UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION

FIELD ATTACHMENT REPORT CONDUCTED AT THE UGANDA BUREAU OF
STATISTICS UNDER PROCUREMENT AND DISPOSAL UNIT IN THE
DIRECTORATE OF CORPORATE SERVICES.

MUHAWE YVONNE EDITH

S21B12/020.
SUPERVISED: MR. BEDAN NSABIRABANDI (AGENCY SUPERVISOR)
SUPERVISOR: MR. SIMON PETER MUKISA ( ACADEMIC)

FIELD ATTACHMENT REPORT SUBMITTED TO UGANDA CHRISTIAN

UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF A DEGREE REQUIREMENT IN
BACHELOR OF PROCUREMENT AND LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT.
DECEMBER 2023.

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DECLARATION
I, Muhawe Yvonne Edith declare that the information in this report is to the best of my
knowledge is my original and was entirely obtained by me during my internship carried out
under the guidance of my field supervisor in the Procurement and Disposal Unit. The details
in this report have not been submitted to any institution or organization what so ever for an
academic award
I hereby submit it for the Award of a Bachelor in Procurement and logistics Management.
MUHAWE YVONNE EDITH
SIGNATURE……………………
DATE……………………………..

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APPROVAL
This is to approve that Muhawe Yvonne Edith did her internship at Uganda Bureau of
Statistics under my supervision and this report is a true representation of the activities I
assigned her during this internship.
MR. SIMON PETER MUKISA: THE ACADEMIC SUPERVISER
SIGNATURE………………………………
DATE……………………………………….

MR. BEDAN NSABIRABANDI : THE FIELD SUPERVISOR

SIGNATURE………………………………
DATE……………………………………………

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am beyond grateful to the Almighty for gracing me with the opportunity to carry out my
internship at The Uganda Bureau of Statistics and express my sincere gratitude to thee for
seeing me through the entire period of my this my fieldwork experience which has indeed
laid a great foundation for my future career .
Exceptional thanks go to my parent, siblings, guardians and close friends who have been
there for me all through spiritually, financially and emotionally as I took on this important
journey for your support impacted greatly and made it possible for me to do my very best to
gain a lot from this experience..
I would like to extend special thanks all the staff in the procurement department also
referred to as the Procurement and Disposal unit Mr Victor Ogwal ( The Head of Department
PDU), Mr. Sam Okalang (Principal Procurement Officer), Ms. Annet Nyirankusi (Senior
Procurement Officer) and Mr. Julius Namara (Procurement Officer ) and my field supervisor
Mr. Bedan Nsabirabandi for the tremendous support, guidance and care during the
Internship period, for creating a friendly working environment for me and for the continuous
advice given on life concerning matters related to the business world as well as general world
affairs.
I also thank my fellow interns that I was fortunate to have worked with and built friendships
with namely Nshama Gwenny, Barbra, James, Faridah, Viola, Maria and Kevin from
Register for the teamwork, for teaching me a lot that I was not knowledge of and the
cooperation.
I appreciate everyone who has in anyway knowingly and unknowingly made this experience
a dream come true and a successful chapter of my academic journey. I say thank you so much
and may God richly bless you abundantly.

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ABSTRACT
This is an internship report conducted from 4th of September 2023 to 15th of December 2023 at
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Head quarters, which consists of five chapters
Chapter one provides a detailed background of the bureau, how it came into existence up to
date. It throws light on the values, mission, vision, the mandate and functions of the Bureau.
It also focuses on the structure of the Bureau, the directorates and the top management.
Chapter two reflects the entire internship experience in relation with the tasks performed and
activities participated in throughout the four months
Chapter three basically focuses on the achievements made during the internship process
which include the skills acquired, knowledge and experience gained and the relationship of
what is taught in class and what actually happens at the actual place of work.
Chapter four which further addresses the challenges as well as limitations faced and what
solutions were used to overcome each one of them and summaries the benefit of the
internship experience gained.
Chapter five basically concludes the report. It is composed of recommendations to students,
the Bureau and UCU as the institution of learning with an articulate conclusion.

