Management In Botswana Research Articles

Community Based Natural Resources Management in Botswana

AbstractSince the mid-1980s, Botswana has relied on community based natural resources management (CBNRM) to incentivize communities to choose environmentally beneficial behaviour to advance conservation efforts. This approach has had some success, although it has not been as successful as had been hoped. Nevertheless, it is well acknowledged that CBNRM can play an important role in advancing conservation efforts. The state is therefore working to revamp the CBNRM framework so that it consistently yields beneficial results for communities and conservation. This article relies on regulatory theory and experience with CBNRM in Botswana to identify what it would take to establish an effective CBNRM regulatory framework there. It establishes that Botswana has failed to secure effective CBNRM consistently, due to the lack of a dedicated CBNRM law and inadequately resourced institutions. It recommends the promulgation of a CBNRM law with a community-centred and / or rights-based approach, and the establishment of an adequately resourced institution, charged with regulating CBNRM in Botswana.

Multidisciplinary Model of Cervical Cancer Management in Botswana: Benchmarking the Care Cascade to Identify the Impact of Delays

<h3>Purpose/Objective(s)</h3> Timely access to and completion of radiation therapy (RT) are crucial for optimizing clinical outcomes of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. The cascade of cancer care comprises the steps between initial presentation and treatment initiation. It is unknown which of these steps if any contribute to delay and downstream survival. Multi-disciplinary management has been shown to enhance the likelihood of successful care coordination and delivery across this cascade, but when implemented in limited resource settings it is unknown if multi-disciplinary management initiatives can adequately identify care delivery gaps. This study sought to examine care delivery metrics and outcomes from a newly established multi-disciplinary team clinic (MDT) in a limited resource setting. The analysis benchmarked the timing of steps between diagnosis and RT initiation in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer in Botswana to determine if delay impacted survival. <h3>Materials/Methods</h3> Between January 2016 and July 2018, 230 patients with biopsy-proven cervical cancer were enrolled in Gaborone, Botswana and followed until November 2019. The number of days between biopsy, pathology, MDT consult, RT consult, simulation, and treatment start were calculated based on dates of care delivery. The association of delay with survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier estimates and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. <h3>Results</h3> After diagnosis, 187 (81.3%) patients ultimately received treatment. Times between various steps of the care cascade are detailed in Table 1. Untreated patients had a median of one-month additional delay between biopsy and pathology result (57 vs. 25 days, p=0.003). Univariate analysis showed patients treated with curative intent (EQD2 >65 Gy) had worse overall survival when delay between simulation and RT start was > 12 days (p=0.048). Median survival was 2 vs. 4.6 years for patients with and without delay >12 days, respectively. This association trended toward but did not meet statistical significance on multivariate analysis after controlling for HIV status and stage (HR 2.35, 95% CI 0.95 – 5.85, P=0.07). HIV status was not associated with delay at any point. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Treatment delay exists in all steps of the care cascade for patients with cervical cancer in Botswana. Delay of >12 days between radiation simulation and initiation was found to negatively impact survival in patients treated with curative intent. This study also demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing the resources of an MDT care model to quantify care delivery benchmarks in a low-resource setting, resulting in identification of actionable targets to improve care delivery and outcomes.

English

The carmine spider mite (CSM; Tetranychus cinnabarinus Bois.) is one of the most destructive pests of vegetables, especially tomatoes. Its management in Botswana has, for years, relied on the use of pesticides. This study evaluated the efficacy of abamectin, methomyl and chlorfenapyr against CSM eggs under laboratory conditions in Botswana. Each treatment was replicated three times. The toxic effect was evaluated in the laboratory bioassay after 24, 48 and 72&thinsp;h of application of pesticides. This study revealed that chlorfenapyr was relatively more effective since it had lower LD50 values than those for abamectin and methomyl. It was further revealed that at recommended rates, 90% mortalities occurred 48 h after application of methomyl and chlorfenapyr, while abamectin did not achieve 90% mortality throughout the study period. This implies that abamectin requires extra dosages to achieve mortalities comparable to those of the other two pesticides. The study has found that chlorfenapyr was the most effective insecticide followed by methomyl and then abamectin when applied on CSM eggs. Further research and field testing is necessary to confirm these laboratory findings. Key words: Abamectin, methomyl, chlorfenapyr, effectiveness, carmine spider mite, tomato.

