Information Systems Interoperability and Information-Sharing Effectiveness in Ugandan District Local Governments

Information sharing across local government departments depends on more than the installation of digital applications. This article examines how information systems interoperability can support accurate, consistent, timely and accessible information in Ugandan district local governments. An integrative review combines verified scholarly literature with official Ugandan survey findings, national digital-government documentation and relevant international frameworks. Sources were identified through targeted web-assisted searches and direct examination of publisher, institutional and government records on 28 October 2026. The synthesis distinguishes technical connectivity, shared data meaning, organisational coordination and lawful access from the outcomes they are intended to produce. Published 2022 local-government indicators show uneven enabling conditions: computers were reported by 95.2% of surveyed local government administrations, institutional internet access by 60.6%, and local area networks by 35.4%. These descriptive figures indicate different levels of infrastructure availability; they do not estimate the effect of interoperability on departmental performance. The wider literature supports a conditional explanation in which standards and interfaces must operate alongside stewardship, workable access controls, staff capacity and sustained funding. The article develops a conceptual framework, a ten-gap research agenda and an operational measurement protocol. It recommends prioritising high-value departmental exchanges, defining common records and responsibilities, monitoring exceptions and measuring performance before and after implementation. The findings are a synthesis of existing evidence rather than results from a newly conducted district survey. The principal conclusion is that interoperability should be evaluated through the usability and quality of information in routine administrative work, with implementation conditions assessed explicitly.