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Table of Contents
DECLARATION..........................................................................................................................................ii
APPROVAL................................................................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..........................................................................................................................iv
ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................................v
ACRONYMS..............................................................................................................................................vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1
1.1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................1
1.2 BACKGROUND OF UBOS..................................................................................................................1
1.3 VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT OF UBOS............................................................................2
Mandate (Objectives)...............................................................................................................................2
Vision.........................................................................................................................................................2
Mission......................................................................................................................................................2
Core values................................................................................................................................................2
Strategic Goal (Attainment of the Vision and mission);.......................................................................3
1.4 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF UBOS.................................................................................3
CHAPTER TWO: ACTIVITIES / TASKS PERFORMED.....................................................................4
2.1 ACTIVITIES..........................................................................................................................................4
2.2 TASKS PERFORMED..........................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER THREE: LESSONS, EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS..........................................................9
3.1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................9
3.2 LESSONS LEARNT..............................................................................................................................9
3.3 OUTSTANDING EXPERIENCES.....................................................................................................10
3.4 SKILLS GAINED.................................................................................................................................11
CHAPTER FOUR: CHALLENGES, ISSUE ANALYSIS AND LIMITATIONS ENCOUNTERED 13
4.1INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................13
4.2 CHALLENGES FACED......................................................................................................................13
4.3 LIMITATIONS....................................................................................................................................14
4.4 BENEFITS OBTAINED FROM INTERNSHIP...............................................................................14
4.5 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHAT WAS TAUGHT AT SCHOOL AND THE ACTUAL
FIELD EXPERIENCE...............................................................................................................................15
CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION.....................................................16
5.1 Recommendations................................................................................................................................16
5.1.1 To the Organization......................................................................................................................16
5.1.2 To the University...........................................................................................................................16
5.1.3 To the students...............................................................................................................................16

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5.2 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................................17
 UBOS website www.ubos.org............................................................................................................17
APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................................18

ACRONYMS
MFPED - Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development
PDU - Procurement and Disposal Unit
ED - Executive Director.
HoD - Head of Department
DED - Deputy Executive Director
LPOs - Local Purchase Orders
BEBs - Best Evaluated Bidder Notices
RFQ - Request for Quotation
PPDA - Public procurement and disposal of public Assets Authority

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter gives a picture of the journey of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics from where it
started from up to date in a detailed manner and it captures the Organizational background of
this great organisation.

1.2 BACKGROUND OF UBOS

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics is the official government agency responsible for
coordinating, monitoring and supervising of the National Statistical System in Uganda that
was established in 1998 as a semi-autonomous body formed by the Uganda Bureau of
Statistics Act. The Bureau is under The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic
Development with its head office located at Statistics House along Colville street on Plot 9
and online on the official UBOS website: https://www.ubos.org.

Initially before the Uganda Bureau of Statistics came into existence, the EAC department for
statistics established in 1948 with its headquarters in Nairobi with a bid to have data on the
EAC which was a making of a union among the British, Indians and other Arabs and it
operated for over 13 years till Uganda gained her Independence in 1961 where Change
occurred. During this very year, A statistics act was written by the Europeans to develop
statistics for them and established statistics office in MFPED housed in Entebbe. In 1962, the
function was moved to the office of the Prime minister where the statistics department was
then established. In 1964, this department was moved back to MFPED and the statistics unit
came to existence. Between 1964 and 1987, the EAC was developed and countries worked
together for over 12years with peace which was later disrupted with the division of the EAC
and change in power and this resulted to the collapse of statistics and it's continuous
destruction during the period of war.

Between 1987 and 1994 when a new government came into power , there was need for data.
A baseline study was then conducted to inform the economic recovery and this brought back
minimal statistics unit under MPED until 1994. In 1995, The National constitution of Uganda
was established which brought back life to the previously fallen Statistics. By 1997, under the
New Uganda Constitution, The MFPED created statistics units which grew into a department
hence strengthened statistics.