Improving continuity of HIV/AIDS care through electronic health records in resource-limited settings: A Botswana perspective

ObjectiveTo investigate barriers to the effective use of electronic health records (EHR) to improve health outcomes for HIV/AIDS care treatment in health centres in rural areas of Botswana. MethodsIn a qualitative study interviews were held with 57 staff members at 32 health centres in rural and remote areas of the country. Closed and open-ended questions were used to gain insights into the implementation and use of the EHR system. Transcripts were analysed and evaluated using thematic coding and structured around themes through NVivo 11 data analysis software. Themes covered were: changes in nursing practice; EHR system support; non-use of EHR; lack of leadership commitment to EHR use; and risks of using EHR. ResultsA large majority of staff were confident users of the EHR, despite limited training. Many nursing staff reported changes in administrative duties as documentation with EHR was different from that used in paper-based records and reports to management. Lack of appropriate support led to challenges in consistent operation and management of the EHR system. There were risks of data corruption through equipment failures and security vulnerabilities. The EHR system could not communicate with outside healthcare providers or facilities, leading to loss of patient follow up and delays in obtaining results of laboratory tests. ConclusionProgress has been made with a national EHR system to support HIV management in Botswana within small local facilities. However, nurses’ perspectives indicate limitations in staff training, insufficient support for health centres, and lost communication between facilities. Such barriers led to continued delays in treatment and fragmentation of health records. These areas should be addressed in further development.

A preliminary study of stakeholders’ opinions and perceptions of elephants and elephant management in Botswana

Botswana has been lauded by the international conservation community for maintaining the largest population of African elephants on the continent. However, given the size of the elephant population and increasing human population in Botswana, elephants and people are forced at times to live in close proximity to each other, making human–elephant conflict difficult to avoid. It is widely acknowledged that the management of protected areas and wildlife is often a complicated and contentious issue, which requires participation by all stakeholders. This preliminary study aims to determine stakeholders’ opinions and perceptions of elephants and elephant management in Botswana. Questionnaires were distributed nationwide and were completed on a voluntary basis. The majority of those who responded, valued elephants for intrinsic reasons, such as their being part of the environment; however, there were concerns over the lack of management and how best to manage the population in the future. These concerns stemmed in part from the perceived lack of communication among stakeholders. There was a significant difference in opinion between those that lived inside and outside of the elephant range. The study provides an insight into stakeholders’ opinions and perceptions of elephant management in Botswana, providing inputs for an improved management strategy, aimed at reducing the incidence and impact of human–elephant conflict in Botswana. La communauté internationale de la conservation a loué le Botswana pour le maintien de la plus grande population d’éléphants d’Afrique sur le continent. Cependant, compte tenu de la taille de la population d’éléphants et de la démographie croissante au Botswana, les éléphants et les populations humaines sont obligés parfois de vivre à proximité les uns des autres, ce qui rend le conflit entre les hommes et les éléphants difficile à éviter. Il est largement reconnu que la gestion des aires protégées et de la faune est souvent une question compliquée et contestée qui nécessite la particpation de toutes les parties prenantes. Cette étude préliminaire vise à déterminer les opinions et les perceptions des parties prenantes concernant les éléphants et leur gestion au Botswana. Des questionnaires ont été distribués dans tout le pays et remplis sur une base volontaire. La majorité de ceux qui ont répondu apprécient les éléphants pour des raisons intrinsèques comme faisant partie de l’environnement tout en exprimant des soucis quant au manque de gestion et à la meilleure façon de gérer la population à l’avenir. Ces préoccupations découlent en partie du manque de communication entre les parties prenantes. Il y avait une différence significative d’opinion entre ceux qui vivaient à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur de l’habitat des éléphants. L’étude donne un aperçu des opinions des parties prenantes et des perceptions au sujet de la gestion des éléphants au Botswana, ce qui contribuerait à une stratégie de gestion améliorée, visant à réduire l’incidence et l’impact du conflit homme-éléphant au Botswana.

Nurse educator academic incivility: a qualitative descriptive study.

