The African Development Bank reports delays and gaps in consultation on a national skills strategy meant to address unemployment and reduce dependence on diamonds.
GAZETTE REPORTER
An ambitious plan to address skills mismatches, graduate unemployment and dependence on diamonds through a 10-year National Human Resource Development Strategy has fallen behind schedule.
This was revealed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) which flagged incomplete work, inadequate participation by young people and the business sector and weaknesses in project administration.
In its latest Implementation Progress and Results Report (IPR) on the National Human Resource Strategy and Plan for Botswana, the Bank says the completion of the draft strategy has been delayed, forcing authorities to revise the delivery timeline with finalisation now scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The strategy, covering the 2026–2036 period, is intended to transform Botswana’s human capital development system and align skills development with Vision 2036 and the country’s transition towards a knowledge-based economy.
However, the delays raise questions about the country’s preparedness to tackle unemployment and the persistent mismatch between the skills produced by its education system and those demanded by employers.
The AfDB report says the project’s development objective is to evaluate the implementation of the previous National Human Resource Development Strategy covering 2009–2022 and develop a transformative successor strategy, alongside a high-level implementation plan known as the National Action Plan.
Delivery Delays
While the evaluation report has been completed and approved by the Coordinating Committee, the Bank acknowledges that the second phase has experienced delays in producing the new strategy.
A draft has been produced using consultations undertaken during the first phase, desktop reviews and international benchmarks. It is currently undergoing final stakeholder consultations before the final document is completed.
Despite the setbacks, the Bank rates implementation progress as highly satisfactory, noting that three of the five output indicators are on track and that the first phase of the project was completed in the second quarter of 2026.
The report maintains that the project has made substantial progress towards its development objective and could deliver significant results in addressing skills mismatches, underemployment and high unemployment.
It says the strategy is expected to position Botswana to diversify away from its “over-reliance on the extractive diamond industry to other sectors that will create jobs.”
But the Bank’s assessment also exposes shortcomings in project execution. Among the issues identified was inadequate representation of young people and the business sector in consultations. The Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) which is responsible for implementing the project, was directed to arrange consultations for special groups. The action was marked completed on May 7, 2026.
Consultation Gaps
The report also identifies delays in the review of reports. This has prompted instructions for regular reminders to members of the project review committee. That corrective action, with an October 16, 2026 deadline, was still marked as in progress.
Project time overruns were another concern, although the HRDC had been directed to request and process an extension at no additional cost. That action was marked completed on August 3, 2026.
The Bank further flags difficulties in the submission of special account justification reports and replenishment requests by the executing agency, raising concerns about financial administration and the timely processing of project funds. It recommends training for the project team.
The project’s outcome indicators include the development and approval of the final 2026–2036 strategy and the preparation of an implementation plan. Both are considered likely to be achieved, although the final strategy remains slightly delayed.
The report also links Botswana’s wider employment ambitions to the Bank-supported Skills, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Acceleration for Job Creation for Youth Programme (SEE4JOBS), which is expected to contribute up to 33,000 direct jobs and more than 60,000 indirect jobs.
The AfDB says additional job-creation investments are planned for Botswana under its 2027–2032 Country Strategy Paper Indicative Operational Programme.
All five project output indicators are considered likely to be achieved before the project closes in March 2027.