In the year 1998, The parliament of Uganda created the Uganda Bureau of Statistics through
"The UBOS Act 1998 cap 310 that was drafted and passed with the Main office in Entebbe .
The Bureau recruited a board of governors with the 1st chairman as Prof. Ben Kinyegera , the
1st Executive director as Mr. JB Male_Mukasa to recruit workers making the official
functioning of the agency as recruitment began in the year 2000. The bureau also wrote the
first 5 year strategic plan "The UBOS Corporate Plan 2002- 07.

In 2002, The first successful population census by Ugandans was conducted which yielded
good fortunes as The IMF and world bank provided funds for the construction of the
Statistics House which was started in 2004 in Kampala .By 2006, The New Main office also

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the Official Headquarters of UBOS moved to Kampala following the completion of the
Statistics House. There after, the Bureau wrote the 2nd strategic plan 2007-2012 to
consolidate achievements.

In 2010, The Bureau celebrated the First 10 years of service. The next was during the period
of Covid 19 and looking forward to celebrating the next 10years come 2030.

1.3 VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT OF UBOS

Mandate (Objectives)
the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Act,1998 provides for the development and
maintenance of a National Statistical System(NSS) purposed to ensure collection, analysis
and publication of integrated, relevant, reliable and timely statistical information. It
established the Bureau to coordinate, monitor and supervise the National Statistical System
hence making it the source of the official statistical data in Uganda. The Bureau is also
responsible for;

 Providing high quality central statistics information services.

 Promoting standardization in the collection, analysis and publication of statistics to
ensure uniformity in quality, adequacy of coverage and reliability of statistical
information.
 Providing guidance, training and any other assistance as may be required to other
users and providers of statistics.
 Promoting cooperation, coordination and rationalization among users and providers of
statistics at the national and local levels so as to avoid duplication and ensure optimal
utilization of scarce resources.
Vision
 To be a World class National Statistical Office.
Mission
 To coordinate the National Statistical System and provide quality statistics and
statistical services that support development processes
Core values
Professionalism: The Bureau shall uphold internationally acceptable laws, ethics,
conversations and standards of the statistical profession in order to produce quality statistics.

Integrity: The Bureau shall adhere to an ethical code of conduct, transparency and honesty in
the statistical production and dissemination.

Mutual Respect: The Bureau staff shall uphold mutual respect as a key value among staff at
different levels.

Team work: The Bureau shall maintain effective team spirit through encouraging individual
and team motivation.

User Orientation: The Bureau shall in execution of it's mandate be demand driven and
respond to user needs and priorities.

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Strategic Goal (Attainment of the Vision and mission);
 To Develop and Maintain an Integrated, Coherent and Reliable National Statistical
System.

1.4 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF UBOS

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 CHAPTER TWO: ACTIVITIES / TASKS PERFORMED
During the course of my internship, I was involved in a number of activities and did tasks
given to me as elaborated below;

2.1 ACTIVITIES
Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) offers a number of additional professional services.
Among these UBOS provides statistics tailored to your needs and one can also order your
own unique survey.

The Bureau provides training on different courses or seminars offered every year, giving you
a deeper understanding of statistics and those tools used for further processing and analysis.

Data Collection and Surveys

Uganda Bureau of Statistics can customize surveys according to the needs of our customers.
In case you would like help with a part of your survey, such as questionnaire design or data
collection, we can also assist you.

We offer a number of surveys that are designed in a package format to give guidance when,
for instance, public service companies and private companies want to improve their
operations.

UBOS is mandated by the statistics Act to collect data and process it. It therefore offers these
services at subsidized rates.

Please visit the UBOS – Coordination Office

Resource Centre
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics Library has a resource centre and is open to the public,
between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Monday to Friday except for Public Holidays.

Statistical Consultancy
Although the Statistical Services at UBOS are being funded by the Government and other
Donors, UBOS is interested in directly generating income with a view, in the medium term,
to being in part self-supporting. To this end it is offering consultancy services for internal and
external clients for which a fee would be negotiated for work carried out.
Our professionals will assist you in identifying your information needs and product portfolio
and recommend the most appropriate Statistics Uganda products and services in line with
your budget. This service includes custom data, maps, research and analysis.

Consulting services in statistical and survey methods

UBOS’ Statistical Consultation Group offers consultation, project management services, and
statistical training services to government departments and agencies, public and private sector
institutions, in Uganda and abroad.

Internship

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UBOS offers internships to students, these are offered by departments in the Bureau, these
are well-managed at the department level, and the students are registered for internships in
such a way as to minimize any need to use EX grades.

Employment
Uganda Bureau of Statistics is an organization that offers equal employment opportunity to
all applicants. Please visit the vacancies web page regularly for any opportunities

I participated in activities like Bidding, Evaluating, , documentation which are some of the
activities that lie under PDU.

2.2 TASKS PERFORMED

Understand the procurement process of UBOS.

I was given a procurement file to read through, to understand how the process of procurement
is done, which forms are used, who is responsible for what under the Procurement and
Disposal unit where I was allocated.

Check listing.

Check listing is the process of verifying that all items and facts are available using a
checklist. A checklist can be referred to as a list of things to be checked or done. I was given
a procurement file to verify whether the following vital documents are in it as stated;

 Form 5
 Contract committee minutes approving method of procurement
 Solicitation document
 Form 8 for Issue of Sales
 Form 11 for Records of Bids received before the deadline of bid submission.
 Form 12 for Record of bid opening
 Form13 for Declaration to abide by the ethical code of conduct
 Form 16 for The Evaluation report
 Contract committee minutes for reviewing and approving evaluation report.
 Notice of the Best Evaluated bidder
 Local purchase order
 Contract implementation plan.
 Contract agreement for the case of a Framework.
 Payment Authorization granting Accounts permission for payment to be made.
 Payment Voucher to show that a payment has been made.
All the above stated things must be checked before any file is taken for auditing both
internally and externally as the checklist is used to confirm that documents are available for
inspection under Section 41 (2) of the PPDA Act of 2003.

Evaluations of Bids received and make Evaluation reports.

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I was assigned to evaluate bids received and tasked to make Evaluation reports for the
distinctive subjects of procurement. Bid Evaluation refers to the process of examining bids
received using the three stages stated in the solicitation document namely preliminary
examination, detailed technical evaluation and financial comparison used to identify the best
evaluated bidder /preferred supplier.

While evaluating, I typed out a report each time with details under each evaluation stage in
relation with the subjects of procurement indicating the degree of compliance and
responsiveness using a computer.

Create a guide on How procurement documents opt to be arranged

Having reviewed a number of previously completed procurement files , to test if I had learnt
the process of procurement, I was tasked to make a detailed guide showing the order in which
Procurement documents opt to be arranged in descending order.

Allocation of Reference numbers.

Reference numbers are usually allocated to new subjects of procurement which act as
identification codes which I gave to each by writing in the Form 5 book following an
ascending from 00001 to 00002 onwards after which these numbers are written on the Form 5
document filed for the financial years 22-23 and 23-24.

I was assigned to always record LPOs once they are issued into the Form 5 book as well
before taking the copies to the Transport Office.

Data Entry into the computer

I entered data collected on subjects of procurement previously recorded in books into the
computer in a systematic manner while complying each from the lowest reference number to
the highest reference number.

Printing and photocopying

Printing is the activity of producing writing or images on paper or other material using a
machine while photocopying is the process of producing copies of original documents and
drawings using a photocopier. I printed documents from user accounts and photocopied
copies of original documents that I was instructed to make to be kept for future reference as
originals are usually taken to various offices for various reasons in regards with the
procurement process.

Scanning documents

I scanned documents using the photocopiers which possess scanners each to the user accounts
of the procurement officers in PDU as each of them as official staff have accounts on the
machine that they use to be able to print, scan and photocopy.

Make /prepare documents.

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I prepared documents like a solicitation document which is a document used to request
potential suppliers to offer a quote, bid, or proposal to acquire goods, supplies, and services,
payment authorization forms, Evaluation reports and Reports on compiled data on payment
vouchers and completed procurements.

Send emails with attached documents

I was tasked to create emails and send them with the attached documents that I scanned to the
different user accounts to bidders for the cause of Best Evaluated bidder notices for their
consideration, documents in procurement files to members of PDU, Pre bid minutes to the
contracts committee among others.

