uganda scout association_sms based election monitoring 1

8/8/2019 Uganda Scout Association_SMS Based Election Monitoring 1

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Scouting for Good GovernanceScoutinga promise for a better world

ELECTION MONITORING

BACKGROUND

Uganda Scout Association is the largest youth movement in Uganda with amembership of over 5million that includes scouts, scout leaders (teachers),parents/guardians, former scouts and friends of Scouting who all subscribe tothe Scout Promise, Principles and Law. It is further estimated that more than20million Ugandans over their lifetime have interacted with Scouting to-date.The Scouting Movement is organised in several age sections from childhoodto early adulthood and its method is primarily based on learning by doing,youth involvement and peer education.

Uganda Scout Association is aware that Uganda will be holding GeneralElections in 2011 and that the Elections period is an issue of paramountimportance. We know that organizing free and fair elections is going to be acomplex exercise and therefore every stakeholder should strive to playhis/her part in with utmost care and patriotism to ensure that Uganda atlarge, successfully achieves the goal of free and fair continuity of democraticgovernance, peace and stability, and all the rest will fall in line;

Bearing in mind the independent and non-political nature of the ScoutingMovement, wide structure and national coverage of Scouting being in everyschool and parish, and the good will among the general public as well as the

organizational abilities of Scouting in Uganda, we propose a new, veryefficient and unique way of monitoring elections through SMS/Mobiletechnology while using Scouts in all constituencies and parishes toprogressively report before, during and after the 2011 General Electionsthereby bringing on board over 5 million members.

RATIONALE

The idea of using mobile phones to monitor elections was developed out ofthe experiences from the Nigeria and Iran elections where even aftercensorship of the media the opposition in Iran had only the phones (SMS)

and internet at their disposal but through that the World was still connectedto Iran. The primary goal of the project will be to use technology to give theordinary citizen an opportunity to tell the world what is really happening intheir area before, during and after the elections. The spread and reach ofmobile telephony in Uganda is mind boggling with more than 10 millionsubscribers to-date.

Traditionally the Election observers and monitors deemed credible are often


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election day where movement is often restricted. This, however, reducestheir effectiveness as people are prone to act properly when they know theyare being watched, especially by foreigners.

This is why we decided to use ordinary citizens of Uganda, all votersthemselves to report back to our SMS hub on what is really happening suchas on election day from their own polling stations.

The use of ordinary Ugandans to observe and report on the election, webelieve, encourages participation by people that would be apathetic as wellas provide timely, accurate and impartial information on the conduct of theelections. It is ultimately the same ordinary citizens who validate thecredibility and legitimacy of the eventual electoral outcome. Our monitoringis peculiar because people know that if they try to rig the election therecould be someone behind them that may send a text message reporting theincident.

ABOUT AMANI SMS ELECTION MONITORING SYSTEM

Amani (a Swahili word meaning Peace) is an SMS Social monitoring systemthat Uganda ScoutAssociation through its Peace Ambassadors will be usedfor dynamic data collection, logistics coordination and communication,leveraging basic short message service (SMS) mobile phone technologybefore, during and after the General Elections in 2010. Amani responds toone of the greatest challenges facing field operations access to a largevolume of accurate, timely and actionable information at low cost. TheAmani SMS Social Monitoring System aims to dramatically improve access toinformation, reduce costs and deliver the tools to a global audience.

Amani SMS Social Monitoring System will transform the way data can becollected and utilized. Created for field monitoring of the 2011 General

Elections, Amani establishes a vibrant two-way flow of communication thatempowers stakeholders with a dynamic tool for advanced data collection,analysis and communication that is fast, efficient and accurate. In oneexample of the likely far reaching effects of Amani, Scouts (PeaceAmbassadors) will be able to identify challenges and gaps in the exerciseand track progress in their communities utilizing streamlined technology thatis automatically updated in a central system. Once information is received inthe central system it is automatically plotted on a map, graphs, charts andsummarized which can then be passed on the appropriate stakeholder fornecessary action thereby providing evidence based intervention.

The technology behind this project will be made possible using a SMS hubcalled RapidSMS, developed to keep track of all of the texts. The systemallows mass-messaging to mobile phones and crucially the ability forrecipients to reply to a central computer. Thanks to the system we shall beable to acknowledge receipt of the text (SMS) and even make specificenquiry to individual volunteers and associates (peace ambassadors) in anyarea to confirm the authenticity of reports received. The software also wasable to alert us when a report comes in from our associates or hithertounknown volunteer allowing us to rank the accuracy of the informationreceived.


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Currently the software does not allow for multimedia service (MMS) but thenwe expect a few of our associates took pictures on camera phones and couldonly forward them to us via the internet.

The AMANI SMS Election monitoring growth model will be as describedbelow:

WHY AMANI SMS ELECTION MONITORING WILL SUCCEED

Uganda Scout Association believes SMS Election Monitoring will succeedbecause:

AMANI is a very low cost project needing investment only in theinfrastructure (short code, internet, computers and modem) and aone-off training of the first 928 Peace Ambassadors who will in turnroll-out AMANI by recruiting 8 members using the Scout Methodand Patrol System.

Goodwill from the members of public and the government.

Good organizational structure for co-ordination and networkingthroughout the country. Large number of willing rover scouts (aged

18-26) and scout leaders (teachers) who will be the communitybased reporters (peace ambassadors).

FUTURE PLAN

The AMANI SMS Monitoring system can then be customized and deployedfor in other Scout health programmes and campaigns, tracking funds andmonitoring the achievement of MDGs. Indeed its uses are diverse andenormous but we are using the 2011 General Elections as a pilot.

CONTACTS

MOSES ENGADU

DIRECTOR RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND CAPACITYBUILDING UGANDA SCOUT ASSOCIATION, Baden PowellHouse, Buganda Road MOB: +256772857592,+256701857592EMAIL: [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

uganda scout association_sms based election monitoring 1

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