Groundbreaking new tool lets Ugandans see the numbers on resources, poverty, education and health at national and district level

Today Development Initiatives (DI), an international development organisation specialising in data, launched a new online tool called Spotlight on Uganda.

The first tool of its kind, Spotlight on Uganda sits in DI’s Development Data Hub and allows web users to explore every district in the country to see how many people are living below the poverty line, as well as levels of local government revenue and expenditure. It also provides the numbers on key education and health indicators, as well as levels of access to clean water and sanitation.

For example while Kiryandongo has 25 per cent of the population below the poverty line and an average local government spend of Ugandan Shillings (UGX) 69,300 per person per year, Buvuma has a significantly higher 97 per cent of the population living below the poverty line and the higher amount of UGX89,000 spent per person per year. On education, the tool shows that Kiryandongo has a pupil–teacher ratio of 58 on average with US$31 spent per child per year while Buvuma has a higher ratio of 61 as well as higher US$40 spent per child per year. By itself the tool does not peer into underlying reasons for differences or discrepancies, but it opens the door for deeper analysis of, and reflection on, some of the challenges.

Charles Lwanga-Ntale, Africa Director at Development Initiatives, said “We hope this groundbreaking new resource will both equip decision-makers to ensure that there is a greater understanding of the drivers of differential resource allocation and that resources are being allocated effectively. We also hope that citizens and decision-makers will be better empowered through free access to key information on what is being spent and where, and the impacts of poverty and living standards that are being realised in different districts across the country.”

The Development Data Hub also enables comparisons between Uganda and different countries across the world on aid resources, government spending per person, poverty levels and much more. Where possible, all data is open and can be downloaded for free. The tool has generated a lot of interest both inside and outside the Ugandan government, including being used by the Office of the Prime Minister in its district league tables.

Richard Ssewakiryanga, Executive Director at Uganda NGO Forum, said “For everybody who is interested in evidence-based reporting, this is very helpful in providing initial and timely analysis to inform relevant policy discussions.”

Okecho Joan, an Economist at the Parliament of Uganda, said “The Data Hub has a wealth of information which I can use to write policy alternatives that will positively affect the people in the country.”

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Contact: Anna Abuhelal, Communications Manager at Development Initiatives

E: [email protected] T: +44(0)1179 272505 M: +44(0) 7894442055

Notes to editors:

• Development Initiatives works to end extreme poverty by 2030 by making data and information on poverty and resources transparent, accessible and useable. Working to support partners at national levels in Uganda, Kenya and Nepal and providing information and analysis on global resource flows, DI helps decision-makers to use information to increase their impact on the poorest people in the most sustainable way. With its technical expertise, DI has been instrumental in developing and supporting the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) standard for aid flows.
• The ‘Spotlight on Uganda’ tool was launched on Monday 12 October 2015, and the wider Development Data Hub was launched in beta version in April 2015.
• TheDevelopment Data Hub is the most comprehensive online resource for financial and resource flow data alongside poverty, social and vulnerability indicators. It combines an extensive data store with interactive visualisations enabling you to chart, map and compare poverty, vulnerability and financial resource flow data at the global, national and local level.

You can access:

• the tool at http://devinit.org/#!/spotlight-on-uganda
• the Development Data Hub at devinit.org/datahub
• the district profile for Buvuma at http://devinit.org/#!/uganda/buvuma?tab=3
• the district profile for Kiryandongo at http://devinit.org/#!/uganda/kiryandongo