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Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower

Business Advocacy Agenda and Strategy 2013-2016

This document presents an agenda and strategy for business advocacy in Botswana from 2013 to 2016. BOCCIM, the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower, will lead this advocacy effort on behalf of the business community.

The advocacy agenda has been prepared for public distribution. The advocacy strategy is an internal document that guides BOCCIM in its approach to business advocacy.

This draft presented for consideration and approval by the BOCCIM Advocacy Committee.

DRAFT VERSION 2

August 2013

BOCCIM Head Office

BOCCIM House

Old Lobatse Road, Plot 5196, Gaborone

PO Box 432, Gaborone

Tel: +267 395 3459

Email: [email protected]

BOCCIM Regional Office

Haskins Building

Blue Jacket Street, Francistown

P/Bag F85, Francistown

Tel. + 267 2414622

Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016

THE AGENDA

BOCCIM, the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower, is the national apex body representing the private sector in Botswana and, as such, is a strategic partner with Government and civil society in national social and economic development. Through the Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016 BOCCIM calls on Government to improve the conditions in which private enterprises operate.

The private sector is the engine of growth in Botswana. Business plays a critical role in Botswana’s development and in the creation of productive and decent employment for women and men across the country. For this engine to perform more effectively, the following changes are required.

We need a better business environment.Botswana’s business environment is in urgent need for reform if we are to have a more competitive, diverse and sustainable economy.Key priorities requiring Government attention are:

1 Improvetrade and customs regulations

2 Adopt a more flexible approach to work permits for foreign investors and their families

3 Formulate a national spatial development framework

4 Improve service delivery to the business sector

5 Support the formalisation of informal businesses

We need a more coherence and integration national policy framework.Business calls upon Government to improve the coherence of its national social and economic development policy framework and to improve the implementation of its policies and programmes.

6 Promote export-led growth policies, strategies and programmes

7 Update SMME development policies and programmes

8 Reform levies and fees

9 Accelerate the speed of privatisation

10 Improve the planning and implementation capacity for public-private dialogue

We need a more productive and entrepreneurial workforce.Business is concerned with the declining standard and relevance of our national education and skills development system and the lack of entrepreneurial education for students at all levels.

11 Improve the alignment between education and skills development and employer demand

12 Integrate entrepreneurship education into the national education system

We need a better investment climate.Business notes the declining competitiveness of Botswana’s investment climate and calls on Government to improve the planning, design, budgeting and project management of infrastructure and utilities projects.


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13 Formulate a national infrastructure development and maintenance strategy


Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016

THE AGENDA IN DETAIL

The Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-16 contains a set of priority items for attention by government and its social partners. Through this Agenda, Business will engage Government and other specified actors to address the major constraints to enterprise development to facilitate economic growth and the creation of more and better jobs.

The Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016 is structured according to four major themes:

1. A better business environment;

2. A more coherence and integration national policy framework;

3. A more productive and entrepreneurial workforce; and

4. A better investment climate.

A BETTER BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

The World Bank ranked Botswana 59 out of 183 countries in its Doing Business in 2013 report. This was a drop of one position from the previous year. Within the Sub-Saharan Africa region, Botswana is ranked fourth after South Africa, Mauritius and Rwanda. Botswana was ranked 99 in the sub-indicator on the Ease of Starting a Business, placing it in the bottom half of all countries ranked. However, its worst ranking was in the Ease of Trading Across Borders indicator where Botswana was ranked 147 in 2013, although this was an improvement of five places from the previous year.

In 2011, the President appointed a Doing Business and Global Competitiveness Cabinet Sub-committee, which the Ministry of Trade and Industry leads. The sub-committee has been instructed to improve Botswana’s business environment and the country’s competitiveness, with specific focus on “simplifying procedures and the duration taken for processing and starting of businesses in Botswana”. In addition, an inter-ministerial National Doing Business Committee was established in 2011 under the Ministry of Trade and Industry to coordinate regulatory reform, streamline business regulation procedures and improve competitiveness. All relevant ministries are represented on this committee, together with BOCCIM, the Botswana Unified Revenue Service, the Botswana National Productivity Centre, and the Attorney General’s Chambers. A Doing Business Unit within the Ministry of Trade and Industry supports the work of the committee.

Business in Botswana is particularly concerned about the following problems in the national business environment:

Complicated and cumbersome business regulations;

Delays and a lack of transparency in the process of applying for land;


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Constraints to imports and exports, most notably high transport costs; and

Inefficient tax administration.