The aim of this study was to explore nurse educator academic incivility from the perspectives of nurse educator leaders. The academic environment should be safe and conducive to both teaching and learning. Both the students and faculty should have a sense of belonging and of being valued. Faculty-to-faculty incivility has been reported as being disruptive to the teaching and learning environment, and is associated with poor work outputs. A qualitative descriptive design, as explained by Sandelowski, was used to explore academic incivility as perceived by nurse educator leaders. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurse educator leaders, representing three levels of management in Botswana. The approach of Elo and Kyngas was used to analyse qualitative data. Their main aim was to compare categories at different periods, as was the case with different categories of nurse leaders in this study. Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: lack of policy implementation, inadequate leadership skills and role modelling. Two subthemes emerged from the theme, lack of policy implementation, namely: poor record-keeping and hierarchical issues. On further analysis of the theme, inadequate leadership skills, poor hierarchical coordination among nurse educator leaders; and favouritism emerged as subthemes. The last theme, role modelling, needed no further development and described the modelling of incivility as the behaviour that has birthed a generation of incivility among nurse educators. Incivility exists in nursing colleges in Botswana, and it includes unruly behaviour towards one another; late coming; disrespect; and disregard of authority. There must be collaboration between nurse educators and health policymakers to strengthen cordial relationships as well as foster disciplinary procedures on incivility. Clear policy on disciplinary procedures focusing on mitigating various forms of uncivil behaviours is imperative. Nurse educator leaders' training on management skill should also be strengthened and made mandatory before nurse educators are appointed to leadership positions.

A Comparative Synopsis of Public Health Management in Botswana and Zimbabwe from a Public Administration Perspective

A Comparative Synopsis of Public Health Management in Botswana and Zimbabwe from a Public Administration Perspective

Status of waste tires and management practice in Botswana

ABSTRACTWaste tires (WTs) are becoming a significant environmental, economic, and technological challenge due to their high contents of combustible composition and potential for valuable materials and energy resources. Few studies in developing and even developed countries have been carried out to assess the challenges regarding waste tire management and to suggest the best alternative solutions for managing this waste stream. Although developed countries made progress in waste tire management needs by implementing more efficient innovative recovery and recycling methods, and restrictive regulations regarding the management of used tires, in many developing countries, the management of waste tires has not received adequate interest, and the processing, treatment, and disposal of waste tire is still nascent. In recent years, worldwide, several methods for managing used tires, including other principal alternatives for managing end-of-life tires defined in the 4Rs: reduction, reuse, recovery, and recycling, have been adopted and applied to minimize serious threats to both the natural environment and humans. This paper attempted to establish stakeholders’ action that has the responsibility in waste tire management in Botswana. This study also analyzed important aspects on waste tire management in Botswana. A synthesis of approaches was employed in the present investigation to determine the factors influencing effective performance of waste tire management practice in Botswana. Data for the present study were obtained using relevant published literature, scientific journals, other third-sector sources, academic sources, and research derived from governments and other agencies and field observations. Group discussions with the participants and semistructured interviews with professionals were carried out. The outcomes of this investigation are a wide-ranging outline concerning the participants that are important in waste tire management, and a set of aspects affecting the management of waste tires. The information provided by this study is very critical for reviewing and updating the methods and tools to update waste tire data and trends to improve waste tire management efficiency, suggesting innovative methods of recovering and recycling this waste stream in Botswana.Implications: Waste tire management in Botswana demonstrates challenges that epitomize many developing and transitioning countries due to inadequate knowledge to implement integrated programs that incorporate environmental sustainability, stockpiling of whole tires at landfills, lack of consistent and systemic approaches to tire regulation, lack of methods and tools to update tire data and trends, limited application of technology to process and treat WTs, and lack of societal acceptance. To improve WT management efficiency in Botswana, it is critical to implement efficient and well-functioning approaches, including the circular economy; encourage the harmonization of policies; implement recovery and recycling methods of waste tires; prohibit stockpiling of WTs at landfilling and unofficial dumpsites; and promote economic instruments such as the tax system and the extended producer responsibility.

Current status of waste management in Botswana: A mini-review.

Effective waste management practices are not all about legislative solutions, but a combination of the environmental, social, technical, technically skilled human resources, financial and technological resources, resource recycling, environmental pollution awareness programmes and public participation. As a result of insufficient resources, municipal solid waste (MSW) in transition and developing countries like Botswana remains a challenge, and it is often not yet given highest priority. In Botswana, the environment, public health and other socio-economic aspects are threatened by waste management practices due to inadequate implementation and enforcement mechanisms of waste management policy. This mini-review paper describes the panorama of waste management practices in Botswana and provides information to competent authorities responsible for waste management and to researchers to develop and implement an effective waste management system. Waste management practices in Botswana are affected by: lack of effective implementation of national waste policy, fragmented tasks and overlapping mandates among relevant institutions; lack of clear guidelines on the responsibilities of the generators and public authorities and on the associated economic incentives; and lack of consistent and comprehensive solid waste management policies; lack of intent by decision-makers to prepare national waste management plans and systems, and design and implement an integrated sustainable municipal solid waste management system. Due to these challenges, there are concerns over the growing trend of the illegal dumping of waste, creating mini dumping sites all over the country, and such actions jeopardize the efforts of lobbying investors and tourism business. Recommendations for concerted efforts are made to support decision makers to re-organize a sustainable waste management system, and this paper provides a reference to other emerging economies in the region and the world.

