I-Network Uganda

The project organises activities designed to share information and experiences related to ICT and development via seminars, workshops, and meetings that bring together stakeholders interested in a particular area within the field of technology. These monthly gatherings cover a range of topics including health, education, agriculture, and poverty alleviation. Specific examples include the potential benefits of using hand-held computers in the management of rural healthcare information, and the use of virtual reality technologies to support physics tuition and the delivery of educational content. According to organisers, "The networking of people helps overcome the unwitting duplication of efforts, and allows for more targeted projects tackling development obstacles in a strategically structured and resource wise manner."

I-Network carries out a number of activities and services including:

• provision of a knowledge sharing platform;
• provision of advisory services in the use and harnessing of ICTs;
• capacity building;
• process facilitation, using the round table process for project design and development; and
• extraction of lessons learned during and after project implementation using participatory feedback methodologies.

The knowledge sharing activities consist of the following:

• Online discussions: I-Network runs a mailing list on D groups called I-Network. Discussions are focused on ICT, ICT in development, and how Ugandans can use ICT applications in their daily lives and development.
• Quarterly Newsletter: The quarterly newsletter features ICT news and stories from projects that are using ICT.
• Documenting of initiatives/projects facilitated by ICT: These comprise of lessons learned from the implementation of ICT and ICT related projects.
• Internet Connectivity Guide: The I-Network connectivity guide book provides information on internet connectivity in Uganda and other connectivity issues; it highlights prices, service providers, and types of connectivity available in different regions within Uganda.
• I-Network website: The I-Network provides online resources for people in the ICT4D sector which includes its publications, web resources, public reports, presentations from seminars, and ICT news in Uganda. The website also acts as a tool for promoting awareness of the I-Network's activities and the potential development impact of ICT.
• Thematic camps: I-Network together with local partners carries out thematic camps for various groups. In the past, ICT camps have been carried out for secondary school children to learn more about using computers, Parliamentarians to learn about ICTs and most recently, children from northern Uganda to learn about peace and ICTs.

Technology.

Organisers claim that "The application of new knowledge, the dissemination of information concerning best practices and the exchange of views and opinions are considered essential elements of development work. These functions are facilitated by the networking and connections formed between both people and technologies. The I-Network Uganda forms part of a broader knowledge and information-sharing community supported by the International Institute of Communication and Development (IICD), to enable all local stakeholders to generate and share ideas, experiences, and best practices, and provides a vehicle to communicate these to policy decision makers. These experiences are also disseminated further afield, connecting local stakeholders with those in another 8 developing countries that form part of the international information network (namely Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ghana, Jamaica, Mali, Tanzanian, and Zambia)."