Trading Across Boarders

Critical concerns contained in the World Bank’s Doing Business report are the constraints associated with cross border trade.

Agenda Item 1: Improve trade and customs regulations: Business calls on Government to pay urgent attention to removing the current constraints to cross-border trade. Specifically, attention should be given to automating procedures for customs.

Work Permits

While business acknowledges the importance of developing local skills and increasing work opportunities for all Batswana, the unique contribution of foreign investors should not be overlooked.

Agenda Item 2: Adopt a more flexible approach to work permits for foreign investors and their families: The current restrictive and rigid approach displayed by Government toward foreign investors who contribute to our economic growth must be changed. Government needs to make it easier for foreigners to invest in our country and to be a part of a globally competitive and productive workforce.

Land Use for Business

The shortage of land use for business purposes is a major constraint to economic growth, despite the fact that Botswana has no physical shortage of land. The shortages are a result of the failures of policies, laws, regulations, customs and institutions. The inflexible, ‘one size fits all’ approach to land use continues to hamper entrepreneurial activities by restricting the availability of land for business, making it difficult for land to be re-allocated to more productive economic uses, and imposing restrictions on ownership and transfer.

Agenda Item 3: Formulate a national spatial development framework: Business calls on the Ministry of Lands and Housing to develop and implement a flexible and integrated national spatial development framework, which encompasses a comprehensive planning structure that guides all decisions relating to planning, development and land use. The ministry is also calledupon to draft legislation for the regular review of land development plans and to relax and simplify procedures for changing land use for business purposes nationally.1

Public sector service delivery supporting private sector development

Currently, BOCCIMM is measuring the extent to which Government services support the development of the private sector. This is part of a broader effort to improve the

1 This is a resolution of the 2012 National Business Conference.


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implementation and monitoring of public policies, programmes and services. Business will continue to work with Government to identify the ways in which development goals can be realised.

Agenda Item 4: Improve service delivery to the business sector: Business requests that Government critically assess the quality and relevance of its services to the private sector. Business welcomes the opportunity to partner with Government in reform efforts that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.

Informality

High levels of informality among the SMME sector constrain the potential of this sector to create productive employment and to contribute to the growth of the economy. Business recognises the innovation and resilience that is often exhibited by informal firms, but it also is concerned with the lack of social protection for business owners and workers. Formalising informal firms is good for business and good for economic growth and social development. However, poor business regulations and crowded domestic markets are disincentives for many informal firms to formalise. Specific policies and incentives can be developed to assist the informal sector in becoming formalised. These policies recognise the potential of the informal sector as an expression of both need and opportunity.

Agenda Item 5: Support the formalisation of informal businesses: Business calls on Government to formulate and implement a strategy that supports the formalisation of informal firms. This strategy should include information material and awareness campaigns on the importance of registration and licensing, a review of the steps required for compliance in order to make it easier and cheaper to comply, and training and support programmes targeted to informal enterprises wishing to formalise and to grow. Attention should also be given to ways of extending the national safety net to informal business owners and their workers. Finally, these efforts should involve local councils and include the removal of unnecessary regulatory constraints on businesses that operate from home.

A MORE COHERENT AND INTEGRATED NATIONAL POLICY FRAMEWORK

Botswana has been able to sustain high economic growth for the past five decades. Indeed, is considered to be one the best performers in sub-Saharan Africa. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita grew from around $3,500 in 1980 to close to $12,500 in 2010 (in constant 2005 international dollars)––an average annual growth rate of 4.3 percent in those thirty years. The country’s economic recovery after the 2008–09 Global Financial Crisis was one of the strongest among middle-income countries, but its growth weakened in the second half of 2011. Real GDP grew by 5.1 percent in 2011 compared with seven percent growth in 2010.

Diamond mining has largely fuelled growth. In 2012, this sector accounted for one-third of GDP, 70-80 percent of export earnings and about one-third of the government revenue. While a major exporter of minerals, Botswana is highly dependent on imports. It is, in fact, the second largest importer of goods and services in Southern Africa, after


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South Africa. As a result, our economy is highly vulnerable to global shocks in the mineral sector, as well as to foreign exchange rate fluctuations.