Prediction of onset and cessation of austral summer rainfall and dry spell frequency analysis in semiarid Botswana

Uncertainties in rainfall have increased in the recent past exacerbating climate risks which are projected to be higher in semiarid environments. This study investigates the associated features of rainfall such as rain onset, cessation, length of the rain season (LRS), and dry spell frequency (DSF) as part of climate risk management in Botswana. Their trends were analysed using Mann-Kendall test statistic and Sen’s Slope estimator. The rainfall-evapotranspiration relationships were used in formulating the rain onset and cessation criteria. To understand some of the complexities arising from such uncertainties, artificial neural network (ANN) is used to predict onset and cessation of rain. Results reveal higher coefficients of variation in onset dates as compared to cessation of rain. Pandamatenga experiences the earliest onset on 28th of November while Tsabong the latest on 14th of January. Likewise, earliest cessation is observed at Tshane on 22nd of February and the latest on 30th of March at Shakawe. The shortest LRS of 45 days is registered at Tsabong whereas the northern locations show LRS greater than 100 days. Stations across the country experience strong negative correlation between onset and LRS of − 0.9. DSF shows increasing trends in 50% of the stations but only significant at Mahalapye, Pandamatenga, and Shakawe. Combining the LRS criteria and DSF, Kasane, Pandamatenga, and Shakawe were identified to be suitable for rainfed agriculture in Botswana especially for short to medium maturing cereal varieties. Predictions of onset and cessation indicate the possibility of delayed onset by 2–5 weeks in the next 5 years. Information generated from this study could help Botswana in climate risk management in the context of rainfed farming.

Faecal Sludge Management in Botswana: A Review of Current Practices and Policies Using the Case of Gaborone Low Income Areas

In the past sanitation was the responsibility of Local Authorities or councils with the Department of Waste Management and Pollution Control (DWMPC). Pollution of groundwater in Botswana is currently forcing the Government of Botswana (GoB) to abandon pit latrine construction and Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) emptying services in peri-urban areas. Currently Government has embarked on the expensive and unsustainable construction of sewer systems that require peri-urban communities to pay for connection fees. Most rural communities cannot afford these fees and since Botswana is a water scarce country, sewer connection may be costly for the country. This paper aims to review current practices, policies and challenges facing Botswana in Faecal Sludge Management (FSM). A desktop review was carried out to review policies, regulations, guidelines and strategies on waste management. A pretested questionnaire was administered among 50 randomly selected households to assess current practices in sludge management from two suburbs in Gaborone. Key informant interviews were undertaken among water and sanitation stakeholders to establish roles on waste management and faecal sludge management. Despite the disjointed efforts by stakeholders, Botswana has the potential to improve the FSM in the country. Though unsafe, FSM/pit emptying has the potential to provide income and employment to both the rural and urban poor and making it safe may have wider economic benefits.

Air quality management in Botswana

This paper examines air pollution situation and the history of air quality management in Botswana. The current air quality management in Botswana is still largely underpinned by the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act of 1971, supplemented by the more recently enacted legislations such as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act of 2010 and the Ambient Air Quality - Limits for Common Pollutants of 2012 published by the Botswana Bureau of Standards. Though commendable efforts have been made toward legislating against air and other forms of pollution, these have not yielded expected results in view of the prevailing levels of air pollutants like sulphur dioxide and fine particulate matters in the country’s atmospheric environment. Legislation as a sole measure may not be effective in tackling this challenge. Rather, government should also address some root-causes of the problem by making policies and programmes that will reduce unemployment and increase the earning capacity of citizenry. This will, among other things, effectively check poverty-induced biomass burning in the country. The paper looks at some other challenges of air pollution management and suggestions are made to tackle the identified problems.

