07 Oct 2026

Statistics Botswana and Botswana Public Service College (BPSC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening data literacy and evidence-based decision-making across the public service.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Gaborone on October 6, Statistician General Dr Khaufelo Lekobane, said the partnership would provide a national platform for rolling out a statistical literacy programme for public servants across the National Statistical System.

He said the programme, which formed part of Statistics Botswana’s Corporate Strategy 2026-2030, would equip public officers with skills to understand data, assess its quality and use statistics confidently in decision-making.

The partnership will see the two institutions design and deliver training programmes incorporating official statistics, data literacy, research methods, and evidence-based policy and decision-making.

Statistics Botswana will provide technical expertise, including advice on statistical standards and classifications, quality assurance training, official data and case studies, while BPSC will provide its public service reach, professional development expertise and training facilities.

Dr Lekobane said the collaboration would also support the development and implementation of professional standards, competency requirements and ethical norms for statistical personnel across the public service.

He said a statistician working in a line ministry or district council should be held to the same professional standards as one working at Statistics Botswana.

“This partnership is a force multiplier,” he said, adding that common standards and curricula would help ensure that different parts of the National Statistical System spoke the same technical and methodological language.

He further said the partnership was intended to move statistics beyond merely being produced and published towards ensuring that they informed national decisions.

“Statistics have value only when they are understood and used,” he said, stressing the importance of communication and report-writing skills in ensuring that statistical information reaches policymakers in a form they can use.

The Statistician General revealed that the partnership had already begun, with BPSC having trained 25 Statistics Botswana employees in records management. Further training in governance, management, communication and report writing is planned.

Meanwhile, BPSC Acting Executive Director, Ms Boineelo Lobelo, said the MoU represented a practical commitment to building a competent, evidence-based and responsive public service.

She said the partnership would empower public officers to use statistics as a compass for evidence-based policy and decision-making, while providing professional development in leadership, governance and communication.

Ms Lobelo said the institutions would also create platforms for dialogue and knowledge exchange among policymakers, academics and practitioners, while jointly monitoring and evaluating training interventions to ensure that they produced meaningful results.

She said the collaboration would embed statistical literacy into public service training, enabling government to measure and manage performance with greater precision, accountability and foresight.

Ms Lobelo stressed that the MoU should not remain a document, but should translate into tangible results.

She said implementation teams would be established and progress measured to ensure that the partnership remained productive and aligned with national priorities. ENDS