Activities and Services: Research and consultancy.Policy advice.Capacity building and training.Promotion of development policy issues.Knowledge management and information dissemination.Publications.
BIDPA is a major player on the national policy formulation landscape and its mandate is defined by the following five elements: Economic research and policy analysis; institutional capacity building; professional training; networking and public education. The institute’s mandate is informed by the deed of trust that established it.
BIDPA Background
The Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) was established by the Gov-ernment of Botswana as an independent trust, and started operation as a non-governmental policy research institute or “think tank” in 1995. The institute evolved out of the expressed need to effectively link and harmonise economic policy analysis functions with national development efforts. BIDPA focuses mainly on research and policy analysis; and capacity building in policy analysis.
BIDPA Objectives
BIDPA’s deed of trust sets the objectives to be pursued and the functions to be performed by the institute as follows:
To promote and conduct research, analysis and publication on development policy issues, which are of relevance to Botswana and the Southern African region.
To monitor the performance of the Botswana economy and the management of public policy implementation, especially with regard to the implications for economic and social development.
To provide technical and financial assistance, directly and indirectly, to individuals and organisations in Botswana as deemed desirable for purposes of facilitating policy analysis.
To assist professional training and public education of Botswana citizens in matters relating to policy analysis and encourage collaboration between expatriates and local professionals in these matters in ways which build, or augment, national capacities for performance and understanding of policy analysis.
To employ staff members who will themselves, or jointly with other organisations or qualified people, carry out research, consultancy, training and education projects, including arrangement and management of contractual relationships designed to facilitate such activities by persons affiliated with the institute.
To present or publish, as the case may be, the outcome of its policy analysis, orally or in writing, to individuals, organisations or the general public at large.
To mobilize and administer funds to be used for achievement of the objectives and performance of the functions of the Institute.