Current State of Feedback Culture in Uganda
In Uganda, the culture of giving and receiving feedback is still developing. Despite efforts to encourage citizen participation, many Ugandans remain hesitant to provide feedback, particularly when it comes to public services. This reluctance can be attributed to various factors, including: (1) Lack of Trust in the system: Many citizens feel that their feedback will not lead to any meaningful change, leading to apathy and reluctance to engage, (2) Fear of Repercussions: Concerns about anonymity and fear of negative consequences deter individuals from voicing their opinions, (3) Awareness and Accessibility: There is often a lack of awareness about the channels available for giving feedback and how it can influence public service improvement.
WHY CITIZENS NEED TO BE OPEN TO GIVING FEEDBACK
Providing feedback, especially at public institutions, is crucial if we are to have any systematic changes or improvements in service delivery.
Service Improvement: Feedback helps identify areas needing improvement, ensuring that public services are more efficient and responsive to citizens’ needs.
Employee Engagement: Positive feedback can boost the morale and engagement of public servants by recognizing their efforts.
Community Impact: Citizen feedback plays a vital role in ensuring that services meet the community’s needs, fostering a more inclusive and participatory governance model.
AS SEMA, we strive to bridge the citizen feedback gap in Uganda by leveraging diverse feedback tools and empowering citizens to actively engage in providing feedback. This initiative aims to make the process quick, easy, and impactful, ensuring that citizens’ voices are heard and acted upon. SEMA applies Real-time Feedback Platforms which allow citizens to provide immediate feedback on their experiences with public offices, ensuring the anonymity of feedback which helps alleviate fears of repercussions. We also work with various stakeholders, including government agencies and civil society organizations, to ensure that feedback leads to actionable changes. In March 2018 SEMA started its first data collection activities in partnership with the Ugandan government across 5 police stations and 3 municipality offices in Kampala. Six years later, we have successfully collaborated with various sectors including health, Justice, and Local government. We have established a strong partnership with the Justice Law and Order Sector(JLOS), signing a contract to provide citizens feedback at 30 locations nationwide including the Uganda Police Force, Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, National Identification and Registration Authority, Uganda Registration and Services Beaurea and the Judiciary at magistrates court levels. Our feedback platforms have been utilised by over 130,000 Ugandans expressing their feedback to the service institutions. We have further penetrated the private sector, working with two major private hospitals between 2023 and 2024. Most recently, we signed a contract with VNG International to build the capacity of Local government officers (both technical and elected leaders) in setting up and implementing community engagement and feedback platforms at their respective councils. To date, SEMA has operated at over 60 public and private offices across the country.
Conclusion
The willingness of Ugandan citizens to give feedback is crucial for the continuous improvement of public services. While challenges remain, initiatives like SEMA are making significant strides in bridging the feedback gap. By fostering a culture of open communication and ensuring that feedback leads to tangible improvements, we are helping to build a more responsive and accountable public service sector in Uganda.
Key words
Citizen feedback
Accountability
Public service
Willingness
