Overview : September, 2015, the world leaders agreed to an ambitious development agenda that will transform the world onto a sustainable development pathway that addresses and promotes the needs of the people and the planet to achieve prosperity and sustainable peace through multi-country and multi-stakeholder partnerships. This agenda focusses around 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with specific targets and indicators for each goal. Agenda 2030 is universal, meaning that it applies to all countries including Botswana. Botswana has signed up to the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Africa Agenda 2063, and is committed to implement both through the national development agenda articulated in Vision 2036 and the country’s draft Eleventh National Development Plan (NDP 11) as well as the Eighth District and Fourth Urban Development Plans (DDP 8/UDP 4). The National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD), with its draft framework in place, also provides the basis for Botswana to make the global agenda a reality. To implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that characterize the 2030 Agenda, Botswana needs a coordinated approach in which all actors at all levels and in all sectors - public, private, civil society, communities and individuals are involved. It also needs a clearly spelt out approach and guidance for implementation to ensure that the 2030 Agenda is effectively and wholly implemented and reported on. Botswana has therefore established a SDGs National Steering Committee, co-chaired by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the United Nations. The Secretariat is based in the Ministry’s Population and Development Unit. The NSC is supported by a Technical Task Force made up of technical officers from government, UN, civil society, academia and private sector. The SDGs National Steering Committee has developed an SDGs draft roadmap that forms the basis for coherent and coordinated implementation of the SDGs in Botswana, incorporating and building on existing initiatives while pursuing transformative approaches to development that lead to the attainment of Botswana’s development aspirations. The Roadmap is a national document that identifies the broad areas that will be addressed over the next five (5) years and the specific actions that need to be taken over the next one (1) year to facilitate implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Botswana. Per the SDG Road Map and to fully achieve the SDGs, Botswana aims to have a dedicated and functional National SDGs Communications Strategy in place to facilitate awareness and advocacy for the SDGs, to ensure that no one is left behind. In addition, to support the implementation of the National SDGs Communications Strategy and the smooth operations of the National Steering Committee on the SDGs and that of the SDG Secretariat, there is a need to have in place a fully functional communications team, to be called the Botswana National Communication Technical Working Group, that will be responsible for undertaking all communications on the SDGs aimed at reaching out to all members of society, using media and languages appropriate for different stakeholders. The communications strategy will target urban and rural areas, all genders, age groups and different sectors as well as academic and research institutions. It will include the opinions of key leaders, prominent and respected members of society as well as vulnerable groups to champion and be the face of the SDGs at different levels. In support of this endeavour and the entire SDG process in Botswana, UNDP is recruiting an individual consultant to draft the National SDG Communications Strategy and help facilitate the setting up of a National SDG Communications Technical Working Group (CTWG). The consultant will be an established Communications professional with demonstrated experience in developing strategies that facilitate the participation of all members of society, given the scope of the SDGs themselves. In addition to communications expertise, the consultant will also have a good understanding of the development issues of Botswana from social, environmental, economic and governance perspectives at national, district and community levels. This will enable them to develop with strategies to communicate SDGs to different audiences in the society. |