UNDP Zambia Delegation visiting Botswana's Morupule Coal Mine

Contributing to the building of sustainable private sector through the

Flagship Project

The Sustainable Private Sector Development (Flagship) Project brings together the three UNDP portfolios to implement the objectives of the Country Programme Document 2022-2026, by deploying an integrated portfolio approach that leverages innovative and agile partnerships to support Botswana’s overall vision of being a green, just, and prosperous country. This integrated portfolio approach is pursued because of the realisation that as success in one portfolio sets in motion feedback loops that can propel progress in others, the Flagship Project - connecting all three portfolios - is a conduit for substantial synergies. By the same token, other portfolios can also exert a stabilizing effect through this Flagship Project in case implementation in one portfolio deviates from the optimum. Integral to the portfolio approach is the focus on testing, reflecting, learning, and adapting to ensure solutions are tailored to challenges as they evolve throughout the project cycle. The theory of change therefore presents the solution pathways identified, based on the challenges as they appear at present, but with built-in mechanisms for adaptation and innovation as the context changes.

The primary objective of the Flagship Project is to contribute to the building of sustainable private sector businesses of all sizes, especially MSMEs, across all sectors, including those operating in rural areas and those owned and operated by vulnerable and marginalised groups such as the youth, women and people living with disabilities. Hence, this project aims to contribute creating inclusive, sustainable green jobs through the capacity development of these MSMEs.

While the project builds on the successes of the support provided by UNDP through its past programme interventions, including initiatives to enable recovery from COVID-19, emphasis is also placed on building forward better towards pathways consistent with the national aspiration of achieving prosperity for all and the attainment of the objectives of the 2030 development agenda.

Popular UNDP initiatives such as the Supplier Development Programme and Youth Connekt provides the foundation to further empower the youth, women and people living with disabilities. The Small Grants Project (SGP) provides the foundation for the support of vulnerable and marginalised populations in the agriculture and energy sectors and geographical areas with an abundance of natural resources.

Furthermore, the Flagship Project harnesses the opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic to propel the businesses, especially MSMEs and vulnerable groups to adopt innovative and transformative ways of doing things, including the productive use of technology and digital approaches.

Our key strategic priorities that the project contributes to include the following.

  • Building a more inclusive private sector, with particular emphasis on the empowerment of youth, women and people living with disabilities.
  • Developing a sustainably growing economy which embraces digital technologies as its backbone and harnesses the dividends of the fourth industrial revolution.
  • Attaining a diversified economy, with strengthened local value and supply chains.
  • Building a greener economy, capitalising on opportunities to recycle materials and utilise renewable energy.
  • Developing a commercially independent agriculture sector capable of functioning without largescale subsidies.