KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES AND COMMUNICATION
LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE SECTION

A REPORT ON FIELD ATTACHMENT CARRIED OUT

WITH THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
FROM JUNE TO JULY 2019

By
MAWANDA VINCENT
18/U/LIS/11350/PE

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF
DIPLOMA IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
OF KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY
 DECLARATION

I Mawanda Vincent declare that the work in this report is based on my own work carried out
during the field attachment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, in
Registry Unit under the supervision of Mr. Ssemakula Bernard.

I assert the statements made and conclusions drawn are an outcome of my field attachment and
has never been done or submitted by anyone else for the award of a Diploma in Library and
Information Science.

I further certify that; I have followed the guidelines provided by the university in writing this
report.

Registration Number: 18/U/LIS/11350/PE

Signature: ………………………..

Date: …………………………….

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 APPROVAL

HOST SUPERVISOR:

Name: ………………………………………………..

Signature: ……………………………… Date: …………………………………

KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR:

Name: …………………………………………………

Signature: ………………………………… Date: …..............................................

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 DEDICATION
First and foremost, I dedicate this report to God, the Almighty, my creator, my strong pillar, my
source of inspiration, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He has been the source of my
strength throughout this internship training and on His wings only I have soared.

I also dedicate this work to my mother and father; Mrs. Nanteza Annet and Mr. Katerega Bernard
who has encouraged me all the way and whose encouragement has made sure that I give it all it
takes to finish that which I have started.

To my siblings; Kayondo Alex (Elder brother), Najjuko Allen (Young sister) and Kimera Ernest
(Young brother) who have been affected in every way possible by this quest. Thank you. My love
for you all can never be quantified. God bless you.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This report has been undertaken in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Diploma
in Library and Information Science of Kyambogo University. I wish to acknowledge certain
institutions and individuals for their fundamental contributions towards the progress in my
academic journey.
First, I want to thank Uganda Children Sponsorship Program (UCSP) together with the National
Coordinator; Deacon Charles Lubega for sponsoring my studies and as well as my living
expenses.
Bearing in mind previous, I am using this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude and special
thanks to the Senior Records Officer; Mr. Ssemakula Bernard of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Uganda, who in spite of being extraordinarily busy with his duties, took time out
to hear, guide and keep me on the correct path and allowing me to carry out my internship at their
esteemed organization and extending during the training.
Secondly, I’m so grateful too for the unflagging support and wise advice from Rev. Dr. Emma
Kiwanuka, Mrs. Allen Kiwanuka, and Mr. Patrick Lubulwa, throughout my academic journey.
The support of Mr. and Mrs. Mulinde Charles of Uganda Orphanage Relief Fund (UORF) in
collaboration with Uganda Children Sponsorship Program (UCSP) is also acknowledged.
Befitting also is that, I thank my lecturers of Library and Information Science Program at
Kyambogo University for their contribution in making me aware of current issues in the program
through different courses. Their input proved to be very helpful during my field attachment.
I would like to thank all my fellow students of LIS (2018/2019) of Kyambogo University for their
help and support. I particularly would like to thank Mr. Olanya Phillip, Ms. Nakagiri Phiona,
Mr. Kakama Brian, Ms. Kijusyo Anna Mary, and Ms. Nakitende Sylvia as my discussion
group.
Thirdly, I wish to humbly acknowledge with sincere gratitude, my supervisor; Mr. Mafuko John
Francis for his advice and guidance during the field attachment. It is his persistent criticism that
brought hope and confidence in me, even at the most depressing moments. He was truly a source
of inspiration. Mr. Mafuko‘s support has certainly made studying at Kyambogo University an
enhancing and a developmental experience.
Finally, I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda.

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 LIST OF ACRONYMS

MoFA: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

REC: Regional Economic Corporation

UN: United Nations

ICGLR: International Conference on the Great Lakes Region

COMESA: Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

PPO: Principal Personnel Officer

IGAD: Intergovernmental Authority on Development

SPO: Senior Personnel Officer

NEPAD: New Partnership for Africa's Development

SADC: Southern African Development Community

RC: Resource center

AU: African union

NAMERA: Northern America, Middle East and the Rest of Africa

MOT: Multinational Organization of Treaties

EAC: East African community

SAS: Senior Assistant Secretary

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 ABSTRACT

The internship report in broad-spectrum contains four chapters in which I explain my two-month
internship. The content in all chapters is broadly explained and constructed from the practical basis
carried out at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda.

In the opening chapter (Chapter one), I give details of the Ministry Profile, including its
background, Mission, Vision, Strategic objectives and the Core values. In this chapter, I put
emphasis on the historical background of the Ministry.

The Second Chapter is the most hunted chapter which explains my overall internship familiarity
in two months. This is the main Chapter where I record the overall work I’ve been executing. It
gives a highlight of what I’ve been doing in the Ministry.

After all those chapters explained above, I go to the third chapter which explains the general
analysis of the Ministry. In this chapter, I used the S.W.O.T analysis to figure out some of the
findings regarding the performance of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda. This
includes; the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats.

