The Office of the President has embarked on the data capture exercise of all Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries in all parishes across the country. The program was launched on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, with a training of the Gombolola Intelligence Security Officers (GISOs) at the Office of the RDC in Luuka District.

The GISOs will be conducting a data capture exercise on PDM beneficiaries in all villages across the country.

The Resident District Commissioner, Ronald Katende, expressed his appreciation for Luuka District being chosen as the first district to roll out the program. He stressed the significance of collaboration among district leaders to ensure the program’s success.

Katende highlighted the disbursement of UGX 6.8 billion to 6,953 beneficiaries across 64 parishes in the district during the PDM program’s initial implementation. He acknowledged challenges encountered, including misconceptions about the program being a presidential reward, difficulties in enterprise selection, a lack of extension workers on the ground, negative attitudes from some political leaders, and malpractices by certain bank officials, among others.

Col Charles Ndawula, the Director of Social Affairs for the Office of the President, said that the reason for using the GISOs is because they know their parishes and are well known to the beneficiaries, which will make it easy to get accurate information.

He commended their efforts in submitting PDM information during the pre-capture exercise. He emphasized the importance of the data capture program’s success.

“This data on Pillar Six of the Parish Development Model Information System (PDMIS) will be crucial for understanding beneficiaries, their use of resources, and the program’s impact,” Col Ndawula said.

Col Ndawula acknowledged past challenges, including misuse of funds and inaccurate data collection.

“To address these concerns, a new app has been developed to enhance transparency and data collection. The app will capture beneficiary information, including photos and physical addresses, creating a reliable database for future government planning and monitoring of the program,” Col Ndaula noted.

He added that besides capturing the data of the PDM beneficiaries, the app will also capture the physical addresses of social services in the respective districts, like hospitals, schools, and banks, among others. Additionally, the app will facilitate better monitoring of fund allocation and project implementation, enabling the identification and resolution of challenges faced by beneficiaries.

The District Chairperson, Simon Wakaze, pledged the district’s commitment to the success of the data capture program and the PDM initiative as a whole.

Moses Wangadya, representing the Chief Administrative Officer, echoed the district’s commitment to the PDM’s success and the data capture program’s implementation. He urged PDM beneficiaries and local leaders to cooperate and provide accurate information when approached.

The District Police Commander, SP Ndita Nasibu, among other district leaders, attended the official opening of the training.