Botswana—Technical Assistance to the SADC Secretariat: Institutional Capacity Development Programme

The Southern African Development Community (SADC), comprised of 16 countries, is led by an Executive Secretariat based in Gaborone, Botswana, which works to foster regional integration, economic growth, and stability among its member states.

DAI provided technical assistance to build the institutional capacity of the SADC Secretariat, helping the regional governing body to modernize and enhance its internal administrative and management processes. As a result, the Secretariat is able to more effectively implement its own programmes for SADC members as well as partner with international donor agencies, positioning the organisation to better fulfill its mandate of promoting sustainable development throughout the region.

Sample Activities

• Implemented and institutionalised executive-led change management of all directorates and units, including collecting baseline data on organisational health and developing a roadmap for change management.

• Strengthened the capacity of the Secretariat to manage SADC programmes and monitor their progress.

• Helped to bring internal systems into compliance with internationally accepted practices in accounting, procurement, audit, and human resources management.

Select Results

• Trained the Secretariat on revised procurement policies, supply chain management, and contract administration.

• Prepared the SADC to work directly with international donors to manage projects.

• Teamed with SADC directorates to improve evaluation guidelines and build capacity among personnel responsible for monitoring and planning.

• Developed program dashboards to track projects and created statistical yearbooks to support data-driven planning.

• Enabled the SADC to better manage members’ obligations.

• Aligned human resources policies—including job descriptions, hiring standards, and performance reviews—to support the SADC vision and values.