The Challenge
Namibia’s Procurement Policy Unit (PPU) at the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, faced the challenge of enhancing its educational resources and communication strategies to foster transparent and effective public procurement and business engagement practices nationwide.
HelpUsTrade, following an international procurement exercise, took the helm of “Consultancy Services for the Development of Public Education & Marketing and Communication Materials” with a commitment to kick-starting a reshaping of the landscape of Public Procurement and business engagement in Namibia.
Project Overview:
From January to July 2023, this ambitious initiative aimed not only to enhance internal capabilities at the PPU but also to ignite a nationwide understanding of the intricate laws, processes, and systems governing public spending.
With the backing of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the project’s scope spanned from producing materials that discussed the intricacies of governance structures within government to the art of crafting compelling bidding documents, covering a spectrum of modules aimed at enlightening both PPU staff and the broader public sector to transform its thinking to a place of transparency and accountability.
Beyond module study texts and presentations, the project sought to harness the power of multimedia, crafting educational videos, impactful social media messages, and compelling radio broadcasts that would resonate far beyond the project’s completion date.
In this project HelpUsTrade’s project management team was led by Gary Clifford and the curriculum design team was led by HUT Director Professor Dermot Cahill, co-recipient of the British-Franco Lawyers Association 2017 Award for Transnational Education Excellence, specialist in designing learning outcomes and transformational training design.
Bringing HelpUsTrade expertise from the hills in Wales to the Namibian plains, this project was a true testament to collaborative spirit and shared ambitions. We brought our experience, they brought their deep understanding of their local context, and together, we crafted educational materials that truly make a difference. Thereafter, witnessing Namibia embrace transparency and empower its people through knowledge has been incredibly rewarding, especially when you’re learning alongside passionate people building a brighter future for their country.
Gary Clifford, Managing Director, Project Leader, HelpUsTrade.
Project Objectives:
HelpUsTrade took on the significant responsibility of developing a comprehensive suite of educational and marketing materials. As mentioned, the primary objectives were to enhance public sector advertising, support effective management of public opportunities, and educate the private sector to compete for government opportunities more effectively.
Project activities could be summarised as follows:
- Development of Educational Materials:
- Created training materials suitable for a range of audiences on Governance Structures, Internal Structures, Bidding Documents, Procurement Planning, Examination and Evaluation of Bids, and Supplier and Contract Management.
- Public Education Strategy and Operational Plan:
- Crafted a comprehensive marketing and communication strategy for disseminating educational materials through videos, radio messages, and social media content.
- Developed a Trainer’s Guide and implemented a Train-the-Trainers program to support a National Educational program and a National Communications Strategy rollout.
- Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building:
- Conducted in-person capacity-building sessions for all PPU staff members.
- Implemented a Training-of-Trainers and Knowledge Exchange program to equip PPU staff with the skills to effectively use the educational and marketing material.
Exceed Expectations:
In pursuit of the project’s objectives, HelpUsTrade surpassed its contractual obligations, generating a surplus of materials beyond the specified requirements. A synopsis of these pivotal deliverables can be summarised as follows:
- Development of Educational Materials:
- Governance Structures;
- Internal Management Structures;
- Bidding Documents;
- Procurement Planning;
- Examination and Evaluation of Bids; and,
- Supplier and Contract Management.
- Public Education Strategy and Operational Plan: A comprehensive 12-month Marketing and Communication Strategy was created to maximise the impact of the educational materials and messages across Namibia. This holistic strategy was supported by eleven (11) educational videos, fifty-six (56) social media messages, seven (7) posters for nationwide display, and eleven (11) radio messages, which were also created during the course of the consultancy by the HelpUsTrade team.
- The HUT team exceeded expectations by delivering modules that could be utilised by both novices and seasoned professionals as each module also included:
- Comprehensive Study Guides;,
- Branded Presentation Decks;
- Animated Videos;
- Interactive Participant Exercises;
- Group Participants Exercises;
- Multi-Choice Tests;
- Reflective Exercises; and,
- A Train-the-Trainers program to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge at a national level.
Impact and Results:
Namibia’s Procurement Policy Unit (PPU) at the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, faced the challenge of enhancing its educational resources and communication strategies to foster transparent and effective public procurement and business engagement practices nationwide.
HelpUsTrade, following an international procurement exercise, took the helm of “Consultancy Services for the Development of Public Education & Marketing and Communication Materials” with a commitment to kick-starting a reshaping of the landscape of Public Procurement and business engagement in Namibia.
They not only met expectations of the contract and our team, but exceeded them.
Dr Jafet Nelongo, Acting Head Procurement Policy Unit, Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises (https://eprocurement.gov.na/about-ppu), Namibia – February, 2024
