30 Days after the Launch of the 3rd Assurance Report, what do we see?

Published By CoST Admin |  February 25, 2020

CoST Uganda launched its 3^rd Assurance Report on 22^nd January 2020, at the Golf Course Hotel, in Kampala. The event was officiated by the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, and attended by several dignitaries, stakeholders, and the media.

This article gives a summary of publications documented in the last 30 days, after the launch of the report, but also highlights key observations and commitments resulting from the launch. We will continue tracking the impact of these reports, but also, share ideas from the Multi-Stakeholder Group on how government projects can be efficiently and effectively delivered.

Over 30 media houses from the national and local level have published our engagements on 22^nd January 2020. In addition, several online media outlets published information/news on the key issues from the Assurance Report. Our media engagements and monitoring have revealed an increased awareness of the issues in the public infrastructure sector in Uganda specifically those resulting from the Assurance process. We have noted the media developing stories on key issues among others including the need for increased disclose. The need for transparency is on the rise. We have seen the Procurement Entities commit to disclose data on their websites and the Government Procurement Portal. We believe from this experience that; information is power and with information, the public would be able to engage.

From the publication of the report, we have held various engagements with key stakeholders. We have noted commitments; we encourage all MDAs to mark their commitments and work towards achieving them.

As the public, be sure to watch commitments per Procurement Entities in the table below;

Infrastructure transparency should be everyone’s responsibility, to ensure the public is well informed on how infrastructure projects are being planned and delivered.

As CoST Uganda launched its 2^nd Infrastructure Journalism award process, we have noted improvements in the quality of news articles,  news items being published by the journalists under our media mentorship program. We have our ongoing monthly interface meetings with journalists. These meetings are a platform to enable journalists to understand key tactics on reporting infrastructure projects and what not to report, it easier to make news but how and what matters. The value of using CoST Assurance reports to identify areas to report on, investigate for a journalist in Uganda is very important. The media has reported on both good and bad, for instance, reports that the Ministry of Health performed very well reactively and proactively is worth telling for this encourages the Ministry, but also cautions the rest of the MDAs to pick up leaves from this agency.

CoST Uganda thought it wise to introduce the Infrastructure Transparency Procurement Entities Awards, given to those entities that embrace CoST features annually. The aim is to promote CoST, but also majorly to promote the adoption and use of the features as part of their daily work. The appreciation of transparency and knowing that, it is everyone’s responsibility to open up how infrastructure projects are being disclosed.

You can refer to these links for more details of publications in the last 30 days.

1. Minister Katumba Wamala Blasts UNRA Over Transparency https://businessfocus.co.ug/minister-katumba-wamala-blasts-unra-over-transparency/
2. https://www.pmldaily.com/news/2020/01/health-ministry-gets-cost-uganda-2019-infrastructure-transparency-award.html
3. CoST Uganda 3^rd Assurance Report Pins UNRA Over Information Disclosure https://shiftmedianews.com/cost-uganda-3rd-assurance-report-pins-unra-over-information-disclosure/
4. https://newslexpoint.com/csos-blast-government-agencies-infrastructure/
5. https://www.facebook.com/NTVUganda/videos/565612547359360/
6. https://www.facebook.com/169252986456497/posts/2766978736683896/?substory_index=0
7. https://www.facebook.com/169252986456497/posts/2766993863349050/?substory_index=0
8. https://www.facebook.com/169252986456497/posts/2767007403347696/?substory_index=0
9. https://www.cost.or.ug/press-release-3rd-assurance-findings-and-recommendations/
10. https://gorillanationug.com/2020/02/04/the-cost-uganda-effect-3rd-assurance-report-calls-for-governments-action-to-enhance-infrastructure-transparency/
11. https://www.cost.or.ug/what-next-after-cost-ugandas-3rd-assurance-report-publication/
12. http://kissmediaug.com/the-cost-uganda-3rd-assurance-report-calls-for-governments-action-to-enhance-infrastructure-transparency/
13. https://www.cost.or.ug/the-minister-of-works-and-transport-commits-to-scale-up-cost-ugandas-work/
14. http://pressug.com/why-govt-should-engage-and-disclose-the-cost-of-their-projects-to-citizen-and-stakeholders/
15. https://www.cost.or.ug/download/transparency-report-faults-unra-energy-new-vision-article-on-3rd-assurance-report-by-cost-uganda/
16. https://www.cost.or.ug/download/unra-energy-accused-of-hiding-information-new-vision-reporting-on-3rd-assurance-report/
17. https://gorillanationug.com/2020/02/12/ofwono-opondo-talks-about-pros-and-cons-of-investigative-journalism-in-public-infrastructure-projects/
18. http://kissmediaug.com/journalists-acquire-training-on-how-to-work-together-with-government-agencies/
19. https://www.spyuganda.com/journalists-tipped-on-working-in-tandem-with-govt-agencies/
20. https://businessfocus.co.ug/new-online-monitoring-tool-to-improve-transparency-in-public-infrastructure-projects/
21. https://gorillanationug.com/2020/02/21/cost-uganda-launched-an-electronic-infrastructure-monitoring-tool-e-imt/
22. http://pressug.com/new-online-public-infrastructure-monitoring-tool-launched-to-enhance-transparency/
23. https://www.cost.or.ug/the-utopia-we-want-in-uganda/
24. https://www.cost.or.ug/cost-ugandas-electronic-infrastructure-monitoring-tool-e-imt-set-to-standardize-infrastructure-monitoring/