Open data on how and where public money is spent
Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Uganda
“If there are no avenues for feedback, there is little incentive for ordinary people to take time to understand and monitor public expenditure” — ODI
2000
Government officials trained
1319
Calls to new public hotline in first three months
September 2014 End date
August 2015
Issue
What if every citizen had access to information about how government was spending and allocating funds?
What if government representatives had an efficient way to engage with citizens and hear which issues mattered to them most?
Project
Making All Voices Count has partnered with the Uganda Overseas Development Institute to develop a website, app and SMS service that provides Ugandan citizens with access to information and budgets on service delivery in their local area.
The combination of SMS, apps and a web platform work together to ensure that information reaches marginalised communities: 95% of Ugandans have mobile coverage, one third own a mobile phone, while only 10% use the internet.
Through these tools, the team aims to make access to information more equitable for all Ugandans, and ensure that ordinary citizens can get information on anything from their local school’s budget to the status and spends on road reconstruction, as well as access a tool for whistleblowing on any suspected corruption.
Partner
Overseas Development Institute is an independent think tank based in London with 50 years experience of influencing policy and practice in the field of international development.