With a rapidly growing population, estimated at around 1.5 percent annually, the demands for economic growth become more acute. Unemployment is estimated at 31.6 percent. Formal employment accounts for only 29 percent of the 1.3 million labour force and while traditional livelihoods have been declining, the contribution of the agricultural sector has decreased from 42 percent of GDP in 1966 to a mere three percent in 2009.

Business is concerned that the national policy framework for economic growth, diversification and business development lacks coherence and coordination. While the Economic Diversification Drive has established a foundation, more attention needs to be given to the role of private business in the country’s push for growth, competitiveness and the creation of more and better jobs.

Business calls upon Government to improve the coherence of its national social and economic development policy framework and to improve the implementation of its policies and programmes. Key priorities requiring Government attention are:

Increasing focus on supporting export-led growth

Botswana’s economic diversification success hinges on export competitiveness and an implementation strategy that is results-oriented. The development of export competitiveness is paramount in light of our small domestic market. Diversification policies should be aligned and any anti-export biases need to be removed.

Agenda Item 6: Promote export-led growth policies, strategies and programmes: Government is requested to better align its policies towards export-oriented business development. We call on the Ministry of Trade and Industry to liaise with us in a review of all policies, laws and regulations affecting national exports and to provide practical responses that promote export-readiness across all sectors of the business community.

Strengthening support for SMME development

Business is concerned that small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) policies are not linked to other key national economic, social and industry development policies. SMME development should be integrated into Botswana’s macro policy framework and across all sector policies. This requires good policy coordination and implementation. Furthermore, the SMME Policy of 1998 and the SMME Law of 2004 are out-dated and require review.2

Agenda Item 7: Update SMME development policies and programmes: Business urges Government to adopt and implement an SMME development policy and programme that is well coordinated and integrated with the national economic development policy framework. The policy should provide for a revision of the official definitions for SMMEs and should improve the nation’s data on the SMME sector, its opportunities, constraints, and contribution to economic growth and employment.

2 It is recognised that the Ministry of Trade and Industry is currently preparing an

Entrepreneurship Policy and Strategy.


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Agenda item 8: Reform of levies and fees

The proliferation of commercial levies and fees could, if left unchecked undermine Botswana’s competitiveness, by raising the costs for businesses.It is against this background that BOCCIM endeavours to undertake a quick survey to determine the number of levies and their effect on the tax burden of business. The survey would also establish the unintended consequences of levies on competitiveness as well as the legal basis.

Getting serious about privatisation

Business is concerned with the slow pace of privatisation. To-date, despite all the official proclamations for privatisation, no state-owned enterprises have been privatised and, in fact, new a number of new state-owned entities have been created. The Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatization Agency (PEEPA) lacks the legal authority to implement privatisation. Business calls for a stronger role for PEEPA in leading the privatisation process, including giving it the necessary legal authority will help to speed up the process.3

Agenda Item 9: Accelerate the speed of privatisation: Business calls upon the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to urgently develop a legal instrument for privatisation in the interest of economic diversification, competitiveness, jobs and wealth creation.

Promoting public-private partnerships

Despite the availability of finance from the private sector and a desire to pursue Public-private partnerships (PPPs) little progress has been made in the establishment of PPPs.

Agenda Item 10: Improve the planning and implementation capacity for public-private partnerships: Business calls on Government to work with it to develop the capacity of strategic actors to take initiative and formulate PPP proposals. This includes the establishment of a PPP unit within the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the appointment of a PPP Project and Strategy Advisor within BOCCIM.4

A MORE PRODUCTIVE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL WORKFORCE

Business is concerned with the decline in education and training quality and its relevance to future employer demands. The lack of entrepreneurial education is also a constraint our national competitiveness.

One of the main reasons cited for Botswana’s drop in the rankings of the 2012-13 Global Competitiveness Index was weaknesses in the human resources base. The 2012-2013 report stated that “educational enrolment rates at all levels remain low by international standards, and the quality of the educational system receives a mediocre rating”.




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Quality and Relevance of Education and Training

Business is concerned about the declining quality of education and training in Botswana. These concerns include the declining academic standards of Botswana’s public education, the mismatch between the types of education and training courses provided and the demands of private employers, and the lack of preparedness of learners for the world of work when they leave education. Business recognises the high level of government spending on education and training. The challenge is to improve the type, quantity and quality of education offered.