Record dummies, LPOs, memos and form 5s.

I recorded the above stated documents before taking copies and sometimes originals to the
user departments, the office of finance and accounts and office of the director of corporate
services.

Submission of documents for signing.

I was instructed to submit documents for signing as referred to as collecting signatures for
files to be reviewed by the contract committee and be cleared by top management for
example The contract implementation form signed by the contract manager selected by the
user departments, The best evaluated bidder notices signed by the Director corporate
services , the Director Executive director, the Executive director depending on the value of
money the subject of procurement holds and type of procurement.

Take documents to distinctive offices as instructed.

I delivered documents to the office of transport for vehicle related procurements, Office of
the Director corporate services for clearance and approval, to the Office of Finance and
Accounts for financial related issues such as payments and verification of availability of
funds, user departments for their consideration and Administration for administrative affairs.

Follow up clearance of funds

I assisted the IT department follow up the clearance of availability of funds for the
Procurement of toners upon being asked when I delivered the form 5 from the HoD of PDU.

Collection of files from the HoD, Audit, the EDs and DEDs offices

I collected files from the offices that were to be returned to the PDU.

Filing of original documents and copies of original documents taken to other

departments.

I was given the responsibility of ensuring all LPOs are filed in their files for this financial
year 23-24 and payment copies in the payments files of each month.

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Assist in organization of performance sheets of staff members

I along side a team of interns assisted in the organizing of the performance sheets as per the
list that Mr. Mukurasi Julius was using to guide us as we arranged them in ascending order.

Handle a subject of procurement

I was tasked by the senior officer to handle the entire prices of the subject of procurement

From the start to finish right from making the file upto it's completion.

Arrange memos with their respective payment invoices

I was given memos and payment invoices to align them with each other in relation with their
respective subjects of procurements in question.

Disposing off documents

I was given documents to dispose off by trashing them using a machine to avoid duplication
of data that is a risk associated with not properly disposing them off properly yet they possess
critical information not supposed to be exposed to just anyone.

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 CHAPTER THREE: LESSONS, EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS

3.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter is basically summarizes the level of productivity and level of achievement
during my internship. It gives detail on my practical learning experience gained as it gives a
generalized overview of the benefits of the internship as per the allowance of my working
contract.

3.2 LESSONS LEARNT

 Teamwork
Teamwork involves working with one or more individuals with an aim of accomplishing a
task at the first attempt with less room for errors. I worked with my colleagues in PDU while
evaluating bids returned, assisting Mr Mukurasi Julius under Administration to organize staff
performance sheets, complying payment vouchers, collecting signatures for files as and when
required which enabled us complete work within a reasonable period of time and high
accuracy

 Proofreading
It is important to always crosscheck all documents prepared to ensure they are accurate and
without errors and if not, corrections are made early which reduces the risk of repetition of
work when mistakes done are identified far too late.

Making a solicitation document which involved editing of the original softcopy available
depending on the type of procurement. I learnt that to always make sure the necessary
adjustments are made in accordance with the subject of procurement in question such as
dates, specifications, procurement method approved, estimated values and all the vital details
that must be included related to Evaluation, code of conduct, declarations , requirements of
compliance among others as the bidders use this document to make their bids and it is also
used during the evaluation process by the evaluation committee.

 Evaluation process
Upon bid opening which involves the opening of bids returned by potential suppliers and
received by procurement officer, which usually occurs after the bid closing deadline has
elapsed, the bids received are recorded on Form 12 for record of bids received. After which,
these bids are evaluated using the three stages of evaluation with reference to the solicitation
document and form 5 to determine the best evaluated bidder who is later awarded to contract
to procure the services or supplies depending of the subject of procurement. While evaluating
, a Form 16 is prepared also known as an Evaluation report which shows the entire evaluation
process in detail which is signed by the evaluation committee members and minutes made as
well of their meeting that are all reviewed by the contract committee to verify that the right
procedure was used.