The final and fourth chapter is Conclusion, Suggestions, recommendations, the performance of the
Ministry as well as the Internship experience in general. Meanwhile I have included my
suggestions and
recommendations in order to eradicate the weaknesses of their department. Finally I have ended
my report through including references and sources that I have used to make this report.

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Intern standing in front of MoFA Headquarters main entrance ...................................... 2

Figure 2: Intern receiving a document ............................................................................................ 9

Figure 3: Intern classifying files ................................................................................................... 10

Figure 4: Intern indexing documents ............................................................................................ 10

Figure 5: Intern shelving a file ...................................................................................................... 11

Figure 6: Intern dusting the files ................................................................................................... 12

Figure 7: Intern shelf reading:....................................................................................................... 13

Figure 8: Intern clearing a file ...................................................................................................... 14

Figure 9: Intern closing file and opening new ones ...................................................................... 15

Figure 10: Intern stock taking records in the Archive .................................................................. 15

Figure 11: Intern filing documents ............................................................................................... 16

Figure 12: Intern accessioning files in the Archive ...................................................................... 17

Figure 13: Intern photocopying and printing documents .............................................................. 17

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................. i
APPROVAL ................................................................................................................................... ii
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. v
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER ................................................................... 1

1.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.0.1 Reasons for carrying out internship at ministry of foreign affairs ............................... 1
1.0.2 Background of ministry of foreign affairs .................................................................... 1
1.1 Profile of Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Registry ................................................................. 4
1.1.1 Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Registry Standing ........................................................... 4
1.1.2 Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ legal mandate .................................................................. 5
1.1.3 Vision of Ministry of Foreign Affairs .......................................................................... 5
1.1.4 Mission of Ministry Of Foreign Affairs ....................................................................... 5
1.1.5 Strategic Objectives of the Ministry ............................................................................. 5
1.1.6 Core Values of the Ministry ......................................................................................... 6
1.2 The Nature of Ministry Of Foreign Affairs ......................................................................... 6
1.2.1 Registry Administrative Structure ................................................................................ 6
1.2.2 Operational Structure of MoFA .................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER TWO: INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE .................................................................... 8

2.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 Work done during the Field Attachment ............................................................................... 8
2.2 Lessons learnt and skills gained during the Field Attachment .......................................... 18
2.2.1 Lessons Learnt ............................................................................................................ 18
2.2.2 Skills gained ............................................................................................................... 19
2.3 Comparing theory to practice ............................................................................................ 20
2.4 Personal Impressions ......................................................................................................... 20
2.5 Challenges met during my internship training .................................................................... 21
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CHAPTER THREE: GENERAL ANALYSIS OF THE ORGANIZATION ....................... 23
3.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 23
3.1 Strengths ............................................................................................................................ 23
3.2 Weaknesses ....................................................................................................................... 24
3.3 Opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 25
3.4 Threats ............................................................................................................................... 25

CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSIONS, SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ... 26

4.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 26
4.1 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 26
4.2 Suggestions and Recommendations .................................................................................. 27
4.2.1 To Ministry of Foreign Affairs ................................................................................... 27
4.2.2 To the students ............................................................................................................ 28

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 29

APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 30

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 CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
1.0 Introduction
From 4th June 2019 to 31st July 2019, I had the privilege and pleasure of joining the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, in Registry Section for my internship training.
The main purpose of this internship was to make me acquainted with the necessary and required
skills and experience in the field of Library and Information Science.

1.0.1 Reasons for carrying out internship at Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The reasons for doing internship at Ministry of Foreign Affairs were basically;
 To gain a more detailed understanding of the field of Library and Information Science.
 To get acquainted with the necessary and required skills and experience in the field of
Library and Information Science.
 To apply and relate the theory done in classroom into practical work.

1.0.2 Background of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda is a cabinet-level government
ministry responsible for the implementation and management of Uganda's foreign policy and
international activity.

MoFA has its headquarters located in Kampala-Uganda, with 33 Missions abroad and 1 consulate.
The Ministry has direct interaction with Foreign Missions accredited to Uganda and International
Organizations in matters of bilateral and multilateral relations. The Ministry also provides
information on Foreign Policy and advice to the Government, Private Sector, Statutory bodies,
Parastatals and the general public.

The historical background of the Ministry dates to the independence of Uganda on 9th October,
1962. Initially, it was administratively under the Office of the Prime Minister. In 1971, it became
a fully-fledged ministry. In 1966, the position of State Minister for International Affairs was
created, and in 1988 the position of State Minister for Regional Affairs was added.

As of October 2016, Hon. Sam K. Kutesa is the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has held this
position since 2005. The State Minister for International Affairs has been Hon. Henry Oryem
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Okello since 2005. Since 1st March 2015, Hon. Philemon Mateke has been the state Minister for
Regional Affairs.

Figure 1: Intern standing in front of MoFA Headquarters main entrance

Administration
As per the Public Service Act (2008), as specifically laid down in the Objective Part III of the
Composition and Management of Public Service, No. 7, Section (a), Subsection (2) of that Section;
empower the Minister to have the authority for the overall management and administration of the
Public Service, including formulation and review of policies relating to structures, management
systems, and the terms and conditions of the Ministry.