Agenda Item 11: Improve the alignment between education and skills development and employer demand: Business calls on government to better align skills development to economic priorities and demand. The Ministry of Education and Skills Development is called upon to speed up the establishment of the Human Resource Development Council and Botswana Qualifications Authority and to develop and implement quality education standards. Appropriate work-based learning programmes to improve workplace readiness and employability must be established.

Lack of Entrepreneurship Education

In addition to the above, Business is concerned that the education and skills development system remains focused on producing employees, rather than providing skills and experiences that encourage students to show initiative. There is a need to introduce entrepreneurship education in to all levels of the education and skills development system, from primary school to secondary, post-secondary, vocational education and university.

Agenda Item 12: Integrate entrepreneurship education into the national education system:Business calls on the Human Resource Development Council to ensure that entrepreneurship and business skills are embedded in the educational system. This should be accompanied by support for teacher training and greater engagement with the private sector.

A BETTER INVESTMENT CLIMATE

Business is concerned with a number of constraints emerging in Botswana’s investment climate. The Global Competitiveness Index produced by the World Economic Forum ranked Botswana 79 out of the 144 countries it assessed in 2012-13. The report found that Botswana’s macroeconomic environment has deteriorated, dropping dramatically from 41st place in 2011-12 to 82nd in 2012-13. In addition, tourism, a critical sector in terms of Botswana’s diversification beyond minerals, has also been hit. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index placed Botswana 12 places lower in 2011 from its previous assessment two years before. Botswana was placed 91 out of 139 counties in 2011 and 79 in 2009. The major concerns reported on were underdeveloped transport infrastructure, which was considered unfavourable for international tourists and the lack of an open sky policy. The report also noted the need to improve low hotel room concentration, low presence of international rental car companies, and the limited number of ATMs.


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While Botswana has experienced declines in its overall economic competitiveness rankings, it has improved its ranking in terms of the Index of Economic Freedom. Botswana moved from 40th in 2011, to 30th in 2013 among the 185 countries surveyed. In terms of economic freedom, Botswana is ranked second out of 46 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. This improvement is due primarily to continuing improvements in levels of corruption and the management of government spending.

Of critical concern to Business in this field is the expensive and inconsistent electricity supply and the limited amount of serviced land available for business purposes. There are also growing concerns that the quality of our national infrastructure is declining. Improvements are required in infrastructure planning, design, budgeting and project management. Government cannot afford to waste scarce resources on projects that generate little or no returns, and do not meet economic development objectives.

Agenda Item 13: Formulate a national infrastructure development and maintenance strategy: Business calls on the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to devise and implement a national infrastructure development and maintenance strategy and ensure that the selection of projects is aligned to economic growth objectives. This should include the provision of essential utilities, such as water and electricity.


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Business Advocacy Strategy

This document presents a strategy for guiding BOCCIM’s approach to business advocacy and public-private dialogue (PPD). It is presented for consideration and approval by the BOCCIM Advocacy Committee.

INTRODUCTION

Advocacy is an effort to influence public policy in an open and transparent manner. Business advocacy is the process of influencing the development and implementation of public policies that affect the business sector. Advocacy is important because it contributes to better public policy and a better business environment. This leads to a more vibrant private sector, more investment, greater competitiveness, more wealth generation, and more and better jobs.Through advocacy, the private sector shares its experiences, information and perspectives with government on markets and the business environment. Government needs this to better understand the likely effects of its policy choices.

Advocacy is not the same as lobbying. Lobbying usually implies campaigning for the interests of a small group of people or businesses. Instead, advocacy generates open discussion of policy options and facilitates better coordination of multipleinterests.

Advocacy always involves dialogue. It aims to persuade and offer solutions to government and looks for areas of convergence, mutual understanding and relationships with officials who are willing to listen. However, advocacy goes beyond dialogue by building pressure for reform throughout society and persists as the private sector presses its case from one conversation to the next.

PPD is a pre-requisite for effective advocacy. It implies regular contact between the public and private sectors, to ensure that each party understands the other and that neither is taken by surprise when issues arise. Dialogue implies a desire to have a conversation, to understand each other’s position and to reach a consensus. The ideal position is when the public and private sectors work together in a spirit of partnership, recognising that, while there will always be debate and conflict, public officials will gain immeasurably from the knowledge and experience business organisations bring.


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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

BOCCIM’s principal aim of the Business Advocacy Strategy is: To ensure that Government recognises and responds to the unique and strategic role the business community plays in national economic and social development.