 Documents submission
Documents are taken to the HoD first for verification and approval before the procurement
process proceeds to the next steps for example the LPOs , Form5s for subject of procurement,

9
confirmation of availability of funds , Memos , Solicitation documents, Best evaluated bidder
notices after which they are forwarded for payments and taken to the director Corporate
services who heads the directorate in which PDU belongs as shown in chapter 1 for his
approval by signature and stamp for the payment to be authorized on the payment
authorization forms granting the department of Finance and accounts permission to make the
payments.

I also delivered procurement files to the External audit who required them for the sample
auditing procedure which is a process usually carried out every financial year to crosscheck if
the details are indeed accurate and the procurement process as per PPDA has been maintained
and consistent.

 Data Entry
I was taught how to enter data with figures using Microsoft word, how to make desired
tables, how to edit out already existent data that I used while making the entries which I did
for the data of payment vouchers that I collected with my colleagues from the office of
Accounts and Finance, as well as the subjects of procurements for the Financial year 22-23
that were requested for by Audit.

 Recording of Data for documents

Recording of Data involves writing or typing of detailed information regarding the
documents handled by PDU. Under this department, All documents are recorded in their
respective books for example the Form 5 book, the LPOs issued book, the PR and memos
book, the forwarded for payments book which contains the section for dummy payments
which payments that were delayed to be paid due to funds but are in the process of being
cleared and these are also made in softcopy for backup Incase need arises.

The details usually emphasized include the reference number of the subject of procurement,
the subject of procurement name, the provider/supplier, the contract amount, the name of
contract manager, the LPO number , invoice number and date as well as the forwarded date
as stated in the forms and documents prepared.

3.3 OUTSTANDING EXPERIENCES

Initially upon having been called to attend the orientation earlier with all other interns, I
almost got focused to go back to get a national ID to be allowed into the bureau but
fortunately I had the contact of the Human resource officer in charge of handling internship
relations Ms Nantalo Solome that I was allowed in.

I along side other interns attend a two day orientation where we were briefed on a number of
critical details as a official part-time staff of the bureau namely the dress code , discipline,
respect , time management , what to do when challenged , the structural distribution of the
bureau which we were given a tour of among other.

I got the opportunity to attend the staff meeting associated with the selection of the members
of the board of the Staff Retirement savings scheme which had recently been adopted this

10
year where I saw various staff members both permanent and part-time nominate potential
candidates as per the voting procedure required.

I travelled to Kitgum with a team of UBOS staff members as well as other interns which was
a great experience and opportunity availed to be able to travel upcountry to represent the
Bureau during the Independence celebration as a mandate since it is a Government agency
which gave me the chance to go to places I had never visited before like Gulu town where
we spent the night.

I managed to network through creating good relations while carrying out the tasks assigned to
me in a number of departments like in Administration, Human Resource , IT ,
Communication and dissemination, Public relations , transport, Stores as well as the PDU in
which I was placed for my internship.

3.4 SKILLS GAINED

 Computer skills
During my internship, I was exposed to continuous use of the computer as well as the
modified photocopiers' systems all connected to the advanced software technologies. I
improved on my typing ability and learnt how to edit, use the short code for pasting , copying
data , saving documents , how to use Microsoft word better. I also developed printing,
scanning and photocopying skills using the machine that uses software to operate.

 Communication skills
Communication is vital in every working environment as it impacts greatly on the level of
productivity of the organization. I developed the confidence to talk with staff members freely
with the required level of respect accounted for, how to deliver messages sent through me to
respective recipients, when to speak and not to especially when being instructed to do
something, being advised and corrected where mistakes were made and to make sure I
watched both my verbal and non verbal communication.

 Interpersonal skills
These kinds of skills involve how you relate with different people. I adjusted to the
environment and the different kinds of people with unique types of behaviors and managed to
develop mechanism on how to handle them distinctively with consideration of the moods and
way they operate as a way of avoiding unnecessary issues.

 Analytical skills
During my internship, I gained ability to look through documents and any situations at hand
within PDU with a kin eye and critically when reviewing them, checking for details of
particular paperwork while proofreading and making forms while referring to the data
available on the different subjects of procurement.