Departments within the ministry

Regional Peace and Security; The Department of Regional Peace and Security handles issues
related to regional peace and security and other political issues viz: immediate neighbours; Great
Lakes Region; IGAD; AU and related regional political organizations; geo-political strategic
issues (i.e. oil, Nile, Lake Victoria etc.); terrorism; illegal small arms and light weapons; drugs and
human trafficking.

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International Political Affairs; The Department is responsible for foreign policy related
international political issues, including political issues under the United Nations, Commonwealth,
European Union, Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of Islamic Conference. The key function
of the Department of International Political Affairs is; “Strengthening and promoting preventive
diplomacy, peace support and peace-building international initiatives which are consistent with
Uganda's national interest.”
International Law and Social Affairs; This Department is responsible for issues related to
international law (including International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice, Law of
the Sea); and global social issues (i.e. human rights and other governance issues, gender, youth,
disabled). This department also has a Treaty Section which will has an Information Centre that
holds a valuable collection of publications dealing with international law and social issues.
Regional Economic Cooperation; This department is responsible for handling the East African
Community, regional and continental economic organizations (such as COMESA, IGAD, SADC,
NEPAD etc.). The key function of this department is, “strengthening and promoting regional
cooperation and integration initiatives taking into account need to reduce overlap and
duplication; and enhancing efficiency.”
International Economic Cooperation; The key functions of the Department of International
Economic Cooperation are:

 Strengthening and promoting international economic initiatives which are supportive of

Uganda's national interest.
 Initiating technical policy recommendations on economic / commercial diplomacy.
 Coordinating aspects of Missions related to economic / commercial diplomacy.
 Promoting partnerships and networks with stakeholders dealing with matters of
economic/commercial diplomacy.

Diaspora; This department handles issues related to the mobilization of the Uganda Diaspora for
national development (i.e. transfer of resources/specialist knowledge; skills and technologies for
development; and promoting gainful employment of Ugandans abroad).
Public Diplomacy; the key function of this department is; “Promoting Uganda's image both at
home and abroad by actively and continuously engaging various stakeholders (i.e. civil society,
media, private sector, academia, international community, etc.) through publications, seminars,
regular press briefings, use of social media.”

Protocol; this department is responsible for coordinating and liaising with government
departments and other Ugandan Institutions on the social, political and economic aspects of
Uganda's cooperation with countries of East Africa, Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions.
It is also responsible for coordinating and promoting Uganda's interests in the EAC, IGAD and
ICGLR regional blocs.

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The department further acts as a link between the ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ugandan
missions abroad on matters of cooperation and integration within East Africa, Great Lakes and the
Horn of Africa regions by providing Missions with timely information that is relevant for effective
negotiations and representation of Uganda's interests abroad.

Consular Services; The key functions of this department are:

 Strengthening the policy and regulatory framework for the provision of consular services;
 Coordinating the establishment of Uganda Consular Missions abroad;
 Coordinating the provision of consular services by Ugandan Embassies and Missions
abroad;
 Providing consular services at Headquarters to Ugandans, Diplomatic Missions and other
foreign entities and nationals resident in Uganda;
 Managing consular relations between Uganda and other countries;
 Establishing national and international networks for the provision of consular services.

Finance and Administration; the key functions for this department are:
 Acquisition, development, management and maintenance of mission properties abroad.
 Sensitizing various stakeholders on the productive role of the Ministry especially its
contribution to the national economy through economic / commercial diplomacy.
 Lobbying for new resources from Government to meet pressing priorities.
 Promoting public-private partnerships (PPPs) to augment resources to the Ministry.
 Supervision of Registry, office Records, Messenger services and Security services at the
human resource, official equipment and documents.

Human Resource; some of the key functions of this department are:

 Building Foreign Service capacity through training, research and career development.
 Promoting a professional, well trained, equipped and motivated career Foreign Service.
 Promoting at least a second AU / UN language, other than English.
 Promoting unique aspects of Foreign Service including in the context of the Public Service
Human Resources Development Policy.
 Pursuing enactment of a Foreign Service Act.
 Interpreting Public Service Regulations, Standing Orders and Labour Laws.
 Implementing the National Policy on gender, disability, HIV/AIDS

1.1 Profile of Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Registry

1.1.1 Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Registry Standing
The Registry is a heart of an organization as far as information flow is concerned. Therefore, one
of the benefits of a well-organized Registry is quick and easy filing and retrieval of information
with a minimum of wasted time and effort.
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Registry consist of an Open Registry, Security Registry and a Records
Centre, all these sections work together in an integrated way to build up and control all officially
registered files and other documentation in their case, so that they can be retrieved quickly by
means of effective indexing, classification and tracking procedures.
The Registry is under the Directorate of Human Resource which at the time of my internship was
headed the Comm. Sseremba Mark.
The Registry at the time of my internship was headed by the Senior Records Officer, Mr.
Ssemakula Bernard.

