Needs assessment mission

A NAM was conducted between 16 to 21 September 2013 by the Election and Conflict Management Advisor Mathieu Merino and eLearning Advisor, Dalene Goosen. During this period, the mission was based in Gaborone and had several interactions with Emang Basadi, the ESN-SA member organisation in the country, to assess the role it has played in the democratisation process in Botswana and current positioning to this end. The mission also met with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the German Development Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – GIZ) and remained in close contact with the Delegation of European Union to Botswana. A wide range of other key electoral stakeholders was interviewed, among whom most was from the civil society operating in the electoral field.

The main recommendation that this mission produced was to further promote and actively support the involvement of Emang Basadi in the BESNet and the increase of the organisation's involvement in electoral observation in the SADC area. It was concluded that training sessions in election observation could be organised before the 2014 Parliamentary and Local Government Elections (BRIDGE and Workshop). These training sessions for CSOs should also include IEC as well as Police and Media representatives. As the number of women registered to vote increases, the activities of Emang Basadi in promoting female involvement in political activities could eventually lead to more women candidates for positions in the National Assembly. Therefore, it is suggested that training sessions in Gender and Leadership (LEAD) could be implemented in partnership with the political parties and Emang Basadi. Enhancing the CSOs' capacities in establishing an election monitoring body of national observers according to internationally accepted standards is imperative in order for civil society to further position themselves as an integral and important part of the electoral process in Botswana.

Against this background, the Botswana NAM mission fulfilled it's aim, namely to collect testimonials from key electoral stakeholders, mainly the ESN-SA member organisation, produce a report in which a number of recommendations are made, meant to guide the following activities and having established a sound and collaborative relationship with the member organisation, enabling smooth and fruitful continued cooperation in implementing the activities conveyed in the PEV SADC project.

TRAININGS:

Please, click on the title of the training for more information:

• Observatory meeting and LEAD Curriculum development: 12-18 December 2015 in Gaborone

• BRIDGE module in Gender and Elections : 8 - 10 October 2014 in Gaborone

Research Activity in Angola:

Please, click here to access the abstract of the research paper