The responsibilities of the development division are to continually and efficiently develop and enhance the countries road network. The division works collectively with the Ministerial Planning unit and the ministry of finance and with other funding agencies to ensure funding of projects and to fulfill financing conditions.

The mandate of the division is:

• projects initiation
• economic evaluation through feasibility studies
• detailed engineering design
• preparation of contract documents
• the supervision of roads and bridges during construction through the different forms of contracts.

In order to achieve its mandate the division is divided into three sections namely: Contracts, Design, and Bridges Sections.

Materials and Research Division is located in Marua-pula off Limpopo Drive close to the Department of Roads Transport and Safety- Vehicle Testing Centre. It is adjacent to the Special Support Group (Botswana Police) barracks and Roads Maintenance Region South headquarters.

Materials and Research division is headed by Mr. B. M. Moetse, Principal Roads Engineer- I It is charged with the responsibility of Material Investigation, Pavement Testing-Evaluation & Design, Research and Development of Indigenous Design, Formulation of Appropriate Specification, Publications and Services to Sister Divisions and Other Departments. To achieve this responsibility the division is divided into six sections:

• Administration
• Laboratory Testing
• Investigations and Research
• Design & Specification
• Geotechnical
• Supplies

The Division is responsible for the overall planning of the Department, which includes project appraisals, coordination of feasibility studies, traffic studies, liaison with local authorities in determining their road improvement requirements, pavement management and the management of computing systems.

The division is constituted by the sections: Planning, Traffic, Information Technology and Pavement Management with each headed by Principal Roads Engineer-II safe for IT which is under a Senior Systems Analyst.

Maintenance division is responsible for the overall management and coordination of the maintenance of the entire national road network, which includes in-house maintenance and outsourced maintenance projects.

The Country is divided into seven maintenance regions:

• Central
• North
• North West
• South East
• South West
• Southern
• West

These regions are subdivided into 23 depots, which are located as follows:

• Central (Regional Office Serowe) – Serowe: Bobonong, Mahalapye & Palapye

• North (Francistown): Letlhakane, Masunga & Nata

• North West (Maun): Gumare, Kasane, Maun & Shakawe

• South East (Gaborone): Letlhakeng, Mochudi, Molepolole & Ramotswa

• South West (Tsabong): Hukuntsi, Kang & Tsabong

• Southern (Kanye): Goodhope, Kanye & Mabutsane

• West (Gantsi): Charleshill and Gantsi

Design Division exists to oversee and coordinate geometric design of roads aimed at improving existing network. This is done by carrying out actual designs in-house as well as checking of designs by consultants for confirmation to standards and approval thereof. The Bridges and Maintenance divisions are also clients of design which assists in emergency works design.

In its day to day services, there are three units within Design to help achieve its mandate namely:

·       Access Control which is there to ensure access onto RD network and service/infrastructure occupation of RD road reserves by Local Authorities, Individuals and/or Businesses, to ensure the geometric design of the latter conforms to the standards imposed by RD

·       Environmental unit is also available to ensure designs as well as proposed construction methods are carried out bearing in mind the effects on the environment (socio economic or otherwise).

·       Lands acquisition complements the division to compensate owners of lands which may be affected by a new design (ultimately construction of the same).

Contract Administration Division is one of the divisions of roads Department under the Ministry of transport and Communications.  Its mandate is to check contracts documents for compliance with the requirements of a given project, be it a construction, maintenance or a service project in the department.  In addition the division assesses all contractual issues, including claims and makes recommendations accordingly.

The various functions are as stipulated below.