1.1.2 Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ legal mandate

The 1995 constitution of the Republic of Uganda as specifically laid down in Objective No.
XXVIII of the National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, mandates the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs to promote and protect Uganda’s interests abroad and undertake programs that
strengthen the implementations and management of Uganda’s Foreign Policy.

1.1.3 Vision of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A conducive regional and international environment that promotes a secure, peaceful and
prosperous Uganda in which the interests of her citizens are at the centre.

1.1.4 Mission of Ministry Of Foreign Affairs

To promote and Protect Uganda’s interests abroad.

1.1.5 Strategic Objectives of the Ministry

 Promote regional and international peace and security;
 Facilitate promotion of trade and tourism; and attraction of investment and transfer of
technology;
 Facilitate mobilization of resources from abroad for development;
 Facilitate promotion of inter-institutional partnerships and capacity building;
 Facilitate maximization of benefits accruing from adherence to international obligations;
 Provide protocol and consular services and protection;
 Enhance Uganda's image abroad; and
 Mobilize the Ugandan Diaspora for National development.

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1.1.6 Core Values of the Ministry
 National Security (survival of the State, the people and endowments)
 National Prosperity and,
 Wellbeing of the people.

1.2 The Nature of Ministry Of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda is a cabinet-level government Ministry with
a bureaucratic organization comprised of administrators and staff members who head different
sections/units in the Ministry.
1.2.1 Registry Administrative Structure
The administrative structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Registry Unit comprise of the
Senior Records Officer, the Records Officer, the Assistant Records Officer and the Records
Assistants. All these fall under the Directorate of Human Resources.

1.2.2 Operational Structure of MoFA

Below is an organogram of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which clearly shows and indicates how
activities run by different officers in various department. It’s a combination of both the Operation
and Administrative structure of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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 CHAPTER TWO:
INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
2.0 Introduction
This chapter captures the work done in the organization, outcomes or the lessons learnt,
comparison of theory and practice, the personal impressions, as well as the challenges met at the
organization. While at MoFA, I worked in different sections of Registry Department. These
include;

 Open Registry
 Security Registry
 Records Centre

2.1 Work done during the Field Attachment

Orientation

Before the commencement of work activities, there was a general meeting with the other interns
in which students took the oath of office and the oath of secrecy, the students were also given rules
schedules; as per the Code of Conduct and Ethics for Uganda Public Service (2005). I was placed
in the Registry Department. This orientation was done by Mrs. Kinalwa Martha, the Senior
Human Resource Officer. While at MoFA, Mr. Ssemakula Bernard, the Head of Registry
Department as well as my assigned host supervisor introduced me to all the Registry and work
operations within the Department.

Receiving and sending documents/letters

Receiving
Throughout this work activity, documents reached the Registry in a number of ways. Some came
through the mail, fax, or electronic mail (email) and most of them by hand. The documents were
addressed in different ways; some were addressed to the Ministry Department and some to
individuals by name and by title of office. On receiving a document/mail, I opened and date-
stamped it and registered it in the incoming mail register. Some of the details which were recorded
in the incoming mail register include;

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  Reference number of the letter.
 Date of the letter.
 Date the letter was received.
 From whom the letter was received.
 Reference given by the writer of the letter.
 Subject of the letter

Figure 2: Intern receiving a document

Sending

Once the letter was signed by an action officer, it was returned to the registry for despatch. There
I recorded details such as the full address and reference number as well as references of any other
correspondence of the letter. Then I made a copy of the letter; one was to be retained by the
Registry for filing purposes and the other I recorded it in the outgoing mail book, then dispatched.

File Classification

This involved the whole process of organizing documents and records into an organized system
such that they were easy to track and retrieve. In this work activity, I read the document carefully
and thoroughly so as to correctly determine the subject of the document for correct classification.
This therefore led to easy locating and retrieval of documents hence the smooth running of the
organization.

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 Figure 3: Intern classifying files

File Indexing

This work activity involved creating track cards (also known as... card catalogues) for the file. I
filed records under uniform names and numbers chronologically. This allowed easy access to the
Ministry record rather than digging through the boxes or filing cabinets, since there was a central
location showing exactly where the file was located. This expedited the process, thereby giving
back the precious commodity of time; in terms of information retrieval and locating of files and
documents.

Figure 4: Intern indexing documents

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File Storage
Current Files
For convenience to the action officers and the Registry staff, files were stored in an organized
manner for easy retrieval and the smooth running of the Ministry activities at large. The current
files in both MoFA Open and Security Registry were stored horizontally with their spine facing
on the shelves.

Figure 5: Intern shelving a file

Closed Files

Closed files were stored in the Records Centre for an appropriate period so that they were readily
available when required. However, the closed files were stored separately; preferably in boxes and
put on shelves. The Records Transfer Form was filled to show the files which were put in boxes.
A copy was put in the box and the other kept with the Records Office. The boxes were assigned a
specific “box number” which was tagged on it. This enabled the easy retrieval of any required file
or document.

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File Distribution

I participated in the distribution of files to the different Departments of MoFA. This work activity
involved forwarding of files and documents to action officers for immediate and fast action.
Documents/letters reached the Registry in a number of ways; most of them were addressed to
various Ministry Departments and other to individuals by name and by office title.

