work load imposed by the exercise.

Parish Development Model (PDM) was initiated and adopted, with a parish as the key administrative unit for implementation of Government Programmes and as the best suited delivery mechanism for the attainment of NDPIII development goals at the grassroots level.