·                    Checking of Contracts Documents for compliance with the requirements of the given project

·                    Checking Contractor evaluation reports before any award contract could be undertaken

·                   Carrying regular inspection on all on-going projects to familiarize with all contractual issues on site and appreciate the rate of progress

·                    Appraising Variation Orders and making appropriate recommendations  to  Director of Roads for approval

·                    Dealing with design and contracts amendments and contractors claims

·                  Handling and checking of all payments  before they can be passed for payment

Historically the Management of the Department has existed to ensure an effective and efficient overall performance of the Department with the following objectives:-

• Provide guidance and advise on all matters pertaining to staff matters, including dissemination of information (General Orders, Directives, etc.)
• Develop, introduce and effectively monitor integrated resource planning (manpower, supplies, finance, equipment, etc) for road infrastructure design, construction and maintenance functions, and in this connection to liaise closely with the Planning and Statistics Unit, Ministry Management, central Transport Organisation, etc.
• Develop and maintain an internal system through which effective direction, cooperation and control so that the divisions and field offices operate efficiently.
• Develop and maintain through Heads of Departments, an effective and close liaison with all operational activities of the Ministry to ensure that the Department effectively contributes in the total goal of attaining the objectives of the Ministry. The Ministry’s mandate is to provide safe, economical and reliable public infrastructure (buildings, roads, aerodromes and related services, such as road, rail and air safety, that will contribute to economic development in Botswana).
• Provide administrative and personnel management
• Development and implement manpower development programmes which clearly show the manpower needs, type of training, qualification, progression etc. so as to ensure and maintain optimum productivity.
• Ensure proper deployment of staff by adhering to the approved work organisational framework, job descriptions and job specifications of the posts as detailed in appropriate scheme service.
• Post suitable, qualified and capable staff in the District/Field Offices to ensure adequate representation at District level
• Implement staff performance appraisal systems in accordance with conditions governing the Public Service.
• Recommend an appropriate organisational structure clearly showing the hierarchy or reporting channels and the functions at each level so as to promote efficiency and productivity.
• Produce periodic management reports for submission to the Permanent Secretary, analyzing in detail the Departments achievements and constraints in each major responsibility area and proposing action for further progress.
• The Administration Division is headed by the Assistant Director Management, following a recent organization and methods exercise in the Botswana Public Service.

The division is headed by Assistant Director Supplies, the division staff works under secondment from Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and sits under Administration Division.

The supplies sub-division provides supplies services to the Department of Roads, these are:

• ensuring that all Supplies regulations and procedures are adhered to
• ensuring that purchase of items of supplies which are not included in the Department of Supply’s catalogue and priced list supplies are restricted
• to dispose all scrap of materials that arise from time to time
• to provide uniform and protective clothing accordingly
• to conduct handover
• to carry out supplies inspection.
• to advise Roads HQ on any matters pertaining to acquisition, receipt and storage of supplies including tendering procedures.

The supplies sub-division purchases goods from the Department of Supplies, wholesalers and retailers. Other sources of supplies includes the annual supply contracts i.e

• Water Affairs
• Dept of Building and Electrical services
• Dept of Agriculture
• Government Printing
• Central Transport Organization
• Central Medical Supplies
• Government Computer Bureau
• National Library Services
• Supplies Department works hand in hand with Accounts, Auditor General and P.A.C

Roads Training Center is a tertiary institution that was founded in 1962 and the second largest division after Maintenance Division with an establishment of around 250. This includes the current student population of 125 students. RTC has a fully-fleged unit, the Field Training Unit (FTU) in Molepolole that provides training on heavy plant road construction machinery and labour based technology that is relevant to roads.

Roads Training Center has gone through various stages of evolution from training only road foremen and plant operators to training artisans and technicians in highway engineering as well as training of plant instructors.

The primary clients of RTC are mostly high school leavers, followed by in-service trainees from various entities including public and private. These enities include Roads Department, Botswana Defence Force, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana Railways, Ministry of Local Government, Contractors and Consultants. Department of Tertiary Education and Financing is one of the major sponsorer of RTC students though some students are self-sponsored.

Being located in Botswana, RTC is strategically located in southern africa, and is only some 360km from Johannesburg, South Africa, by road and only about 1 hour by air.