Connect Rural Uganda - leaving noone behind in the Digital era - UNCDF

At the Goal level, the desired result is to see Women, Youth, Refugees, and MSMEs having improved economic opportunities, increased resilience, and reduced poverty via an inclusive digital economy. The interaction with different clients shows that using digital platforms is linked to reduced cost, more productivity, access to quality services and markets; and hence directly contributes to improved economic opportunities. There are two major variances: Both in terms of registered and active clients, the program has crossed the end of the project log-frame targets. At the end of 2021 there have been high levels of use above the original target by 84% for the overall total and 69% for the women. Uptake, i.e., registered to active users, was lower than anticipated. Originally, UNCDF anticipated 60% registered clients will become users but, so far (end 2021), only 37% are achieved. In terms of gender target, the targe was 40% of registered and user clients will be women/girls, in the end 42% and 37% was achieved respectively. At Sector Outcome level, the desired result is to see the growth of an inclusive digital economy in the country with specific depth in the Northern and West Nile regions of Uganda. A total of 55% of the population engaged in digital embedded activities of which 65% are specifically women. This implies that the trend to inclusivity is a work in progress which still needs support to deliver the 100% required target. At Client Outcome level, the program aims to achieve changes in the way customers access and use digital and/or services. The number of people registered is way higher than the expected by 378% for total and 381% for the women. Regarding the skills gained there is also a positive variance of 52% for total and 56 % for women. At Stakeholder Outcome level, the results expected are changes in the way stakeholders deliver digital and/or other services and supporting regulations. UNCDF measure this result through the number of digital agents registered and trained to deliver the services in innovative ways by paying attention to why and how they deliver the services. To date (end 2021), about 889 digital agents in total of which 377 are women have been recruited and trained on how to onboard clients. At the Outputs level, the program expects to see immediate output of activities, improved capacity/knowledge of stakeholders, and pilot interventions. To date (dec 2021), the program has piloted 20 models out of which 14 models (12 models in 2021) have reached the level of scaling. Key results per sector (examples): Health sector: Given the complexity and the underlying constraints across the entire health sector, UNCDF has adopted a targeted strategy around selected focus areas. As a result, three areas where digital tools could alleviate or address some of the constraints at the community level as well as the lower health facilities level were identified as stipulated below. Community Health Information Systems for Health Services Access in Rural Communities: UNCDF works with BRAC Uganda and Medic to engender sustainable digital health approaches to enhance the impact of the existing Ministry of Health (MoH) community health structures towards achieving universal health coverage. VHTs are a critical link between the formal health sector and their communities. UNCDF partners BRAC Uganda and Medic are piloting the use the VHT App to facilitate VHTs in their routine essential care, education, data collection and reporting. Up to June 2022 300 VHTs recruited and trained; 64 VHTs trained on financial services and products; 70 MoH and DHO staff trained on using the platform and 468 VHTs using the digital application. Furthermore, 5,934 people visited by the VHTs that use the application during reporting period; 7,626 number of visits recorded on the application during the reporting period; 6,520 assessments. Digital Stock Management Solution: One of the critical challenges that the health sector in Uganda faces is drug stock outs and expiry of medicines. Working with Medical Access Uganda Limited (MAUL) and Signalytic, UNCDF has deployed a solution that digitalizes the stock management of essential drugs and medical supplies. This project, which complements the MoH to improve access to essential medicines, is currently being piloted at two health centres in Kiryandongo District. Up to June 2022, 46 people have been trained; 26 health facilities using the platform and 16 health facilities maintain their stock using the platform. Medical drones for last mile delivery of health services: Drone technology has the potential to solve several challenges that make the delivery of health care services particularly difficult in the West Nile. The Infectious Diseases Institute at Makerere University, with funding and technical assistance from UNCDF has been piloting the use of medical drone technology in the West Nile districts of Moyo and Adjumani. The project uses two different drone types: a multi-rotor for short distances of up to 30km, and a fixed-wing drone for distances over 30km. The research project also aimed to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of drone deliveries as a viable solution for Ugandas health sector. Up to June 2022 89 IDI staff and health workers were trained (42% women); 132 health workers registered and supported by the project; 8 health facilities were supported by / served by the drone deliveries. 77 drone flights were undertaken; 1,100 covid swabs and 675 samples were transported. Education sector: UNCDF uses innovative models and approaches to facilitate continuity of education, enable access to educational content, improve the learning experience of students and teachers, provide flexible school fees payment solutions for parents, ease recruitment processes and the management of schools using digital tools through the interventions below. E-recruitment solution for teachers: The objective is to digitalize the government recruitment system which will support them to manage the recruitment of the education personnel effectively and efficiently in Uganda. During 2021 the digital platform that was developed and is now ready to host positions. There has also been training of ESC e-recruitment champions, users, and digital hub managers. The e-recruitment platform was pre-tested with private digital hubs. Digitalization of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for Teachers: UNCDF aims to demonstrate the opportunities of digital tools for teachers e-learning. E-learning holds the potential to enhance teachers' capacity and bridge the rural-urban divide by targeting rural learners. The first phase of the project is the digitalization of the Certificate in Teacher Education Proficiency (C-TEP), a course targeting instructors for teachers and administrators in Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs). So far (June 2022) 761 teachers have been trained; 298 teachers are using the platform and 30 teachers completed a training using the platform. School Pay: Working with Service Cops, UNCDF has deployed