In a bid to track employment trends, workforce productivity and strengthen labour administration in Uganda, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) is in its final stages of rolling out the Labour Administration Management Information System (LAMIS). This week, the Ministry, in partnership with Enabel, began training a core team of trainers who will cascade knowledge of the system to other users.
The five-day workshop, taking place at Fairway Hotel in Kampala, comprises selected Labour Officers who will train other users of the system countrywide. The training is a key part of the Ministry’s wider drive to modernise labour administration and improve how labour services are delivered, recorded, monitored, and reported; while measuring jobs created, jobs lost and productivity levels across the country.
The LAMIS has been developed to provide a more coordinated, efficient and reliable platform for managing labour administration information and supporting labour officers in carrying out their responsibilities.
This initiative directly advances key national policy commitments. The Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) sets as its overarching goal “to achieve higher household incomes, full monetisation of the economy, and employment for sustainable socio-economic transformation,” under the theme of “Sustainable industrialization for inclusive growth, employment, and wealth creation.” The NDP IV prioritises the creation of an average of about 900,000 jobs annually and places strong emphasis on digital transformation of Government services and the development of a skilled, productive and competitive workforce.
By generating timely, accurate and harmonized labour data from the district level to the national level, LAMIS provides the critical evidence base required to track employment trends, enhance workforce productivity and guide the policy decisions that will deliver NDP IV’s employment and industrialisation targets.
Equally, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Manifesto 2026-2031 makes an explicit commitment under its Labour and Employment section to “Develop a National Management Information System (MIS)/Database on Labour Force and Enterprise to provide reliable data to guide policy-making, monitor employment trends, assess skills gaps, enforce labour standards, and support investment and social protection planning.” Thus, LAMIS is a concrete step toward fulfilling this manifesto pledge.
While opening the training on Monday, Mr Apollo Onzoma, the Assistant Commissioner Industrial Relations, said the system is intended to strengthen administrative data generation, harmonise reporting processes and make labour information more timely, accurate and useful for decision-making. It will also support employer reporting and strengthen the flow of labour inspection information from the district and local government level to the Ministry, he added.
Onzoma, who represented Alex Asiimwe, Commissioner Labour, Industrial Relations and Productivity, urged the trainees to confidently use the system, train other officers, guide users, support its rollout and provide informed feedback on areas that may require improvement.
“I encourage you to approach this training with that responsibility in mind by participating actively, asking questions, working through the different processes and modules, and raising any areas that may be unclear,” he said. He urged trainers and future users of LAMIS to bear the responsibility of promoting proper data entry, consistent use of the system and adherence to the agreed procedures.
Lucie Carlier, Project Manager Decent Work and Social Protection Project at Enabel, reminded the trainees of the journey that started in March 2024 to modernise labour administration services through a digital platform.
Carlier described the development of LAMIS as not only an ICT investment, but also a strategic reform aimed at strengthening labour governance in Uganda.
“As Enabel, we are proud to have supported this initiative through the Decent Work and Social Protection Programme, reflecting our commitment to strengthening institutions that promote decent work, social dialogue, labour rights, and social protection in Uganda,” Carlier said.
She encouraged participants to actively engage in the practical sessions, ask questions, share experiences, and provide constructive feedback, noting that their role as trainers and champions of the system will be critical in ensuring successful adoption and sustainability.
When asked about when users should expect to start using the system, Joshua Mpairwe, the lead consultant at Centric Solutions, the company that developed LAMIS, suggested that the system shall be rolled-out as soon as he addresses issues raised during the training.
By digitizing labour administration processes and generating real-time, reliable data on employment trends and workforce productivity, LAMIS will help Government to track progress toward the employment and productivity targets set out in both NDP IV and the NRM Manifesto. Ultimately, the system will support evidence-based decision-making and stronger labour governance across the country.
