Uganda is implementing its Third National Development Plan (NDP-III) (2020/21 to 2024/25), which targeted attaining middle income status by 2020 by, among other things, increasing GDP growth rate from 5.2% to 6.3%, increasing per-capita income from US$788 to US$1039, and reducing poverty rate from 19.7% to 14.2% (NPA, 2020).
The government tracks these results periodically, and the reports inform national planning, budgeting, and implementation. According to the Portfolio of Government System Services published by the National Information Technology Authority of Uganda in 2023, there are 322 Management Information Systems (MISs) across the government, many of which are not linked, which limits data sharing, undermines data quality, and creates reporting fatigue within government entities.
This system is a landmark innovation in reenergizing the use of evidence through harmonized reporting against NDP-III targets at impact, outcome, and output level. It plays a pivotal role in the integrated and timely sharing of quality data to respond to increased demand for evidence.
With the increased scrutiny of the government's role in public service delivery over the last decade, there is a revival of scholarly and practitioner interest in the centrality of government in public services in developing countries (Batley, McCourt, and Mcloughlin, 2011). This calls for experience sharing on approaches for building strong, integrated, and harmonized monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems.
The paper therefore seeks to (1) demonstrate the system applications/functionalities; (2) share experiences from its design, development, and roll-out; and 3) discuss best practices/innovations on integration and sustenance of M&E MISs.