 Recordkeeping
I was equipped with the knowledge and practical skill on how to record the documents as
required for future reference and accountability purposes for example LPOs issued , form

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5s ,dummies , memos , payment vouchers , procurements forwarded for payments among
others.

 Problem Solving Skills

Problem-solving skills are the ability to evaluate and analyse an issue any situation and then
respond effectively. I managed to demonstrate this answering to questions asked and
examine issues from the critical angles of thought which helped me come upto with creative
solutions to the challenges.

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 CHAPTER FOUR: CHALLENGES, ISSUE ANALYSIS AND
LIMITATIONS ENCOUNTERED

4.1INTRODUCTION
This chapter gives an overview of the challenges and limitations faced during the course of
my internship.

4.2 CHALLENGES FACED

 Some Rude staff
I happened to be sent to take procurement files for signing on two occasions and the official I
and my colleague were sent to was rude and a bit harsh to us for no reason yet we were trying
to get the documents ‘issues handle as we had been instructed by the supervisor and refused
to sign which contributed to the delay in the completion of those procurements.

 Machine breakdowns
The photocopiers due to delayed servicing and overuse made workflow difficult as they
failed to print out and photocopy documents and could only scan due to paper jam. This led
to a slow flow of work in the Bureau. Considering that this was an institutional related issue,
a complaint was passed on to the IT department who later one forwards the matter and the
faulty machines where replaced with new ones.

 Unexpected rain
Considering that my internship happened to be during a period of rains that are usually
unexpected as per the concern of time, the unfavorable weather changes made movement to
the office and back home after work house.

Sometimes due to a restricted budget, I was forced to wait for the rains to stop to be able to
travel from home considering where I stay is far from the main road and I couldn't afford to
get private vehicle means of transport. I managed to get a temporary solution to this by
purchasing a raincoat which made it possible for me to move freely whenever rain found me
on the move.

 Traffic Situation
The existence of the heavy traffic that sometimes start as early as 6 am made my goal to
always be in office on time a bit difficult as I sometimes found myself getting stuck in traffic
for hours. I opted to start using faster means of transport where possible.

 Complicated colleagues
In the group of 8 interns of which I was a part under PDU, there were some individuals that
sometimes took work for granted and preferred to postponed tasks given yet deadlines were
to be made, where not willing to help out just because someone else was given the work not
them and sometimes were not willing to take correction and instead decided to be on the
argumentative end even when at fault. I managed to go about this by notifying the supervisor
during cases when they refused to listen and he always helped us by instructing them to do
the work.

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4.3 LIMITATIONS
 Stationary shortages
The bureau had a challenge of lack of stationary like paper and pens which were highly
request to facilitate the flow of work as there is demand for them considering that most
activities need paperwork as an Evidence based organization. This caused a standstill in
completion of tasks given as there was need to wait for it to be bought in order for work to
continue

 Access to offices
It was difficult to move in and out of the offices as the main doors have a complex access
security system that only allows the doors to open when an official staff member either uses
their finger print on the identify cards or finger from which the finger print was gotten during
the times their cards were being processed .This restricted me from movement and
conditioned me to have to wait for the any staff members coming in or leaving the floor in
which I was sent to submit documents, print out documents from, collect files and documents
from as well as when I needed to enter office and take my leave which was an inconvenience
and made it tough for me to go around my daily duties in an efficient manner as I intially had
planned to.

 Height disadvantage
Considering that I am 5 feet tall, I was only able to reach files and items within my range
hence it became difficult for me to get items like box files in the upper cupboard when
assigned to

4.4 BENEFITS OBTAINED FROM INTERNSHIP

An internship is a professional learning experience which offers meaningful, practical work
related to a student’s field of study or career interest. An internship gives a student the
opportunity for career exploration and development, and to learn new skills. It offers the
employer the opportunity to bring new ideas on the table and energy into the workplace,
develop talent and potentially build for future full-time employees

Internship has exposed the reality of the current business environments which has to a greater
extent adapted to the ever evolving world and has incorporated use of AI technology and
software with an aim of working more efficiently and meeting the demand trends for data.

