Labour intensive work in Botswana: A description and evaluation of six programmes

• Main Author: Muatjetjeja, Mex Mujazemee
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: labour intensive; description and evaluation; programmes
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10539/2039

Student Number : 0400522J - MSc research report - School of Civil and Environmental Engineering - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment === The Government of Botswana has, since 1972, implemented several programmes of labour intensive work as a complementary effort to alleviate high levels of unemployment, poverty and rural under-development. This research project describes and evaluates six of the programmes: the Botswana Labour Intensive District Roads Programme (LG 34), the Rural Roads Programme (RRP), the Labour Intensive Public Works Schemes (LG 38), the Labour Intensive Drought Relief Programme (LG 117), the current National Public Works Programme (LG 1107) and the current Labour Intensive Routine Road Maintenance Programme. The programmes have been described and evaluated in relation to their internal objectives as well as against international literature on labour intensive work in order to determine whether or not they were successful. The study reveals that the LG 34 was a highly successful programme as it achieved most of its key objectives and was in conformity with international literature. The programme created jobs for a significant number of poor Batswana through the construction of good quality low cost roads. It developed and established road construction and maintenance units within the District Councils. The success of the LG 34 was, however, later undermined by a depreciated wage rate contributing to the eventual demise of the programme. The Labour Intensive Road Maintenance Programme, although currently in its early stages of expansion, has been impressive. It has successfully developed and demonstrated through a Pilot Project a model for the use of labour based small contractors, managed by a private sector consultant, for routine road maintenance. This had not been done before in Botswana. The rest of the programmes were plagued by inefficiencies resulting from poor initial planning, lack of training and technical supervisory personnel, lack of proper organisational systems for the programmes and incorporation into drought relief activities. Most of these programmes were wound up, and the on-going National Public Works Programme is struggling to survive. In sum, the Botswana experience has shown that labour intensive methods could be successful if attention were paid to initial design and planning, training of technical supervisory staff and the establishment of proper organisational systems. In addition, to differentiate proper labour intensive work from drought relief, wages must be paid at or close to the Industrial Class minimum wage. DPDoFcuments Complete Click Here & Upgrade Expanded Features Unlimited Pages