BOTSWANA SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS Category 1: Website analysis • • • • • • • • • Government websites are too uniform and as a result, discourage the creative potential of individual ministries or departments. Some ministries have not updated their new names in the government portal while in some cases both names appear. Some websites are incomplete with blank pages or outdated information. Interactive features are neither optimally functional nor utilised by most organisations. Parastatal websites, however, have a business outlook, are easy to navigateand appealing in looks. All websites provided the institution’s contact details. The use of social media by some, especially Facebook and Twitter, has added value to their online presence. Some organisations, for example BOCRA, have a ‘Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)’ feature on their website which can provide an instant response to queries. Some organisations, such as CIPA have an ‘electronic complaints registration’ feature which eases access to the complaints board. Category 2: Requests for information • • • • • • 10 First contact officers are not decision-makers in the release of information. In most instances, the decision-makers were at different workshops during the submission of requests. In one ministry, the request had to pass through two different officers before it would be taken to the public relations unit and yet a condition was still given: an official insisted on a separate cover page detailing the request and providing information on the researcher despite the introductory paragraph which was attached to the initial request. An official in one of the ministries blind copied the researcher into conversations to show that she was facing difficulties in getting a response from the relevant officials. In the end, only four information requests were answered. Most recipients of the requests initially showed enthusiasm in responding; but lost it along the way, seemingly having hit a snag with their colleagues who were uncooperative in providing information.