Therefore, the file distribution work activity involved taking such documents/letters to the
respective offices and individuals to whom they were addressed.

Dusting the Shelves

I also involved myself in this work activity which was done once in a while throughout my two
months internship at MoFA. This involved lightly the dusting documents/files which were dusty
and dirty with a clean-soft brush recommended for dusting documents/files. This helped to remove
loose surface dirt which could embed into the paper resulting into stains hence obscuring textual
information which could have been brought to the attention of an action officer.

Figure 6: Intern dusting the files

Shelf Reading

This exercise was carried out at the beginning of the internship period. This was one of the sensitive
work activities in the Registry Department, therefore the convenience of retrieving a document/file
from the shelves greatly depended on the ability of a good shelf-reader. I participated in this work
activity where I shelved files according to their respective reference numbers in both Open and
Security Registry.

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The major aim of this work activity was to speed up, enhance and improve on the ability to retrieve
files form shelves within the shortest time possible for the smooth running of the activities within
the Ministry.

Figure 7: Intern shelf reading:

Controlling File Movement

This was also one of the sensitive work activities in the Registry through my internship training. I
involved in controlling the file movement to various Departments within the Ministry. This
involved using the file transit sheet which showed the location of a particular file, at all times of
all files opened by the Records Office, therefore information such as; file reference number, file
title, file heading and location (to whom sent and on what date) were all recorded. The same
applied when a file was returned to the Registry, it was cleared; showing that it has been returned
back. Therefore, file movement was recorded promptly which enabled the Registry to provide an
efficient and reliable file retrieval service in the Ministry.

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 Figure 8: Intern clearing a file

Opening New Files

Whenever a document came into the Records Office, the Records Office through the Senior
Records Officer decided whether an appropriate file already existed. If there was no appropriate
file existing, a new file was created/opened and a reference number was allocated as well as the
file name. I participated in this work activity, where my host supervisor instructed me to read
through the document which had no existing appropriate file thoroughly. The major aim was to
capture the subject of the document so as to develop an appropriate file title and later, the file
reference number was assigned with the help of the Senior Records Officer; who was my host
supervisor.

Closing Files

I participated in this work activity which comprised of closing files at regular intervals. The closed
volumes of files were retained for the period laid down in the disposition schedules;

 Files that are thicker than three centimeters are hard to manage and this may result into
damage to the contents.
 Papers more than five years old are rarely required for reference and should not be
regarded as current records.

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Therefore, no further documents were added to the files which were closed, a new volume of that
particular file was created where documents were added. In closing a file, I wrote the word
“closed” diagonally in bold letters across the front cover, together with the date on which it was
closed. Additionally, I also marked the file transit sheet to show that the file is closed as well as
recording the date on which it was done.

Figure 9: Intern closing file and opening new ones

Stock Taking

This work activity took place in the archive Section of the Registry and it involved the physical
verification of the records and their condition. Physical records verification also involved actual
counting, and reading through the contents of the file. The major aim for this work activity was to;
 To verify the accuracy of stock records;
 To disclose the possibility of fraud, theft or loss, or deterioration; and
 To reveal the weakness of the system, if any (i.e., whether records were in safe custody).

Figure 10: Intern stock taking records in the Archive

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Filing of Documents
This was one of the daily activities during my two-month internship at MoFA. This work activity

involved putting or keeping documents in a safe place (preferably; file folders), and being able to

find them easily and quickly. The major purpose of this activity was to locate filed documents

easily, so that they are readily available for use as and when needed. Documents were always

needed for reference purposes. They were also needed to provide legal evidence in case of disputes.

Figure 11: Intern filing documents

Accessioning
This refers to the process of transferring records to the custody of an archival repository. This work

activity was carried out in the archive section of the Registry and it involved; Records disposal,

transfer and retention. Throughout this work activity, records to be transferred were first recorded

on the records transfer form so as to enable easy retrieval of the archived records.

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 Figure 12: Intern accessioning files in the Archive

Reprographic Services
Reprography refers to the production of graphics through mechanical or electrical means, such as;

photography, xerography and digital printing. Throughout my two-month internship at Ministry

of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, I involved myself in reprographic services; mainly;

photocopying, typing, scanning, printing, among others as I was instructed by my host supervisor.

The main purpose of this work activity was to reproduce the documents/records so as to preserve
the original storage media, be it a paper, electronic or microform based storage media.

Figure 13: Intern photocopying and printing documents

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2.2 Lessons learnt and skills gained during the Field Attachment
2.2.1 Lessons Learnt
Team work: Team work was a very big issue during my field attachment. I needed to be very
cordial to my teammates so as to be successful. I always involved within the group and worked
within the group. At the end of the day, team success was my success.

Updating Myself: I always looked for updating myself so as to be efficient at the place of my field
attachment. Learning and gathering knowledge about the organization helped me to post myself
in better position, since I was aware of the operations within the organization.