Key issues of information systems management in Botswana

Studies on key issues in information systems (IS) management aim at finding out critical IS issues that are of concern to IS executives and business leaders. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the key IS management issues in Botswana. A questionnaire was administered to collect data from information systems professionals working from the level of a programmer and above. A simple average was used to rank the key factors while factor analysis was carried out to determine the major groups of key issues in IS management. The results of simple average calculation showed that an information system security is the key management issue in Botswana. The results of factor analysis showed that the classification of key issues of IS management put forward by Niederman et al. (1991) has continued to change with new issues such as mobile applications and ecommerce showing up strongly and information systems security becoming a group in its own right. The findings continue to show that the key issues of IS management tend to differ across space and time. Culture and level of economic development are some of the factors which can make key issues differ from one country to another.

Key issues of information systems management in Botswana

Key issues of information systems management in Botswana

Healthcare waste management in Botswana: storage, collection, treatment and disposal system

Healthcare waste management has become a major issue of concern for solid waste managers due the treatment of healthcare waste being generated and the potential environmental risks and public health risks to those who come in contact with it. Special attention must be paid when dealing with healthcare waste because of infectious and non-infectious waste as well as general waste it contains. If managed through inappropriate healthcare waste management systems, it can adversely affect the environment and public health. In Botswana, the Waste Management Act was introduced in 1998 not only for healthcare waste handling, but also to promote sustainable treatment and disposal; the document currently applies to the management of all the healthcare waste, including liquid and chemical waste. The paper presents an overview of the current healthcare waste management in Botswana. A mixed methods study incorporating an exploratory survey was used. A range of data gathering techniques including observations, informal dialogues, published and grey literature and semi-structured interviews of selected participants and operatives dealing with waste were used to identify key policies, composition, storage, treatment, disposal, challenges and best practices. Specifically, sorting and storage, collection, treatment and disposal systems and the recent regulation of healthcare waste were discussed. Current storage facilities and collection services in the healthcare facilities (HCFs) were not operating effectively and efficiently. The composition was almost the same in the HCFs, with mean values in the following decreasing order: general waste (48.84) >medical waste (39.39 %) >sharps (13.13 %). Therefore, more attention should be paid on segregation of infectious and non-infectious from general waste, pollution prevention and recovery of valuable materials from HCFs. Several suggestions were made to deal with healthcare waste management problems efficiently and to prevent the potential impacts. These included development of a legislation to allow for a more defined roles and responsibilities for healthcare personnel responsible for the handling and disposal of the waste streams at the point of generation in the HCFs. Therefore, there is an urgent need to formulate a more sustainable healthcare waste management system.

Hazardous and toxic waste management in Botswana: practices and challenges.

Hazardous and toxic waste is a complex waste category because of its inherent chemical and physical characteristics. It demands for environmentally sound technologies and know-how as well as clean technologies that simultaneously manage and dispose it in an environmentally friendly way. Nevertheless, Botswana lacks a system covering all the critical steps from importation to final disposal or processing of hazardous and toxic waste owing to limited follow-up of the sources and types of hazardous and toxic waste, lack of modern and specialised treatment/disposal facilities, technical know-how, technically skilled manpower, funds and capabilities of local institutions to take lead in waste management. Therefore, because of a lack of an integrated system, there are challenges such as lack of cooperation among all the stakeholders about the safe management of hazardous and toxic waste. Furthermore, Botswana does not have a systematic regulatory framework regarding monitoring and hazardous and toxic waste management. In addition to the absence of a systematic regulatory framework, inadequate public awareness and dissemination of information about hazardous and toxic waste management, slower progress to phase-out persistent and bio-accumulative waste, and lack of reliable and accurate information on hazardous and toxic waste generation, sources and composition have caused critical challenges to effective hazardous and toxic waste management. It is, therefore, important to examine the status of hazardous and toxic waste as a waste stream in Botswana. By default; this mini-review article presents an overview of the current status of hazardous and toxic waste management and introduces the main challenges in hazardous and toxic waste management. Moreover, the article proposes the best applicable strategies to achieve effective hazardous and toxic waste management in the future.

Rural road management in Botswana

This paper discusses the management of rural roads in Chobe in Botswana, which are mainly tertiary and access roads. These roads are low-volume roads and mostly gravelled. It was observed that the maintenance management of these roads was based on engineering judgement through visual inspection all over the country, without having any economic or technical analysis. Therefore, a comprehensive pavement management system for rural roads' maintenance is needed in Chobe and also in all the council areas of Botswana, which would consist of data collection, database, use of the Highway Development and Management Model to undertake efficient decision making project preparation, funding, implementation and feedback. A partial implementation of pavement management system in Chobe has been highlighted in this paper. The present analysis reveals that total demand for the road network in Chobe was 41·29 million pula, the backlog was 34·86 million pula and the first-year backlog demand was 20·63 million pula. Furthermore, the analysis found the long-term periodic maintenance strategy for the network at 6·43 million pula when there is no backlog. This huge backlog indicates that roads are not being maintained appropriately. The paper also estimates current road asset value in Chobe at 55·48 million pula. Finally, the paper recommends several solutions for the efficient preservation of road assets in Botswana.

