Southern Africa manpower development project

The project successfully reduced the magnitude of Botswana's manpower deficit by providing highly qualified operational experts (OPEX) to the GOB and by conducting training programs tailored to meet GOB development needs. Despite a 1-year delay in approving an OPEX contractor, OPEX technicians have contributed to a sustained and improved level of organizational efficiency in the GOB departments they served in, both by filling critical GOB personnel gaps and by providing on-the-job training to counterparts. A total of 60 person-years of long-term and 50 person-months of short-term OPEX assistance (vs. respective targets of 90 and 65) were provided, the shortfall being due in part to a decision to increase participant training levels. Long-term participant training exceeded targets - 172 participants (48 targeted) were trained in the United States or in other African countries. Another 258 persons (420 targeted) received short-term training. Not a single participant failed to return from overseas training and the vast majority have been assigned to positions where they are effectively using their new skills, and where they often have replaced expensive expatriate staff, freeing more GOB and donor funds for other development activities. Finally, although A.I.D. expected six spin-off donor-supported projects, only two actually occurred. Despite the project's overall success, counterparts were not provided to all OPEX technicians and the training provided did not always target those GOB personnel in a position to benefit the greatest number of people. The follow-on Botswana Workforce and Skills Training Project will stress training personnel from those ministries and related institutions which have the greatest impact on employment generation. It is rcommended that OPEX technicians be required to report on their experiences and that greater effort be made to ensure that Ministry personnel understand A.I.D. training plans.