The Business Advocacy Strategy has two objectives:

1 BOCCIM’s business advocacy efforts are integrated into all its membership services;

2 BOCCIM provides an authentic voice for business and its contributions improve the country’s business environment and investment climate.

The Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016 contains a set of priority items for attention by government and its social partners. Through this Agenda, business will engage government and other specified actors to address the major constraints to enterprise development to facilitate economic growth and the creation of more and better jobs.

The Business Advocacy Strategy provides details on how BOCCIM will pursue its advocacy work and, in particular, how it will bring the Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016 to government.

CHALLENGES

In achieving the above objectives, BOCCIM must address the following challenges:

1. Getting government to listen: While there are many established platforms for PPD in Botswana, the business community is generally marginalised from a meaningful engagement with government on the key issues affecting social and economic development. Organised business needs to establish a more robust mechanism through which it can liaise with government and present its case for reform and development.

2. Ensuring business advocacy reflects the needs and aspirations of the entire business community: To be successful, advocacy should not be captured by any single group, be it government or any narrow business interests. Thus, BOCCIM needs to ensure it presents a broad range of business interests. There may be times where this involves liaising with and representing businesses and business organisations that are not part of BOCCIM.

3. Promoting transparency and accountability: Many of the previous agreements reached between government and business have not been realised. There is an urgent need to ensure all PPD outcomes are properly document and their progress monitored. This information should be publicly available and all future dialogue should contain a provision for reporting on the progress of previous agreements.

4. Keeping business people engaged:It is easy for public policy debates to stray away from the practical needs and aspirations of everyday businesswomen and men. Many businesspeople are simply too busy running their business to become involved in advocacy, despite its importance to their long-term success. Thus, we are challenged to find ways in which businesspeople are regularly updated on advocacy issues and the challenges and progress experienced. BOCCIM and its affiliates recognise the need to establish a clear means of communicating these issues to the business community.


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Efforts to be considered in doing this will include: preparation of a bimonthly newsletter that is emailed to members, regular briefing sessions to which all members are invited, a press-clipping service that shares media coverage on business issues with members, and regular on-line polls of members’ opinions on hot-topic issues.

5. Building an evidence base: Wherever possible, the demands contained in an advocacy agenda should be underpinned by high-quality research. It is essential that the costs of current problems be measured and the impacts of possible solutions weighed-up. This requires an investment into research and knowledge management.

6. Distinguishing between short and long-term priorities and strategies:While the Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016 deals with a wide range of issues, it is important to distinguish between what is possible in the short-term (i.e., within three years) and what will take more time. While issues such as infrastructure planning and development will take a number of years to be realised (i.e., often from five to ten years), it is possible to identify actions that can be taken in the short-term to establish a path for long-term reform.

7. Distinguishing between the different levels of advocacy in government structures: A critical challenge for business advocacy in Botswana is to respond to and address the varying interests of government in reform. While government ministers, permanent secretaries and department heads may express a desire for reform, there can be resistance from those at other levels of the civil service. Advocacy is a political activity, but it also has a technical element. BOCCIM’s business advocacy efforts need to promote high-level reforms, while also advising on the implementation of these reforms.

PRINCIPLES

BOCCIM’s approach to business advocacy is guided by the following principles:

1. Present evidence: Wherever possible, our advocacy efforts shall be underpinned with objective evidence on the need for change. This requires an investment into research that determines the extent and cost of current problems, and technical advice on the potential solutions.

2. Engage the business community: BOCCIM will constantly engage the business community on its business advocacy agenda and seek to mobilise members and non-members around the critical issues that affect business and development.

3. Recognising and supporting government reform efforts: BOCCIM recognises that government is engaged in the process of reforming the national business environment and investment climate. It applauds these efforts and is willing to work with government as partners in development to support these reforms.

4. Moving from problems to solutions: It is easy for business advocacy to be seen as the business community coming to government with a list of problems. However, BOCCIM will ensure that it moves beyond simply identifying problems and will propose practical solutions for government to consider. In a spirit of partnership, BOCCIM will identify a range of possible solutions for government to consider and work with government to assess the costs and benefits of these options.


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5. Hold government accountable: We will ensure that the government is held accountable to the business community. This will include the monitoring of progress made in the implementation of government agreements, as well as of the

6. Promote transparency: BOCCIM will ensure that its advocacy efforts are made public. It will work with the media and civil society organisations to ensure they are aware of its advocacy efforts and that these efforts form a part of the public debate.

