SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS Botswana’s lack of a freedom of information law, as well as the existence of laws which inhibit access to information, (such as the Public Service Act and the Emergency Powers Act) was expected to negatively impact this study. Category 1: Website analysis ORGANISATIONS SURVEYED y Government ministries use a centralised website portal, which they have limited control over. y None of the websites surveyed contain budget or financial information. y The websites are not interactive, and responses on the Messenger platform are often late. y Social media platforms, especially Facebook, are often used to supplement the website. The following public organisations were surveyed: 1. Botswana Police Service 2. Botswana Post 3. Botswana Power Corporation 4. Botswana Qualification Authority 5. Botswana Unified Revenue Service 6. Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security 7. Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry 8. Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board 9. Statistics Botswana Category 2: Requests for information 10. Water Utilities Corporation RETURN TO CONTENTS PAGE BOTSWANA LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 8 y All public organisations acknowledged receipt of the inquiry, although this response was delayed in some instances. y Some organisations were proactive supplying the information requested. y Only a few responded in less than seven days of receiving the inquiry. y Only a few responded without a reminder. y Some never responded after acknowledgement, with organisation citing COVID-19 lockdown and movement restrictions as a reason for non-response. y Most organisations took a long time to verify information through their offices. y Due to lockdown, a physical request for information was almost impossible. y None of the surveyed organisations flatly refused to give the requested information. in