a digital solution that offers a flexible school fees payment method, ability to save for school fees during the term and access to affordable fees loans. The partnership has extended School Pay to Northern Uganda to enable equitable access to education opportunities by providing flexible payment plans, school fees savings and loans, student pocket money management, student education insurance while at the same time helping schools to better manage their finances and processes. So far (June 2022) 30 promoters of the platform were trained; 731 schools registered on the School Pay and ERP platforms (421 Urban, 310 Rural schools); 241,961 registered users/parents on School Pay (cumulative); 67,046 paid school fees using School Pay; 196 parents saved money using School Pay saving module (UGX 2,301,357 saved so far). Agriculture sector UNCDF works towards digitalizing value chains inagriculture to improve convenience for smallholder farmers and rural populations. Since July 2020, UNCDF has been working with an array of Ugandan technology companies to develop, scale and apply home-grown digital technologies to combat the systemic constraints in agriculture in rural communities. The solutions aim to unlock the systemic constraints in the agriculture sector with the goal of improving the productivity of smallholder farmers and consequently boosting the livelihoods of vulnerable families and communities. In value chains critical to low-income farmers and alongside development partners, UNCDF has supported 30 companies to extend digital services required to improve farmers adaptation outcomes. Digital traceability: UNCDF address the lack of transparency and inefficiency in the agriculture value chain by employing technology that provides forward and backward traceability of the entire value chain for both food and animals. As more farmers and value chain actors see the value of a digital traceability solution, and more farmers use the solution or similar solutions, this will ultimately lead to increased incomes for the farmers. In total (up to June 2022): 24,728 farmers were profiled and enrolled to the system (62% females, 15% youth and 2.5% refugees). Of these, 3,295 were trained on how to use the digital platform; 22,502 were recorded to be using the digital platform/ traceability application in this period; 78 agro input dealers recorded to be engaging with the platform, a total of UGX 257M was transacted through the platform in this period. A total of 116 agents were recruited and are active. (53 females, 74 youth and 5 refugees). Furthermore, 734,087 farmers using quality inputs; 27,076 farmers with improved access to markets and information. Agricultural extension and its effects on farm productivity and income leveraging a farmers call center: Farmers often use sub-optimal agricultural practices due to lack of information, knowledge and inputs overall. The Kilimo farmers call center provides customized agriculture advisory and extension services to the hardest-to-reach smallholder farmers using mobile technology. In the end of 2021, there was 111 active digital extension agents (45 women, 75 youth, 16 refugees); 24,725 farmers matched to input dealers (8,072 women, 14,168 youth & 1,298 refugees); 38,295 farmers connected to output markets (8,862 women, 22,769 youth & 2,334 refugees); 10,316 farmers matched to equipment services (2,842 women, 6,518 youth & 602 refugees); 56,645 smallholder farmers trained on the platform (18,605 women, 40,637 youth, & 6,205 refugees); 383 input dealers recruited on the platform (107 women, 214 youth & 45 refugees); 248 Value chain actors using the platform (90 women, 117 youth & 0 refugees); 29 Digital extension agents active (09 women, 22 youth & 22 refugees). 7 Local Languages supported in the call center. Banking on Machine Based Analytic Digital extension system to Improve Agricultural Productivity in Northern Uganda: UNCDF works to ultimately increase productivity and strengthen access to markets within the agro sector. Through the financial and technical support from UNCDF, the Akello Banker digital platform was deployed in Northern Uganda. Up to June 2022 80,317 smallholder farmers profiled on the platform, (35,761 men, 37,647 women, 20,982 male youth, and 21,122 female youth); 87,146 profiled farmers are active users and received extension and agro-advisory services by digital extension agents (38,078 men, 35,802 women, 26,773 male youth and 3,983 female youth); 464 registered input dealers into the platform (323 men, 134 women, 295 male youth and 1 female youth); 24,725 farmers matched to input dealers (10,926 men, 11,068 women, 15,815 male youth and 61 female youth); 32,240 farmers connected to output markets (15,471 men, 13,486 women, 17,769 male youth, and 1,100 female youth). Connected Farmer: This digital agriculture initiative in partnership with a Nilecom-led consortium in West Nile continues to empower rural farmers to access agronomy information, inputs and markets. Acknowledging the critical role of farmer organizations, the project seeks to support cooperatives and producer organizations to perform better by addressing bottlenecks in their service delivery. Up to the end of 2021, 49 Digital Community Entrepreneurs have been trained and supported with smart phones and guides which they can use to refresh their memory. The training aimed to build capacity of the DCEs, Agro-input dealers and cooperatives on the functionality and capabilities of the UgFarmer platform and how to maneuver the various modules available to them from the platform. A memorandum of understanding was signed with two off-takers of grain; Bushbucks Coffee Limited for buying sesame and SunAfric Company Limited for sunflower. Leveraging data for innovative digital lending solutions for smallholder farmers: In partnership with FAO, UNCDF is piloting an innovative digital lending model that will enable access to credit for smallholder farmers in rural areas of Uganda. UNCDF aims to increase access to affordable loans for farmers and prove a business case for advancing low-cost loans to farmers using alternative credit scoring models. During 2021 market scoping was conducted in West Nile and Northern Uganda to inform go-to-market strategy and credit scoring matrix; 10 field staff were recruited to support the expansion plans; digitalization of VSLAs and opening of savings accounts for members was kicked off. Digital Community Entrepreneurs: UNCDF has set-up community-based solutions to enhance and expand the last-mile distribution network for digital services and products. The Digital Community Entrepreneurs (lead farmers), mostly youth and women, are working to increase access of the basic fundamentals required to digitize the agriculture value chain. Over 1,000 opinion leaders / lead farmers have been recruited as DCEs within proximity communities, and 430,000 smallholder farmers registered and trained on basic financial literacy. This in turn contributes to increased farm productivity, improved farm management efficiencies, access to energy, improved access to markets, and consequently increased incomes for the farmers.