ADVOCACY STRATEGIES

BOCCIM’s Business Advocacy Agenda will be taken forward by the following strategies:

Streamlining PPD Mechanisms

BOCCIM will instigate a review of current PPD structures and processes. It will approach government and request that a joint review of PPD structures and processes be undertaken to assess their effectiveness and to propose recommendations for improvement.

BOCCIM is concerned that there are too many PPD structures and processes that lead to a duplication of effort and poor coordination.5 The current structures include:

National Business Conference

High-Level Consultative Council (HLCC)

HLCC Sector Consultative Councils

HLCC Local Consultative Councils

National Doing Business Committee (NDBC) and its subcommittees

National Committee on Trade Policy Negotiations(NCTPN)

The review should consider ways in which these structures and processes can be streamlined and monitoring and reporting on PPD agreements can be improved.

IMPLEMENTATION NOTES

Chair of BOCCIM’s Advocacy Committee and the BOCCIM CEO will formulate a draft terms of reference for the review and approach government with this for its consideration.

Building a Constituency

BOCCIM receives its mandate for representation and advocacy from the business community. However, we recognise that this mandate extends beyond our membership base. We should represent the interests of all businesses in the country and while we would like to see all these become formal, paid-up members of BOCCIM and its affiliates, we recognise there will always be some businesses that choose not to participate in these structures. Despite this, it is important that business advocacy consider the needs, aspirations and challenges of the entire business sector.

5 It is interesting to note that an assessment of PPD processes in Botswana in 2002 found “there

was admission of a growing weariness with the proliferation of consultative meetings/bodies that have to be attended to”. Land (2002) Case Study on Structured Public-Private Sector Dialogue; The Experience from Botswana. Go to:http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/0/98e4a925ac004ee1c1256c7e003aca9c?OpenDocument#sthash.FHMAZ0tl.dpuf

http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/0/98e4a925ac004ee1c1256c7e003aca9c?OpenDocument#sthash.FHMAZ0tl.dpuf

http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/0/98e4a925ac004ee1c1256c7e003aca9c?OpenDocument#sthash.FHMAZ0tl.dpuf


Business Advocacy

We seek to create a broad constituency of businesses that support reform in the Botswana business environment and investment climate. This will be achieved by integrating advocacy issues into the services provided to the members of BOCCIM and its affiliates.


BOCCIM’s Director of Policy Advocacy will liaise with the Membership and Business Development Departments to examine ways in which advocacy issues can be integrated into BOCCIM’s membership and business development services.

Monitoring Government

Business is concerned with the slow pace of implementation of government plans and agreements to improve the business environment and investment climate in Botswana. To address this, BOCCIM will establish a government monitoring mechanism that will identify and track a selection of key government decisions and agreements with the aim of publicly reporting on the progress of implementation.


BOCCIM will commission a consulting or research firm to establish a mechanism for monitoring government reform efforts. The firm will provide quarterly reports to the BOCCIM Advocacy Committee.

It is anticipated that additional resources will be required for this activity and BOCCIM will liaise with members, international donor and development agencies on this matter.

Preparing Case Studies

The experiences of local businesswomen and men provide a compelling account of how government policies, laws and regulations affect business in Botswana. In order to build a stronger evidence based that underpins BOCCIM’s business advocacy efforts and to highlight the human face of business and investment, BOCCIM will commission the preparation of a series of case studies of businessmen and women. The case studies will document business concerns across the range of issues contained in the Business Advocacy Agenda. They will be published on the BOCCIM website and will be provided to media outlets.


The BOCCIM Policy Advocacy Department will commission the preparation of a series of short case studies (i.e., 2-3 pages) on the challenges faced by businesswomen and men when doing business in Botswana.

Using Social Media

BOCCIM will develop a social media strategy for its Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-1016. The strategy will endeavour to build a community of interest in business advocacy issues. While this community will focus on businesswomen and men, it will also include the full range of people involved in the public sector and civil society. The social media strategy will promote public debate on key items of the Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016. It will also be used to identify future items for advocacy beyond 2016.

The use of social media will involve the development of organisational profiles on FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIN, and GooglePLUS. It will also improve on BOCCIM’s current website to ensure there are more details provided on key advocacy agenda items. These pages will include the


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monitoring reports and case studies described above. The social media strategy will build a community of interest across these platforms, stimulating debate, gauging interest and creating coalitions around topics of interest and concern


The BOCCIM Policy Advocacy Department will formulate a social media strategy. This strategy will be sent to the BOCCIM Advocacy Committee for approval. Once approved, the Business Sector Coordinator will implement the strategy.

