Distr.
GENERAL

DP/CRR/BOT/1

7 December 1999

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

First regular session 2000
24-28 and 31 January 2000, New York
Item 3 of the provisional agenda

UNDP

COUNTRY COOPERATION FRAMEWORKS AND RELATED MATTERS

COUNTRY REVIEW REPORT FOR BOTSWANA

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

I. THE NATIONAL CONTEXT
II. THE COUNTRY COOPERATION FRAMEWORK
III. PROGRAMME PERFORMANCE
A. Poverty eradication and job creation
B. HIV and AIDS programme
C. Environment
D. Gender issues
IV. UNDP SUPPORT TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Annex. Financial summary

INTRODUCTION

1. In accordance with the procedures set forth in the programming manual for the review of country cooperation frameworks (CCFs), a review for Botswana was held from 30 July to 26 August 1999. The present report contains a summary of the findings of the review. The findings are grouped by thematic area, for each of which are presented summaries of the conclusions reached by the review team, the corresponding recommendations and the action agreed on by UNDP and the Government. The full text of the review in the language of submission is available from the Executive Board Secretariat upon request.

2. The first country cooperation framework (CCF) for Botswana is focused on supporting the Government's efforts at sustained economic diversification and poverty alleviation. Direct support is provided in four programme areas addressing the issues of poverty alleviation: (a) HIV/AIDS and development ($7 million); (b) enterprise and job creation ($5.4 million); (c) gender equity and mainstreaming ($5.9 million); and (d) protection and sustainable utilization of natural resources ($12.2 million).

3. A mid-term review of the CCF was undertaken between 30 July and 26 August 1999. The review was preceded by and took into account, the in-depth evaluations of the four programmes (April-July 1999), the management audit of the country office operations and a review of the implementation of the national execution modalities (May 1999). Discussions were held with government departments, national and international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector and other stakeholders within and outside Gaborone. Based on these discussions, the country review paper was finalized and reviewed by the UNDP Programme Working Group (PWG).

I. THE NATIONAL CONTEXT

4. Conclusion. The two major development challenges threatening any economic and social gains by Botswana are HIV/AIDS and poverty. UNDP programmes remain relevant in contributing to Botswana's efforts to address the challenges of poverty, affecting as much as 47 per cent of the population; an AIDS emergency with an estimated 17 per cent HIV infection rate among the adult population, and decreased life expectancy from 67 to 47 years; an unemployment rate estimated at 21 per cent of the 1.5 million people; and a decline of economic growth rate from 13 per cent to 6.9 per cent between 1966 and 1998. Lack of human resources and underutilization of existing capacity in the country, rather than funding, constitute major development challenges. Notwithstanding Botswana's status as a middle income country and the impressive socio-economic gains to date, there remains a continued need for UNDP and other official development assistance (ODA) support to the country.

5. Recommendation. Response to HIV/AIDS should be elevated to an emergency level, addressed through a systematic, multisectoral approach. An effective interministerial coordination mechanism for poverty alleviation should be set up. The Government should expedite the finalization of the non-governmental organization (NGO) policy and move increasingly towards NGO implementation of national programmes to maximize capacity utilization within the country.

6. Agreed actions. Advocacy for HIV/AIDS issues will be increased through: wide dissemination of UNDP policy and research studies on HIV and AIDS data and the socio-economic, demographic, and health implications of HIV/AIDS. The finalization of the household study on the impact of HIV/AIDS; and the preparation of the 1999/2000 Botswana national human development report on HIV/AIDS and development. A UN Country Team programme will be implemented to update the directory of NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) as a basis for systematic capacity development of these institutions as more effective implementing partners of the Government and the United Nations agencies.

II. THE COUNTRY COOPERATION FRAMEWORK

7. Conclusions. The CCF was formulated through the close consultations among the Government, UNDP and other stakeholders. Representing effective collaboration between UNDP and Botswana, it has provided a modest, but critical contribution to Botswana's national development plans, the country's long-term plan known as Vision 2016 and towards meeting Botswana's obligations pursuant to United Nations conferences and instruments, Elimination of All Forms of Discriminations in particular, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the Convention on the Discrimination Against Women and the Beijing Platform of Action. The CCF demonstrated the strong commitment of the Government, and UNDP added value, through government funding of 75 per cent of programme costs. The impact of the CCF programme as a whole would be considerably strengthened by building operational linkages between and within the different components of the four programmes and putting in place an effective monitoring and evaluation mechanism. Full-scale implementation of the CCF required multisectoral coordination efforts.

