Governance at a Glance: Botswana’s APRM Experience

This briefing describes the experience of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Botswana participating in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process between 2019 and 2021. It details the Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Project, which was led by the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) to produce a civil society submission on governance.

• Botswana voluntarily acceded to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in February 2019, becoming the 38th AU Member State to do so. The APRM is a governance self-assessment tool established in 2003 that focuses on four thematic areas: corporate governance, economic governance and management, democracy and political governance, and socio-economic development.
• The Botswana APRM Popular Sensitisation (BAPS) Project involved over 35 CSOs and followed a six-step process: a pre-planning meeting in March 2020, a sensitisation workshop, an online working group, submission development, a validation workshop, and the final launch of the civil society submission in April 2021.
• The BAPS Project identified 12 priority governance issues for review: human rights, education, food security, vulnerable groups, citizen participation and economic inclusion, separation of powers, transparency and accountability, crime and security, foreign policy, research and development, public service and decentralisation, and sustainable development, natural resource management, and access to land and infrastructure.
• The COVID-19 pandemic forced the BAPS Project to shift to online delivery, which created challenges such as limited internet connectivity, lack of data bundles, and difficulties in accessing research materials and interviewing resource persons due to lockdowns.
• The success of the BAPS Project was attributed to the coordination of BOCONGO, financial assistance from SAIIA for data bundles, and an inclusive approach that engaged academia, trade unions, faith-based organisations, and minority groups, including the use of sign language interpreters.
• Botswana CSOs utilized benchmarking by learning from the APRM experiences of Namibia (which acceded in January 2017) and Zambia (which acceded in January 2006).

APA

Phale, M. O., & Kgosiemang, P. K. (2021). Governance at a Glance: Botswana’s APRM Experience. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Policy-Insights-111-phale-kgosiemang-1.pdf

Chicago

Phale, Maipelo Olga, and Phetso Kegaisamang Kgosiemang. Governance at a Glance: Botswana’s APRM Experience. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2021. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Policy-Insights-111-phale-kgosiemang-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Phale |first1=Maipelo Olga |last2=Kgosiemang |first2=Phetso Kegaisamang |title=Governance at a Glance: Botswana’s APRM Experience |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=June 2021 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Policy-Insights-111-phale-kgosiemang-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{phale2021governance, author = {Phale, Maipelo Olga and Kgosiemang, Phetso Kegaisamang}, title = {{Governance at a Glance: Botswana’s APRM Experience}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Policy-Insights-111-phale-kgosiemang-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }