Development Managers Get To Work In Botswana
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A series of notifications have been issued this year inviting expressions of interest (EoIs) from citizen-owned contractors and consultants to work on dozens of construction projects under the Bostwana’s development manager (DM) infrastructure delivery programme.
In his State of the Nation address in November 2023, President Mokgweetsi Masisi said the DM model would be used for the implementation of 143 projects, worth a combined Pula 13 billion (US$954.5 million), mainly focused on development in rural areas.
Under the model, the DM is responsible for the full scope of engineering, procurement, construction and management (EPCM) services from inception to completion on behalf of the government, including engaging contractors.
An overall catalyst project team (CPT) has been appointed to oversee the development managers and ensure official government procurement processes are observed. There will also be district-level CPTs involving district professionals, such as quantity surveyors and road engineers, coordinated by district commissioners.
The CPT will act as a one-stop-shop to facilitate timely decision making and speed up processes such as issuing planning and building permits.
The DM model is intended to expedite the delivery of projects and reduce the financial risk to the government. The government proposed the model in response to poor quality work, cost overruns and protracted litigation on previous projects which arose due to a lack of skills and competence in project implementation.
The projects to be delivered under the DM programme include roads, schools, hospitals and clinics, with financing to be sourced from the Domestic Development Fund.
Nine local companies and consortia were officially appointed as the DMs in October 2023 following a competitive tender run by the Ministry of Transport and Public Works. They are:
HSNV Mining
Bigen Africa Services
Zutari Botswana
Devmco Botswana
Okavango consortium
Hatch Associates Botswana
Nama Consulting Engineers and Knight Piesold Botswana joint venture
K-Hill consortium
Pro-serve Consulting Botswana
So far this year, EoIs have been issued for packages of projects under DM 1, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
HSNV Mining, which is overseeing DM 1, invited citizen-owned contractors to express interest in being shortlisted to participate in 14 projects. The deadline for submissions was 14 February.
The projects include the construction of housing for prison and hospital workers, a record centre, workshops and the expansion of a school. Also included in the package was the reconstruction of the 100km Nata-Gweta section of the Nata-Maun road.
The submissions will be used to create a database of contractors for specific projects.
The Nama-Knight Piesold jv is overseeing the DM package 4 projects and has invited EoIs from citizen-owned contractors for schemes mostly located in the southwestern and northwestern districts of Botswana. The deadline for submissions is 29 February.
The projects include upgrading health posts to clinics, construction of staff housing, schools, a hospital, a record centre, along with internal roads, stormwater drainage and solar street lighting. Three road sections totalling 140km are also to be reconstructed.
The Nama-Knight Piesold jv also invited EoIs by 15 February from citizen-owned consultants to carry out the project definition, design, documentation, costing and construction supervision for the above-mentioned schemes.
The K-Hill consortium invited EoIs by 14 February from citizen-owned contractors for inclusion in its supplier database, without specifying the projects involved in the DM 6 package, which it is overseeing.
Likewise, Pro-Serve Consultants has invited EoIs by 20 February from citizen-owned contractors for civil road projects and brownfield and greenfield schemes under DM package 7, without detailing specific projects.
Previously, Zutari Botswana invited citizen-owned consultants to express interest by 9 February in carrying out the design, preparation of tender documents and construction supervision for four projects under DM package 8.
The projects are the construction of a primary school, the upgrading of a clinic, the refurbishment of an artificial insemination centre, and the construction of the 27km Mogoditshane-Gabane-Mmankgodi road.
Meanwhile, Devmco Botswana is inviting citizen-owned contractors to submit EoIs by 20 February for 18 road and building projects under DM 9 package.
The road projects include the design, construction and supervision of 25km of internal roads at Molepolole, the 28km Molepolole bypass, two interchanges and a stormwater drainage system.
The building works include the upgrading of health posts to clinics, the construction of new primary schools, a rural administration centre and a warehouse.
Botswana’s DM procurement model aims to ensure a fair distribution of works to local contractors as no single contractor will be awarded more than two projects under the programme.
Top photo: Roadworks in Botswana (Source: Facebook @ Ministry of Transport)
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