The Mandate Of The POVERTY ERADICATION COORDINATION UNIT (PECU)

The mandate of the Poverty Eradication Coordination Unit is to provide a coordination mechanism and enabling environment for effective implementation of poverty eradication initiatives, policies and programmes; empower the poor to participate effectively in poverty eradication programmes as well as strengthen institutions and systems for poverty eradication to ensure a life of dignity for all Batswana.

This is achieved through the following:

a) Improving institutional coordination – Several government departments are engaged in poverty related work, both direct and indirect. The Poverty Eradication Coordination Unit therefore coordinates policy development and implementation to avoid fragmentation as well as provide overall Poverty Eradication policy direction.

b) Identifying the key policies and programmes that drive poverty eradication – by solicing and focusing greater attention on policies and programmes that have the greatest influence (actual or potential), on poverty; identifying the policy gaps and taking measures to fill them; reviewing and harmonising policies to ensure greater internal coherence, efficiency and effectiveness of policy and programme responses to poverty; as well as Aligning anti-poverty policies and programmes with the broader macroeconomic framework and the absorptive capacity of the country.

c) Strengthening institutional capacity to respond to poverty – by ensuring that institutions that have the responsibility to deliver on the eradication of poverty have the capacity to perform as expected.

d) Harmonising national and sectoral plans and programmes and facilitate mainstreaming of Poverty Eradication programmes into national, district, private and civil society strategic plans.

e) Coordinating the development and implementation of a national poverty eradication research agenda.

f) Developing credible Poverty Monitoring and Information Systems (PMIS) A good PMIS not only helps monitor progress against poverty but is a repository of lessons learned during the course of implementing projects and programmes. In this regard, it provides the evidential basis for reforming the policy and programme response based on lessons learned from the performance of past and current programmes.

g) Mobilising and advocating for specific resource inputs, capacity building expertise and strategic partnership development for poverty eradication.

h) Informed and consistent messaging on poverty or Effective Communication Strategy – It is essential that official messaging on poverty that reflects both the government’s goals and targets on poverty and reality regarding what is possible and how soon is developed. The basis for such balanced messaging is quality up to date information and analysis.

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