NITA-U Unveils Nominees For 2021 e-Government Excellence Awards

National Technology Authority (NITA-U) has announced its list of nominees for the 2021 e-Government Excellence Awards. The awards whose aim is to enhance service delivery through the use of e-Government, were unveiled at Kampala Serena Hotel.

Running under the theme Bold Digital Government: Embracing Disruptive Technologies, the awards will recognise government agencies that have played a remarkable role in availing online government services to the public.

The awards gala will be the concluding activity to be held during the two-week-long celebration of e-Government, which was kick-started on 3 December 2021. They brought together Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), who will showcase their e-services and the journey taken thus far. The exhibition is expected to attract both public and private sector players, including MDAs, academia, innovators, telecoms, and fintech companies.

NITA-U Executive Director Hatwib Mugasa noted that the awards are timely given that the COVID-19 pandemic has given ICT an opportunity to shape the future. Mugasa was also optimistic that the awards would enhance experience sharing among MDAs. “It’s important that we are having these awards, at a crucial time when the knowledge that technology adoption is both the present and the future of humanity’s well-being is undisputable. We have witnessed ICT play a pivotal role in averting the effects of this pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis presents us with an opportunity to explore these innovations and accelerate efforts to bring, not only government services online, but also incorporate technology into every endeavor that it has the prospect of enriching,” said Mugasa.

“The awards present an opportunity to share experiences with various government entities across the country with a vision of innovative administration, access to information and enhanced service delivery to citizens,” he added.

Among awards to be competed for by various government agencies include e-Service of the year, where the award will be granted to the government e-service which exemplifies outstanding public service delivery, internal digital transformation, and improved efficiencies in government.

Other awards shall include Economic Infrastructure and Competitiveness, Ministry of Works- Uganda Driver’s License System, Covid-19 Travel Permit Clearance System, Electronic Contractors Registration and Classification System (eCRCS), Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) Quality Assurance Licensing System, Uganda Exports Promotion Board – E-Single Window and Directorate of Education Standards – Teachers Effectiveness and Learner Achievement (TELA) inspection e-Service, plus Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) – Kolibri e-Service.

Last but not least is the Citizens’ Choice Award- where the customer choice award is granted to the government website or e-Service which will be voted by the public as the most useful or helpful in the citizenry’s lives.

The Journalist of the Year Award category is designed to recognise press and media individual or company that has contributed significantly to quality, in-depth awareness on e-Government in Uganda.

Global firm, Ernst Young, has partnered with NITA-U to ensure a high caliber of adjudication and quality assurance to deliver a credible and reputable vetting process. Citizens can also vote for the Citizens Choice, ICT Journalist, and Private Sector of the Year. The e-Government awards are organised by NITA-U in partnership with the World Bank Group, Huawei, and Ernst & Young.