8. Recommendations. Poverty eradication should become the priority programme area within the CCF and provide the overarching framework for (a) incorporating the other linked issues of gender, HIV/AIDS, and the Environment and for operationalizing the Government's recent policies on youth, tourism, and small, medium-size and Micro enterprises (SMME); (b) accelerating the establishment of key interministerial coordinating mechanisms to address effective coordination of the multisectoral issues of poverty, gender, the environment and AIDS; (c) Strengthening the programme-wide evaluation and monitoring system.

9. Agreed actions. The following actions were agreed on by UNDP and the government: a development of a poverty programme support document (PSD) and a youth programme; heightening of advocacy for the earliest establishment of government coordinating agencies, such as the national AIDS coordinating agency (NACA) and the national conservation strategy agency; (c) increasing transfer implementation activities to NGOs and CBOs, in parallel with capacity-building and training; (d) recruitment of a monitoring and evaluation officer in UNDP.

III. PROGRAMME PERFORMANCE

A. Poverty eradication and job creation

10. Conclusion. While there was no specific PSD on poverty, the Enterprise Botswana and other programmes supported by UNDP addressed poverty-eradication issues. Support for policy and programme development (SPPD) resources had been utilized to undertake key policy-analysis work on poverty in support of these programmes. Enterprise Botswana had established itself as a training institute of repute on entrepreneurship development and now needed to make the move towards providing "all-in-one" service to the Government in its implementation of key components of the SMME policy. The inherent difficulties in handling the complex, multisectoral nature of poverty, coupled with the shortage of skilled capacity and reliable data, continued to hamper the development of a national strategy and action plan and in turn the corresponding formulation of a UNDP-supported programme. The ongoing mid-term review of Botswana's national development plans, which validated the urgent need for such a coordinated and strategic response, provided the necessary impetus for the speedy formulation of a PSD for poverty.

12. Agreed action. A poverty PSD will be prepared by March 2000. This will assist the Government in developing and implementing the poverty strategy and action plan, inter alia, through collection of baseline data, identification and extent of poverty and its root causes and capacity development. The PSD will reflect the findings of national development plans, mid-term review and the rural development policy, and operationalize the recent policies on youth and NGOs. It will provide the overarching framework to integrate and coordinate the ongoing outputs of the UNDP programmes on HIV/AIDS, the environment, gender issues, and Enterprise Botswana.

B. HIV and AIDS programme

13. Conclusions. Some of the more important gains of this programme to date have been in building capacity in the AIDS/Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Unit at the central level to coordinate and implement the activities of the second medium-term plan pending institutionalization of a national AIDS coordinating agency; Activities to support mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS into the planning and operations of the four ministries had commenced, with the most noticeable gains in the Ministries of Health, Labour and Home Affairs and Agriculture. The disciplined forces had made good progress with respect to establishing institutional arrangements, institutional strengthening and capacity-building at all levels of their organizational structures. At the district level, the effective operations of district multisectoral committees, and the village AIDS committees, especially in 4 out of the 10 target districts, had established them as the main delivery nodes of HIV/AIDS services to the communities, within and outside the UNDP programme.

14. Notwithstanding these gains within the scope of the UNDP programme, the increased resources, and commitment at the highest level of government to address the socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS, these national efforts have not brought the commensurate results. Key constraints were the overwhelming nature of the epidemic itself, the lingering tendency in some parts of the Government to view AIDS as primarily a health issue, the delay in the effective establishment of a national AIDS coordination agency as the coordinating unit, the ineffectiveness of AIDS focal points in key ministries, the continuing debate on the issue of HIV and AIDS statistics, and the continuing human capacity constraints.

15. Recommendations. AIDS as a national emergency must be addressed through a well coordinated and integrated multisectoral approach. Priority should be given to preventive as well as mitigative measures. The Government must establish a high level national AIDS coordination agency (NACA) as a matter of urgency, situated in the Office of the President, for example.

16. Agreed action. UNDP will assist the Government to establish a national AIDS coordination agency as a matter of urgency. AIDS will be treated as a priority programme for UNDP, extended into 2002 and integrated under the overall framework of poverty. The capacity of the Central Statistical Unit will be strengthened to allow for close collaboration and joint action on the production of national HIV/AIDS statistical data. The national AIDS coordinating NGO as well as other community-based NGOs will have the capacity to assist with on-the- ground implementation. Implementation of activities will be accelerated in all 10 districts and planning will be initiated to upgrade it for the next programming period.

