The guiding principle and intent of the UNDP Botswana country programme document (CPD) theory of change is to achieve transformational change for a green, just, prosperous Botswana. The impact of COVID-19 has shown that twenty-first century challenges are increasingly complex, inter-connected and unpredictable. People are engaging with information, institutions and society in new and increasingly digital ways, and institutions are having to adapt with increasing speed. The CPD has identified key domains of change around climate change and sustainable resource management; inequality, corruption and accountability; and unemployment, economic diversification and digital innovation. These domains are addressed through levers of change, such as women and youth as rights-holders; communities, the private sector and the informal sector as transformational agents; and institutions as duty-bearers, each leveraging UNDP capacity to deliver through innovative and agile partnerships for a green, just, prosperous Botswana. In that context UNDP committed to support digitalizing systems and processes to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability, as well as public access to data and public education on the belief that empowered citizens can make informed decisions.

Botswana’s National Vision 2036 encapsulates the country’s development aspiration of transforming Botswana to a knowledge-based economy and a high-income status by 2036. This aspiration is underpinned by amongst others, harnessing Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies to realize digital transformation. Furthermore, Botswana is committed to sustainable and inclusive development, and has thus mainstreamed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to proactively champion the efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Botswana has developed a Digital Transformation Strategy (SmartBots) titled “Towards Digital Transformation for Batswana”, whose aim is to develop a new proposition to drive transformation across the government, economy, and society. The aspiration is to network and diffuse new technologies to strategic sectors of the economy such as agriculture, tourism, health, and education amongst others, to spur innovation, scale up production and give Botswana a competitive edge to attract investment as well as export of goods and services. Botswana has a relatively high youth unemployment estimated at 37%, despite being educated. Botswana’s youth remains an untapped asset whose skills can be honed and harnessed in the deployment of new technologies and innovation on a large scale. To this end, Botswana is looking for strategic development partners that could help Botswana capitalize on the 4IR technologies to advance the SDGs through the implementation of SmartBots.

The key focus areas of the SmartBots aimed at driving 4IR  include the following: a) Leave no one behind – Connect the country and include all Batswana (Build internal market) b) Build a knowledge workforce – Provide knowledge and tools to compete (Assemble human capacity) c) Digitize – Build a customer experience that is integrated, seamless and trusted leveraging digital technologies (Become responsive to global market), d) Innovate – Co-create data-driven products and services, adding public and private sector value (Accelerate development and take leadership in key markets) e) Compete – prioritize and invest in the ideas and compete in the global markets, i.e.  establish a strong public sector and generate prosperity for all Batswana.

It is against this background that UNDP Botswana is recruiting a Digital Transformation Specialist to support the government to implement the SmartBots. Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative and close collaboration with the Office of the President, He/She will work with the SmartBots team to provide overall advice for the management of the re-engineering/ digitization of key processes, that will be prioritized as part of rolling out of the implementation of Government of Botswana’s Digital Transformation Strategy.

A. Provide strategic leadership, intellectual guidance, and hands-on support in leading and managing the Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) Initiative as a strategic, holistic, participatory, and co-creation approach to digital transformation, systemic change, and innovation across the Botswana public sector

• Develop a methodological approach and tools needed for the execution of the BPR Initiative bringing together strategies, policy and regulatory frameworks, processes, technology, data, structures, and people, in alignment with the state of progress, needs, and developments on the ground;
• Advise prioritization, road mapping, and action planning in the execution of the BPR Initiative in alignment with the government’s strategic directions and priorities while ensuring coherence and synergies among initiatives, programs, and projects;
• Advise and support  monitoring, evaluation, and communication activities by promoting consistent programme and project management approaches, practices, and tools;
• Support the institutionalization of Business Process Management and its process improvement methods as a managerial tool fostering effective results-based management, service delivery, and innovation;
• Facilitate raising awareness and understanding of digital transformation and business process re-engineering, to uphold the need for change, build readiness, and ensure commitment, engagement, holistic approach, and alignment with other public sector reforms, modernization, and innovation initiatives and report on BPR successes;
• Guide and facilitate kicking off the BPR Initiative and its phases in different institutions and business functions in alignment with the state of progress, needs, and developments on the ground;
• Guide and facilitate undertaking a strategic business analysis, process landscaping, and prioritization of business processes for re-engineering;
• Guide and facilitate technical efforts of BPR teams in re-engineering business processes and ensure work is done as per established methodological approach to satisfactory quality standards;
• Coordinate and facilitate subject matter expert and stakeholder engagements to ensure the needs, wants, and concerns are addressed, and opportunities for innovation harnessed;
• Guide and facilitate standardization of business processes and service delivery based on patterns and insights identified during the re-engineering of processes, while allowing for customization and personalization of service delivery;
• Identify skills and mindset gaps in BPR teams participating in the BPR initiative, and determine and implement the respective capacity development interventions as needed.

B. Lead capacity development of the Government of Botswana required to drive the BPR Initiative across the Botswana public sector in a structured, integrated, and sustainable manner and steadily achieve its objectives.

• Develop a tailored capacity development programme as an organic process of growth and development, involving learning by experience and building a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and innovation, to capacitate the Government of Botswana with the skills and mindsets required to drive the BPR Initiative in alignment with the state of progress, needs, and developments on the ground;
• Identify, prepare, and design capacity development actions and the corresponding learning materials addressing specific capacity needs and considering the availability of resources;
• Implement capacity development actions, and provide learning resources and support, to develop and sustain the required skills and mindsets in an ever-changing environment;
• Establish and implement an assessment and evaluation approach to track the progress.

C. Advise and support the Government of Botswana on its digital government transformation and innovation journey by promoting a coordinated, holistic, and sustainable approach.

• Advise on the strategy, service delivery models, enterprise architecture, road mapping, and governance for transparent, accountable, effective, sustainable, and integrated operation, and inclusive, proactive, and customer-oriented service delivery, including on the related enabling building blocks covering policy and regulatory framework, technology, data, structures, and people;
• Guide implementation of initiatives through capacity development, promoting coherence among different strategies, programmes, and initiatives, and robust programme, project, and change management approaches, as agreed;
• Guide and facilitate implementation of re-engineered processes and related services across the Botswana public sector by supporting the development of implementation roadmaps, conceptualizing, specifying, designing, prototyping, testing, piloting, and adjusting the corresponding solutions, in alignment with agreed service delivery models, government enterprise architecture, and the state of progress, needs, and developments on the ground, while ensuring work is done as per established methodological approach to satisfactory quality standards;
• Support the establishment and integration of public sector innovation into the digital government transformation and modernization initiatives, government structures, and processes.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Digital Transformation Specialist will be reporting to the Deputy Resident Representative and will work closely with the Office of the President.

Digital & Innovation: Digital business analysis

• Ability to support digital business processes across a range of digital projects, programmes and activities.

Digital & Innovation: Policy/regulations for digital and emerging technology

• Ability to design or advise on regulations and policy for digital and emerging technology.

Digital & Innovation: Transformation in developing organizations

• Knowledge of re-designing processes and leading projects that involve development issues

Digital & Innovation: Digital transformation design

• Practical and strategic skills in digital transformation for governments and organizations.

Digital & Innovation: Digital ecosystems

• Knowledge of how they work, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society

Digital & Innovation: Digital product design

• Ability to design digital products which are user centered, intuitive, functional and achieve desired outcomes

Business Direction and Strategy: System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system