Showing Utmost Dedications: Whenever I didn’t understand any work activity or I didn’t
understand what to be done, just sitting idle- I always spoke up and ask my supervisor right away
about my course of action for the time.

Ownership of work: During my field attachment, ownership of work was a vital fact. There will
be a job profile but if someone wants to get success she/he needs to take ownership of work.
Assignments were accomplished and weren’t left out for any reason. Therefore, I learnt that
ownership of works motivates executing and completion of that particular work.

Motivation: Motivation was also a must throughout my two-month internship training. Because
without it, cooperation couldn’t be brought all. Therefore, motivation helped me to perform the
assigned work activities efficiently and effectively.

Concentration, Efficiency and Effectiveness: These were mandatory during my field attachment
as without them I would take more and more time to finish a task. Therefore I learnt to concentrate
and being efficient and effective in doing a task.

Hard working: Hard work is an obvious thing, as far as determination, attentiveness,

responsibility, problem-solving, and self-control at work place is concerned. While at MoFA, I
learnt working hard so as to be successful in life.

Learning from co-workers: Quick learning was a must in any sort of thing during my internship
training; I acted and responded quickly but smoothly during my internship period. How to act,
respond, talk, following corporate culture, values, timeliness, meeting deadlines were some of the
essential qualities one need to have or have to quickly adapt with.

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Exchanging Greetings: To exchange greetings always adds an extra value and positive thoughts
to others. Exchanging greetings during my internship training helped me to get cooperation from
others easily.

2.2.2 Skills gained

There are number of skills that I gained from the internship training undertaken at Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, since I was exposed to a wider range of work in the
organization and these include;

Team work skills: During the field attachment, I involved myself in a team work, since most of
activities assigned were done in groups and this therefore helped me to gain team work skills. This
in turn also helped me to learn how to respect and appreciate people’s different views and ideas.

Interpersonal skills: I also acquired the skills of relating and associating with different people at
different levels for example the way of relating with my fellow interns was different from that of
relating and interacting with my host supervisor and other heads of departments.

Communication skills: I acquired the skills of communication. These skills included how to
communicate with the users in the Registry, my fellow interns, my academic supervisor, my host
supervisor, and other members of staff within the organization.

ICT literacy skills: The training exposed me to computer services like cataloguing and
classification of the documents electronically, reprographics services of information materials
using photocopiers and scanners.

This internship showed me that even the heads of the sections at times, have to roll up their sleeves
and pitch into, get work done. During this period of training I became part of the organization team
that is working together to get the job done.

This exercise helped me improve on the work habits like time management, project management
skills and team playing.

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2.3 Comparing theory to practice
 The Knowledge Organization (Classification theory and Practice); that I learnt in class
enabled me to successfully classify documents and files in Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
throughout my two-month internship training. The Ministry had a customized scheme
(keyword) which was used to classify documents. Therefore I applied the knowledge I
learnt from that module hence the smooth running of Registry activities.

 The Knowledge Organization (Cataloguing Theory and Practice) eased Registry work at
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Cataloguing of documents involved the whole process of
writing a description for the records that were to be transferred. The documents and files
were searched using descriptions and titles within catalogues. With the knowledge acquired
through this module, I was able to perform various Registry work activities in relation to
classification.

 The Information Technology that I was taught in class enabled me to use Registry ICT
equipment such as computers and internet effectively and efficiently. This enabled me to
add value and speed up Registry activities since some of the activities were online and
computer-based.

 As far as communication and information flow was concerned, the Communication Skills
that I learnt from the class enabled me to communicate effectively with Registry users and
other staff within the Ministry. They also enabled me to handle different people with
different attitude as well as responding to their needs.

2.4 Personal Impressions

First and foremost I was so impressed with the way my host supervisor and the Registry Staff
welcomed me, having got an opportunity to carry out my internship training at Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. I was treated and trained well. Actually, I appreciate their hard work and the endless efforts
during the practicum.

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I was also impressed with, working in a team work with my fellow interns in the Registry Section
during my internship training, since most of the assignments were done in groups. This therefore,
taught me to respect and appreciate people’s different views and ideas. Working in a team also
facilitated the sharing of experiences with the rest of the interns.

Making new friends from the organization where we shared different ideas in cataloguing,
classifying, shelving, among others and also networking with the Ministry officers at different
levels in different capacities, was one of the most interesting experience during the internship
training.

I was also impressed with delivering of documents to different departments in the Ministry. This
enabled me to interact with various Ministry officers and also exposed to the functions and
responsibilities of different departments within the Ministry.

I was also impressed with sealing of the diplomatic bag; a diplomatic bag, also known as
a diplomatic pouch, is a container with certain legal protections used for carrying official
correspondence or other items between a diplomatic mission and its home government or other
diplomatic, consular, or otherwise official entity.

2.5 Challenges met during my internship training

These challenges were personal, organizational, work group, community and others and they
include;
Adopting to the working environment. Due to the fact that I was new in the organization, it took
some time to get used and cope up with the working environment. I was not used to this culture
and society, this was a bit challenging. Therefore in the first days of internship I didn’t do much
work, rather I was vigilant, which enabled me to carefully identify and get used to various Registry
operations hence involving myself fully in Registry work activities.