C. Environment

17. Conclusion. The programme approach has worked less well in the environment portfolio. Different components of the PSD and the related activities, including under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) have not realized the intended benefit, owing primarily to their management as discrete and separate activities. The impact was less than optimal because of the continued deferment of a decision on the role of the National Conservation Strategy Agency, the main governmental coordinating body for the environment. The community and social mobilization aspects of the programme have understandably delayed actual implementation of programme components, especially those relating to community- based natural resources management. Notwithstanding its natural resources of national and global significance, especially those of the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari, Botswana's more active participation in GEF has been constrained by a lack of full understanding and the capacity to develop these programmes.

18. Recommendation. The Government must quickly resolve the long-standing issue of the institutional structure, regulatory authority and role and staffing of the National Conservation Strategy Agency and strengthen its capacity to incorporate environmental issues in all government programmes. The issue of its coordination role at the inter-ministerial level must also be addressed. Priority must be given to the various components of the PSD and other UNDP- supported environment programmes and to building operational linkages between them. GEF programme development capacity needs to be built to maximize the utilization of GEF resources to protect and sustainably manage the natural resources of national and global significance.

19. Agreed action. A proposal on the institutional structure, regulatory authority, role and staffing of the NCSA will be submitted to the new parliament at its first session for its review and decision. Management training will be provided to strengthen the capacity of the Agency for overall coordination and monitoring. A post-CCF workshop will be held to enable the systematic integration of various components of the UNDP/Government environment programme. Agreement has since been secured on first time development of a joint annual work plan of all UNDP/Government environment programmes by January 2000.

D. Gender issues

20. Conclusions. Botswana had a good record of commitment to the principles and policies it had acceded to in Beijing and through the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Recognizing that mainstreaming of gender issues was a long-term process, effort had rightly been placed on upstream advocacy and the mobilization of policy makers and parliamentarians, and the training of women in political empowerment. Indeed some credit can be given to the latter component of the programme in contributing to doubling of the number of women parliamentarians in the October 1999 elections - women now represent 20 percent of the membership. Women ministers and assistant ministers constitute 26 per cent of the new Cabinet. There has been a significant increase in the number of women in key government posts and in parastatal organizations, including the recent appointment of the first woman Governor of the Central Bank of Botswana. The processes and dialogue put in place through the programme had earned it a best-practice model within the UNDP worldwide gender programme.

23. Agreed action. The capacity of the Women's Affairs Department will be upgraded on an urgent basis through the provision of staff as provided for in the eight national development plan. The skills of the existing staff of the Department will be upgraded through longer-term training in gender and development and research. The funding levels of the component on economic empowerment will be increased and strengthened through programme linkages with Enterprise Botswana, the financial assistance programme and small, medium-size and macro enterprise policies of the Government. Key NGOs will be identified and their capacities strengthened to assist the Department with implementation of activities on the ground.

IV. UNDP SUPPORT TO THE UNITED NATIONS

24. Conclusions. As a result of the reduced presence of donors and international NGOs in Botswana, and the challenges of HIV/AIDS and poverty, there was great potential for a dynamic leadership role by the United Nations, in particular UNDP. Notwithstanding the rather small presence of the United Nations family in the country, (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNHCR and UNDP), there were genuine opportunities for joint programmes and critical impact, given that all agencies (with the exception of UNHCR) had ongoing programmes in HIV/AIDS, gender and poverty. After a leadership gap in UNDP, resulting from a high turnover in the resident coordinator/resident representative functions, UNDP had re-instituted a United Nations-wide retreat in 1999, leading to the establishment of six thematic groups (HIV/AIDS, NGOs, youth, United Nations advocacy and communication; gender issues and communication) and agreement on a United Nations-wide work programme. UN-wide work on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS, and gender issues were operational.

25. Recommendations. It was recommended that a common country assessment (CCA) been be launched as a first step towards preparing a United Nations Development Fund (UNDAF) and the next CCF. All development partners should participate in United Nations thematic groups. Agencies should collectively establish an NGO Resource Centre that could facilitate capacity-building for NGOs. United Nations specialized agencies, funds and programmes should undertake coordinated public information campaigns. A United Nations working group on monitoring and evaluation should be established.

26. Agreed action. In support of CCA development, uniform data- base systems, and a common United Nations-wide wide-area network would be put in place in all United Nations organizations in Botswana by the end of 1999. A United Nations-wide communication strategy would be developed in 1999 with the first joint United Nations newsletter published in time for the United Nations Day celebration in October 1999. A United Nations web site would be operational by the end of 1999. NGO assessment work would commence in the first quarter of 2000. A United Nations working group on monitoring and evaluation would be established that would foster the exchange of best practices and joint monitoring missions. Most United Nations organizations were expected to move to common premises by mid-2000, affecting savings in common services. UNDP would continue to provide support to non-resident United Nations organizations even through the resources of the country office were already stretched and there was as yet no cost-recovery mechanism on the ground.