UBOS Staff Urged to Adapt and Embrace Current Technologies

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) employees have been advised to stay innovative and adapt to the changing world with emerging needs to produce high-quality statistics to guide policy formulations and planning in the country.

Statistics provide the information to educate on how things work. They are used to conduct research, evaluate outcomes, develop critical thinking and make informed policy decisions.

“We encourage all staff to stay innovative and adapt to the changing world with emerging needs. Embrace current technologies to enable us to provide our stakeholders’s real-time data for quick decision-making, and policy formulation,” said Dr Albert Byamugisha, the chairperson of UBOS board of directors.

He was speaking during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of UBOS staff held at Kampala Parents Grounds on Wednesday, December 20, 2023.

“Ladies and gentlemen, upholding the values that guide us is crucial, and I would like to emphasize the following: While conducting the business of the Bureau, remain professional, adhere to ethical code of conduct, transparency, and honesty in statistical production and dissemination, observe mutual respect,” he added.

Dr Byamugisha said the UBOS staff should ensure that they execute activities that are demand-driven and respond to user needs and priorities.

He emphasised maintaining effective team spirit with regular team building at the departmental or directorate level.

As UBOS continued to prepare for the forthcoming census exercises, Dr Byamugisha called upon everyone at UBOS to have it at heart, ensuring its success without room for excuses or failure.

“Increase public awareness, and sensitize the public about the census purpose, information collection, and its use.”

Reflecting on what the bureau has done during the year, Dr Byamugisha expressed his appreciation to the dedicated EXCOM, management and staff of UBOS for the key accomplishments achieved this year including but not limited to producing regular Bureau outputs (Price statistics/indices, Demography and social statistics, Trade statistics, Agriculture statistics, National Accounts, and Industry and infrastructure statistics).

Others are; conducting the National Population and Housing Census Pilot and Listing in the various regions of the country, successful completion of the UBOS staff training at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) to inculcate the spirit of transformational leadership and Pan-Africanism, development of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) data portal increasing the awareness, participating in the SDG annual Conference 2023 and exhibiting in all the regional festivals, Parish Development Model (PDM) data collection in Karamoja and Acholi sub-region, to support other pillars of PDM, Dissemination of the National Labour Force Survey (NLFS) 2021 and thematic reports.

Dr Byamugisha further lauded the team for initiating a staff provident fund that will improve staff retirement, conducting a Midterm Review of the implementation of the Plan for National Statistical Development (PNSD III), to guide the development of PNSD IV and how to improve the remaining period, disseminating the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) 2022 Key Findings and disseminating the National Standard Indicator Framework (NSI Level I and II).

“The Bureau has, therefore, over the period undertaken several surveys and censuses that contribute invaluable insights into the economic and socio-economic development of Uganda. These surveys and censuses play a crucial role in generating key statistics that guide evidence-based planning, and policy formulation,” he said.

Dr. Chris Ndatira Mukiza, the Executive Director, while addressing the staff, applauded Mr Miiro Bells Patrick IT Officer Database at UBOS for the Innovative and creatively developed system that he advanced for the Office of the Auditor General.

“The innovation dubbed Pay Roll Verification system will be used to clean government payroll and eliminate anomalies in government salary payments,” said Dr Mukiza.

He encouraged all staff to remain steadfast and innovative to continuously enhance and strengthen statistical production and development.