Botswana's minister of foreign affairs, Lemogang Kwape. (Pic source: Duma FM)

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), together with the Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has unveiled the performance dashboard system, which will strengthen the country's digital agenda.

Botswana's minister of foreign affairs, Lemogang Kwape, officially launched the online platform in Gaborone on Friday.

ECA describes the performance dashboard system as an advanced, web-based tool that can be used via a conventional internet browser on computers, tablets, and smartphones.

“It is currently designed for exclusive internal utilisation, controlled through personalised invitations. It is developed with flexible open-source technologies, to facilitate adaptability, agility, and cost-efficiency,” it said.

Tailored specifically for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Botswana, the system provides an instantaneous, comprehensive overview of key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling a deeper level of managerial oversight, said ECA.

It said the platform facilitates the tracking of progress, identification of emerging trends, and the formulation of strategic decisions anchored on data.

The minister acknowledged the efforts of ECA in developing the system, which he said will “ensure real-time data delivery and reveal Botswana’s progress as well as how specific ministries are performing in delivering their respective mandates”.

Kwape said: “The system is in sync with the national digital transformation strategy and positions Botswana as a leader in digital technology and for promoting effective service delivery.”

He added: “This innovative dashboard system is in line with Botswana’s Vision 2036 agenda that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on digital transformation.

“It envisages transformation across its four pillars that will be achieved by investments in research, development and innovation, and by accelerating the digital transformation agenda of our country.”

Oliver Chinganya, director of ECA’s Africa Centre for Statistics, delivered remarks on behalf of the ECA’s executive secretary, Claver Gatete and said the system empowers both management and staff to meticulously monitor the ministry’s KPIs and ensure effectiveness and relevance.

“It is our hope that this initiative will be scaled up to other ministries and also build on the same to support others,” he said.

Chinganya added: “These attributes not only cater to the immediate requirements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Botswana but also offer promising potential for adoption across other government sectors and ECA member states.”

According to Chinganya, incorporating several visual aids such as charts, graphs, and gauges, the dashboard offers quick insights into performance metrics.

“This system extends beyond KPI tracking and display, encompassing data entry, validation, and data approval processes to improve quality of data going to the dashboard,” he said.

“It also facilitates setting up of performance targets and the management of performance periods, and system configuration to easily adopt to the changing needs of the ministry.”

The ECA director said that the dashboard also helps facilitate efficient internal collaboration and avoids dependence on external tools for data and information management.

“This performance management dashboard transcends the conventional role of a tool, emerging as a transformative platform that significantly propels the digital empowerment of Botswana's governmental operations and establishes a benchmark for digital governance excellence,” he noted.