Communicating Our Advocacy Agenda

BOCCIM will develop a communications strategy to ensure that its business advocacy efforts are shared with the broader society. The strategy will increase the levels of public debate around the business advocacy agenda items and will promote transparency within PPD processes. The strategy will identify key stakeholders across the society (i.e., business, government, civil society, media) and describe ways in which these stakeholders will be informed and invited to contribute to business advocacy and PPD processes.


BOCCIM will seek technical assistance for the preparation of a communications strategy that outlines the ways in which key advocacy messages can be communicated to all relevant stakeholders.

Policy research and advocacy fund

BOCCIM will investigate the opportunities for the establishment of a national research and advocacy fund that can be used to support research into various public policy issues affecting the business community. The fund will not only support BOCCIM’s research efforts, but also those of other business membership organisations, including sector specific associations.


This is a new proposal, which will require additional financial resources. BOCCIM will liaise with international donor and development agencies to investigate the potential support they can provide for this initiative.

IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS

BOCCIM’s Business Advocacy Agenda will be implemented through the following mechanisms:

Advocacy Committee

BOCCIM’s Advocacy Committee is one of four sub-committees of the BOCCIM Council. The committee will approve the Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016 and the Business Advocacy Strategy. The committee will, with support from the BOCCIM Secretariat, consider the resource implications of the strategy and take steps to identify and mobilise any additional resources that are necessary.


BOCCIM’s Advocacy Committee is a well-established organ of the chamber. The committee will review the current Business Advocacy Agenda 2013-2016 and Strategy and, once any necessary revisions required have been made, will approve it. It will then


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submit this to the BOCCIM Council for endorsement, highlighting areas where additional resources or support are required.

Advocacy staffing

Currently, the BOCCIM Policy Department is comprised of two people: a Director of Policy Advocacy and a Business Sector Coordinator. However, the BOCCIM organisational structure provides for three additional Business Sector Coordinators and a Research Document Analyst.

While it will be important to fill all these positions, urgent consideration should be given to the Research Document Analyst post, as the


Funds for the position of Research Document Analyst should be sought as quickly as possible.

BOCCIM Advocacy Committee: Terms of Reference

Develop the BOCCIM Business Advocacy Agenda –– those issues that BOCCIM will advocate on in the next 24months:

Oversee the implementation of the Business Agenda

Develop guidelines that will govern sector advocacy and relationship with the media

Assist in the development of guidelines for sector chairpersons’ role in advocacy

Validate BOCCIM position papers to be presented to government.

Assist in the identification of relevant experts for the various issues

Report progress to BOCCIM Council on the implementation of the Business Agenda

Represent BOCCIM at the various forums to motivate BOCCIM position papers

Committee Membership:

The Committee should have a minimum of three and maximum of six members

The Committee must choose its own chairperson, vice person and secretary

At least two members of the committee should be from sectors with the biggest membership in BOCCIM and two from the sectors that BOCCIM consider strategic––one member should represent the women’s sector and one from the youth sector

The remainder of the members should be chosen from the business community based on their academic and qualifications in areas of either policy, trade, economics, finance and law

Resources

Aspen Institute

Aspen Planning and Evaluation Program, Advocacy Progress Planner:

http://fp.continuousprogress.org/

CIPE – Centre for International Private Enterprise

http://www.cipe.org/

CIPE Publication:

Bettcher, K.E. (2010) Making the Most of Public-Private Dialogue: An Advocacy Approach

http://www.cipe.org/sites/default/files/publication-docs/ppd_052411.pdf

http://fp.continuousprogress.org/

http://www.cipe.org/

http://www.cipe.org/sites/default/files/publication-docs/ppd_052411.pdf


Business Advocacy

Public Private Dialogue site:

http://www.publicprivatedialogue.org/

PPD Site Publication: The PPD Handbook

http://www.publicprivatedialogue.org/tools/PPDhandbook.pdf

http://www.publicprivatedialogue.org/

http://www.publicprivatedialogue.org/tools/PPDhandbook.pdf

botswana confederation of commerce, industry and manpowereese-toolkit.itcilo.org/images/boccim...

Documents