Noise pollution. The organization being located in the middle of the city; a noisy area along
Apollo Kaggwa road just opposite Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) was also
challenging. The noise from vehicles passing by as well as the wails of siren which were heard,
also caused noise pollution to the Organization’s environment.

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Boredom: During the switching form Final Year 2018/2019 to Financial Year 2019/2020, I had
to endure boredom since there was crossing from one Financial Year to another. This was
characterized with few activities going on within the Registry and the Ministry at large. This was
also due to the monotony of the work being carried out and there was little to learn except for the
fact that there was an expectation for the work load to increase at a later date.

Inadequate spaces: According to the Registry Records lifecycle; (Creation-Use/classify-Retain-

Appraise-Deposition), there was no sufficient space in the Registry to support that process. As far
as information is concerned for the smooth running of various activities within the Ministry,
records are essential and sensitive. Therefore, a proper process of these records must be effectively
and efficiently maintained.

High transport costs: Throughout my two-month internship training at MoFA, I also faced a
challenge of fluctuating and high transport fares because I was commuting from my place of
residence to the Organization where I was doing my internship.

Mis-shelving: There was also a challenge of mis-shelving of the files. The mis-shelved files were
hard to be retrieved from the shelves which at times led to delay in work activities

Too much dust: Maintaining a clean storage environment is a responsibility that would do much
to preserve archival records. Shelves, archives boxes, and the exteriors of bound volumes should
be dusted as needed to prevent dirt from being transferred to records during handling. During my
two-month internship training at MoFA, I faced a challenge of too much dust especially in
Archives where the inactive records were put.

High cost of living: The Ministry was situated in an environment that is highly expensive for an
average student, this brought up difficulties in maintaining the standards of living; in terms of
lunch and transport.

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 CHAPTER THREE:
GENERAL ANALYIS OF THE ORGANIZATION
3.0 Introduction
This chapter covers the general analysis of the Ministry. In this chapter, I used the SWOT analysis
method.

3.1 Strengths

Qualified and well trained staff who are well educated and apply their theory into practice. In this
they know what they are doing, they are hardworking, committed, social, punctual and cooperative
and they trained us with competence throughout the training.

The Registry Unit is well equipped with the necessary machinery for example in the Open Registry
section there are computers that help in the tracking and retrieval of files and documents, file
folders which are used to store documents safe and free from dust. The Registry Unit also has all
the necessary stationary in the store which facilitates the smooth running of the Registry activities.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a high degree of security in terms of police and military personnel
surrounding the Ministry premises, as well as the electronic security systems comprising of CCTV
cameras which ensure 24 hours surveillance. In every dark corner, each and every floor has CCTV
cameras that monitors whatever is being done and still there is an electronic X-Ray machine
scanner at the entrance which detects and scans each and everything entering the Ministry building
thus ensuring maximum security.

The Registry Unit of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda carries out general
weeding of the files, once in a while to ensure that, the inactive and non-essential files are queried
out from the active file and taken to their respective places (archives and records center
respectively) for permanent storage.

As far as information is a very vital and essential tool in the Ministry, the Registry is well organized
and neat so as to ensure an adequate flow of information within the Registry. This also helps in
easy retrieval of files and documents with the Ministry. The neat organization of the Registry also
saves time in terms of information retrieval and storage.
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The Registry Unit of MoFA always maintains availability of records whenever they are needed by
different departments within the Ministry. Whenever documents or files are needed by action
officers for reference, they were readily available. This was due to the well-functioning and
activism of the different sections within the Registry Unit.

3.2 Weaknesses
Inadequate equipment: Inadequate equipment included, computers, furniture, and insufficient
rooms for the internees. Equipment mainly; computers and seats were few compared to the number
of interns placed in the Registry. This therefore limited the intern’s experience in ICT related
activities as well as delaying in delivery of work.

Manual filing system: Throughout my internship training, the filing system at Ministry of Foreign
Affairs was manual. This system involved maintaining records by hand, with low usage of a
computer system. This kind of a system sometimes led to high error rate, and was much slower
than computerized systems. This system also involved bulky information which could take a lot
of time to be stored and retrieved, compared to the computerized system.

Inappropriate Registry design: The Registry Unit of Ministry of Foreign Affairs is unsuitably
planned; characterized with the splitting of offices which at times lead to delay in the Registry
activities since the clear chain of procedure in handling documents is overwhelmed with the
insufficient space. Rather, the Registry has to be merged with enough space so as to facilitate the
smooth running of Registry activities.

Insufficient shelves: The shelves where files are put are really inadequate which brings about
confusion in the storage of files and documents. This at times led to misplacement of the required
records/information hence delay in service delivery.

No proper records center: The records center where inactive files and documents are supposed
to be permanently stored for a specified period of time is not well defined at MoFA. This leads to
the disappearing of files which in future have to be referred to.

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Understaffing: The staff in the Registry Unit are short-staffed; the workers are relatively not
enough to effectively and efficiently run various Registry activities. This leads to delay in work
activities as well as low work quality.