It has instilled professional skills and morals for instance the corporate dress code, discipline,
how to address staff of different levels of hierarchy, way in which to communicate and how
things are done in the workplace.

Gaining actual work experience which contributes as proof of actual practical knowledge of
the career path had chosen when it comes to qualification for job opportunities as most
organizations prefer working alongside people with actual experience rather than just the
theory based knowledge.

Improved skillset for example in Computer related skills like improved typing, editing, and
scanning, business communication skills such as manner of writing emails, minutes for

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committee meetings, preparing memos both internal and external and how to communicate in
a professional manner, interpersonal skills like understanding the different kinds of people
within the organization and devising ways of how to relate with them properly.

4.5 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHAT WAS TAUGHT AT SCHOOL AND THE

ACTUAL FIELD EXPERIENCE.
This internship revealed the relationship that exists between theoretical knowledge attained
from school and the practical knowledge gained during internship for instance the processes
of bidding, solicitation, procurement, the procurement methods used as per the PPDA law,
which were actively practiced in PDU. Some of the other cores were also catered for as
previous taught, at the workplace like the business communication skills which were key
namely the use of verbal and non- verbal communication, the way minutes were to be
written, the types of memos and their purposes as well as the principles of communication.

I was also informed of the new ideas that were not taught at school during the internship and
This helped to grow on my knowledge base like the way solicitation documents were
prepared, the number of days considered when determining the bid closing dates, the
evaluation process duration and period of bid validity and determination of the criteria used
when evaluating among others. In relation with the subjects of procurement which are
referred to as procurements at schools, the documentation for micros which are procurements
below 5 million ,RFQ, macros differ from those of Corporate services.

This internship also enabled me make my own observations of the activities taking place
physically and applying the theory taught with the practical knowledge attained, make
guided decisions and set my own priorities as to what to focus on and what to ignore from
what learnt while at school as an observant learner.

Fieldwork provides an opportunity' to study the real world and gives students the clear
picture of what it is all about compared to the perceptions that they have on it as it they are
given chance to put their theory into practice as well as identify what is relatable . It also
enables them get informed data on the areas associated with their career interests and add the
unknown to the already known as it increases the students’ knowledge understanding and
skillset.

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 CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Recommendations
5.1.1 To the Organization
I recommend UBOS to consider providing food allowances and transport to interns
considering that they work from 8am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday and do a lot of work on
behalf of the Bureau. This will be a great motivation to them to even work better which will
benefit the organization as well.

I recommend that issues of urgency are worked upon in an agile manner as the organization
can not operate properly when they delayed to be sorted out especially when it comes to
stationary which is a big challenge at hand within the bureau.

I recommend UBOS to apply rotation of interns to different departments with an

understanding of the course units taught at school so that they have exposed learners that
might be of great value in the long run to them . This will promote the culture of diversity
within the Bureau.

5.1.2 To the University.

My recommendation to UCU is to put more emphasis on use of the software systems and AI
as most organizations are gradually turning to the digitalized era of business. This will expose
students to opportunity to develop advanced knowledge and skills which will give them
advantage when they join the working environment after having completed their degrees.

5.1.3 To the students

My recommendation to the students is to be open-minded and willing to learn all the time for
it is always those willing to be the learn even with knowledge that gain a lot with continuous
practice.

5.2 Conclusion
This internship has given me a lot of insight on what procurement is all about not only in
UBOS but in general which I previously had little knowledge of before I embarked on this
internship journey. After getting the actual practical experience, I am able to understand and
make sense of all that I learnt while at school and this has paved way for me to broaden my
knowledge and improve my skills as I work towards a successful career.

It has been a good attachment with learning blocks, achievements and difficulties but I
managed to stay firm all through and gain the most I could having been given the
opportunity to learn. I indeed enjoyed this experience and I am humbled to have been among
the fortunate selected interns to get to experience this exposure at the early levels of my
career ahead.

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REFERENCES
 UBOS website www.ubos.org

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 APPENDIX

Me leading prayers during the orientation In Kitgum representing

UBOS during independence

Conference hall at UBOS during orientation

Sample of my log book entry

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