Knowledge about breast cancer and reasons for late presentation by cancer patients seen at Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone, Botswana

IntroductionIn Botswana, breast cancer, the second most common malignancy amongst women, is often diagnosed late, with 90% of patients presenting at advanced stages at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) Gaborone, the only referral hospital with an operational oncology department. The reasons for this late presentation have not been studied. Determination of these reasons is critical for the formulation of strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality from breast cancer in Botswana. The aim of this study was to explore existing knowledge about breast cancer and the reasons for late presentation amongst patients attending the oncology unit of Princess Marina Hospital.MethodA descriptive qualitative study using free attitude interview was performed. Twelve breast cancer sufferers were purposefully selected and eleven interviews conducted. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and translated. Thematic analysis of data was performed.ResultsThis study found that breast cancer sufferers had had poor knowledge of the disease prior to the diagnosis. Their knowledge improved markedly during their attendance to the oncology clinic. Screening methods such as breast self-examination (BSE) were not used frequently. The majority of participants had delayed going to the hospital because of a lack of knowledge, fear of the diagnosis and fear of death, misinterpretation of the signs, the influence of lay beliefs and advice from the community. In some cases, however, advice from family and friends resulted in a timely medical consultation. The poor clinical practices of some health workers and the inadequate involvement by decision makers regarding the issue of cancer awareness discouraged patients from seeking and adhering to appropriate therapy.ConclusionsAwareness and knowledge of breast cancer was found to be poor amongst sufferers prior to their diagnosis, but their awareness and knowledge improved after the diagnosis. There was limited use of screening methods and a generally delayed seeking of medical attention. The need for increased awareness and use of screening practices was identified to be essential for early diagnosis of the disease and for improved outcomes of breast cancer management in Botswana.

Challenges of wildland fire management in Botswana: Towards a community inclusive fire management approach

To counteract the growing risk of wildland fire outbreaks countries around the world continue to invest on fire suppression. But there are no clear trends in the reduction of fire catastrophes. Fire activity will intensify with increasing climate variability and extreme events that are projected under climate change. This makes it pertinent to review current fire management strategies and explore more sustainable approaches to fire risk. Botswana experiences frequent unplanned fires that are driven by a combination of climatic factors, policy, land use and social behavior. The country relies on a fire management system that is skewed towards fire suppression and centralized around Government although faced with vast fire prone areas and lacking in resources, coordination and management capacity. This approach has de-coupled fire management from land use and livelihoods that ironically rely on fire and account for most fire outbreaks, putting the country at high risk of fire disasters. This paper explored mechanisms for establishing a sustainable fire management approach in Botswana that is centered on land use fire needs. A fire management strategy that is based on the use of fire for land use management will be community inclusive. Where an appropriate institutional framework is provided, this approach will facilitate effective use of resources, integration of indigenous and modern knowledge systems and help re-focus fire management away from suppression. A community inclusive fire management approach has a greater potential to be of benefit to both land use and ecological requirements of fire and contribute towards adaptation to climate change.

Risk Management: A New Project Management Perspective

Risk management in Botswana has been very ineffective at assisting projects to be on time, on budget, and meeting client’s/buyer’s expectations. Traditional risk management attempts to manage, control, and direct a project through various phases, from planning and design, through procurement, and to construction. However, the risk management in Botswana seems to be either not implemented or not successful. The project performance in Botswana has a poor performance record. The researchers are attempting to identify why the traditional project/risk management is not working. In analyzing the problem in Botswana, the researchers discovered that the traditional risk management model was theoretically unsound, and designed a new project and risk model, with an entirely different approach to risk. The new model is an outgrowth of the highly successful Performance Information Procurement System (PIPS) and the Information Measurement Theory (IMT)/Kashiwagi Solution Model (KSM) concepts. The approach has been presented to some Botswana clients and academics and has received a favorable response. The development of the new risk model will lead to a huge change in the paradigm for delivering projects in Botswana. The theoretical development of the new risk model is ongoing at the University of Botswana as a part of a doctoral dissertation.