SMS for Human Rights

The SMS system was piloted in two districts within the regions Mwanza, Iringa, and Lindi. The Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance is the national machinery that promotes and protects human rights and good governance in Tanzania. CHRAGG has one central and a number of regional offices, and complainants have traditionally needed to go to one of these offices to file a complaint or submit their case, which can be financially prohibitive to many Tanzanians. The SMS system was designed to enable individuals to file complaints, check the status of already filed complaints, and receive feedback through SMS.

The SMS system builds on the installation of a computerised case management system in 2009-10, which has helped the Commission resolve complaints in a more timely manner. The pilot districts were chosen as they have good cell phone coverage and are considered representative of the wider country. This also assisted in the application of lessons learned for the future roll out of the project.

As part of the project, non-governmental organisations, members of staff in districts, primary school students, and teachers received training in using the SMS system. These individuals were responsible for receiving, recording, and sending incidences of human rights violations and contravention of good governance principles.

The project was implemented in four phases, and each phase involved collaborative partnerships of public and private institutions, selected for the specific skill sets they possess. CHRAGG coordinated all project activities in the country, including planning, implementation, and evaluation of the project. Bessbrook International (T) Ltd, provided resource support to the project and an on-line collaboration tool to allow all the project partners to coordinate their activities.

Technology, Human Rights, Democracy

According to CHRAGG, one of the advantages of this project is the fact that mobile technology is a fast growing area. The competition between rival companies in this domain has attracted and advanced technologies which are used, such as phones, and the service price is becoming more and more affordable. CHRAGG also hopes that the price of equipment (phones) and the technology behind it, such as means of charging batteries, will improve. The Commission intends to request mobile phone companies to assist in providing free service to a free number, which will reduce overhead costs for the Commission.