3.3 Opportunities
Presence of a good coordinating staff and the technical squad.

Strategic location of MoFA with good road networks in the region which provides easy access in
and out of the region hence easy accessibility to and from the Ministry.

Official work experience.

Peaceful and quiet environment which provides a conducive atmosphere for various work
activities.

Availability of good transportation service such as taxis and boda bodas which ease the
transportation to and from the Ministry.

Outdoor activities such as protocol which allows teamwork improvement.

3.4 Threats
Direct sunlight that heats the files in the Registry.

Theft of equipment like phones and other gadgets by conmen.

Unfavourable climatic conditions such as heavy rainfall which at times hinders staff to report at
work on time.

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 CHAPTER FOUR:
CONCLUSIONS, SUGGESTIONS, AND RECOMMEDATIONS
4.0 Introduction
This chapter marks the end of my internship report and it is concerned with the Conclusions,
Suggestions and recommendations so as to eradicate the weaknesses of the Registry Unit of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Republic of Uganda.

4.1 Conclusions
In the final remark, my two-month field attachment at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic
of Uganda has been one of the most interesting, productive, instructive and educative experience
in my life. Through this training, I have gained new insight and more comprehensive
understanding about the real-life working condition and practice, and has also improved my soft,
hard and functional skills.

All these valuable experiences and knowledge that I have gained were not only acquired through
the direct involvement in work activities, but also through other aspects of training such as; work
observation, supervision, interaction with colleagues, supervisors and other people related to the
field. The internship training also exposed me to certain things about Library and Information
Science. And from what I have undergone, I am sure that the field attachment programme has
achieved its primary objective.
I am really so grateful to Kyambogo University for initiating such a programme which enables
students to get acquainted with the required skills and experience in the field.

I am also extremely thankful too, to the Human Resources Department of Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for giving me the opportunity to do an internship within the organization. This was such a
unique experience for having been part of this prestigious organization.

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4.2 Suggestions and Recommendations
4.2.1 To Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The performance of the Registry Unit of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was exceptionally well
organized and coordinated in all different Sections of the Registry as far as information in an
organization is concerned.

There is need for more ICT related services within the Registry (for example use of online filing
systems) so as to improve in delivery of work activities. This will also reduce on the amount of
time used in file storage, retrieval and distribution.

There is also need to revise the Registry design at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Registry should
be merged into a bigger room with sufficient space to allow various Registry activities rather than
splitting of offices which makes it hard for the activities in the Registry to take place.

Most of the files; (most especially the closed volumes) in MoFA Registry have no clear defined
location of storage where they must be put for a specified time frame for reference. Therefore, a
records center at MoFA should be defined clearly so as to allow storage of inactive files. This will
provide more space in the active files hence easy insertion and retrieval of files from the shelves.

The number of shelves in both Open and Security Registry is relatively insufficient which leaves
no space for file storage. This can lead to misplacing of essential files. Therefore, the number of
shelves should be increased so as to allow neat file storage.

Equipment such as computers, photocopier, scanner, and printer should be provided so as to speed
up Registry activities. These can also facilitate the smooth running of Registry activities; most
especially, reprographic services.

Being the central point of controlling the Ministry’s information, the number of staff in the
Registry Unit should also be increased so as to eliminate inefficiencies in handling the Ministry
confidential and sensitive information. This will also improve on the quality of the services
rendered by the Unit in the ministry at large.

There is also need of the Ministry to digitize the whole information system in the Registry so as to
enhance and improve the performance of the Registry in the Ministry. This will also help in
overcoming the many challenges characterized with the manual systems.

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4.2.2 To the students
Students should have a positive attitude towards field internship that is, they should be eager to
look for internship places and also work hard so as to acquire the required skills and experience.

All students undertaking internship should endeavor to complete their training, most interns leave
immediately after their supervision when the training period has not yet ended, this explain why
the programme is losing value, however this problem can be minimized through carrying out
several supervisions of the students by their respective supervisors not to come once but need like
at least two times.

Students should have respect to all employees and clients despite the qualification they hold and
they should be obedient to them which will help them to get the required information, skills and
experience.

Students should make sure that they do their assigned organizational work in time and make the
tasks they are given the first priority compared to their personal tasks. This will be of great
importance to the students who might win good recommendation from their field supervisors and
being retained as well.

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 REFERENCES

The Republic of Uganda (2019). Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Background, departments and
daily activities within the Ministry. Retrieved from;

https://www.mofa.go.ug/data/smenu/7/About%20us.html

https://www.mofa.go.ug/data/leadership/26/Political%20Leadership.html

The Republic of Uganda (FY 2018/19). Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Ministerial Policy Statement
(Vote: 006 and Votes: 201-237), 2019, Kampala-Uganda Prinitng and Publishing Corporation.
Kampala-Uganda

The Republic of Uganda (2008). “The Public Service ACT, 2008. Retrieved from;

https://ulii.org/system/files/legislation/act/2008/2008/the_public_service_act_no_9_of_2008_pdf
_11367.pdf

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 APPENDICES:
MoFA acceptance letter

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