ICT – A Must in Enhancing CSOs Visibility
As part of membership servicing, Uganda National NGO Forum in partnership with TESPOK-Kenya conducted a sensitization workshop for UNNGOF members on the relevance of ICT to CSOs on 25th October 2016 at Royal Suites Hotel Kampala. Attended by over 50 CSO representatives, the workshop aimed at providing participants with the knowledge and skills on how to use ICT to serve their organizations better.
The workshop provided an opportunity to share the findings of the 2016 Global online technology report, giving insights on how NGOs worldwide use online technology to communicate with supporters and donors. The workshop also provided an opportunity for participants to be trained in the Ongood platform that is designed to enhance the visibility of NGOs worldwide.
Ms. Fiona Asango, the CEO of TESPOK- Kenya, and Advisor at the Public Interest Registry, encouraged participants to use ICT to build and maintain their organization’s brand as a strategy for accountability to government, development partners, and the . She warned them of the ever increasing number of hackers who use organizations’ details to misguide the public and donors. She emphasized that ICT should be used to keep in constant communication with the organization’s stakeholders.
In 2012, Uganda National NGO Forum conducted a capacity needs assessment exercise that reached out to over 550 CSOs assessing different fields like Human Resource, financial management and sustainability, Understanding and articulating visions and missions, ICT usage and readiness among others. Findings indicated that 85% of the CSOs had not put strong ICT policies in place or human development plans to leverage the opportunities presented by ICTs. However, from the 2016 global online technology report as presented by Ms. Fiona, 76% of NGOs in Africa have a website, 55% use the .ORG domain, 1% use .NGO, 18% use .COM, 27% use other domains. 46% regularly publish a blog while 71% regularly send email updates to donors and supporters. 90% of the NGOs have a facebook page, 74% have a twitter pro le, 21% have an Instagram pro le and other social networks. To download the 2016 global online technology report, please click here
Given the opportunities that ICT presents better and cheaper communication, CSOs need to invest in the adoption of easy to use information, together with skills training in the use of ICT. NGOs also need to invest in new technologies that provide cheaper and better options for NGO data collection and feedback.
Story by Robert Ninyesiga