National Development Plan of Botswana

Botswana has prepared a series of national development plans since the Transitional Plan for Social and Economic Development prepared in 1965. The current plan, the Tenth National Development Plan, runs to 2016, the year by which, according to Vision 2016; Towards Prosperity for All, the nation’s long-term goals are to be achieved. This Tenth Plan is the first to incorporate a results-based approach. It was also the first to establish thematic working groups in order to involve all the development partners in the plan preparation process.

The goals of Vision 2016 are of a nation that is:

  • educated and informed
  • prosperous, productive and innovative
  • compassionate and caring
  • safe and secure
  • open, democratic and accountable
  • moral and tolerant
  • united and proud.

Under the Tenth Plan, these goals are mapped onto policy outcomes that can be expressed as targets and monitored, for example:

Education and ICT:

  • improvements in the relevance, quality and access to education
  • access to ICT in all schools

Economy:

  • diversification of the economy
  • sustainability of economic growth and development
  • per capita income of US$8,500 in real terms by 2016
  • year-on-year growth in real per capita incomes of some 6%
  • investment of 41% of GDP
  • access to employment
  • access to good quality housing

Society:

  • equitable income distribution
  • poverty reduction
  • access to good quality health facilities
  • control of the spread of HIV
  • reduction in crime
  • improvement in standards of road safety.

 

Governance

The Vision 2016 Council was established to monitor and evaluate the effective and timely implementation of the Vision and National Development Plan by all stakeholders, including public sector, private sector and civil society. The Council works with the representatives of the stakeholders to develop and agree the Vision 2016 goals and measures progress towards the goals.

The membership of the Council comprises up to 50 representatives of the stakeholders, including a chairperson and vice-chairperson appointed by the State President from a short list nominated by the Council; 10 representatives of government; two of political parties; and 38 of civil society. Members are appointed for three years and are eligible for reappointment.