The National Planning Commission (NPC) has formally begun work on Namibia’s next long-term development blueprint, launching a five-year strategy that will culminate in a successor to Vision 2030 and the drafting of the Seventh National Development Plan (NDP7).
The NPC Strategic Plan for 2025/26 to 2029/30 places the development of a new national vision at the centre of government’s planning agenda as Vision 2030 enters its final phase.
Executive Director I-Ben Natangwe Nashandi said the plan provides the framework that will guide Namibia’s development planning, implementation, monitoring and resource mobilisation over the next five years.
A major deliverable under the strategy will be the formulation of a new long-term national vision to replace Vision 2030, alongside the preparation and Cabinet approval of NDP7.
“Like any plan, it provides us with a clear roadmap on where to drive the National Planning Commission and its stakeholders, for whom we are there to serve,” Nashandi said.
The commission also plans to produce 10 socio-economic research reports, annual development reports and a National Human Resource Development Plan to support evidence-based policymaking.
The strategy is built around three priorities: strengthening national development planning, improving oversight of development performance and modernising the commission itself.
To improve implementation of NDP6, the NPC plans to introduce a digital national monitoring and evaluation system, publish annual progress reports and conduct both mid-term and end-of-plan evaluations. It will also carry out a comprehensive assessment of the outcomes achieved under Vision 2030.
Nashandi said effective monitoring is essential to ensuring government programmes deliver on approved national priorities.
“The M&E is not policing our actions, but our actions need to be in tandem with our plans,” he said.
Beyond planning, the commission intends to strengthen its institutional capacity through organisational restructuring, digital transformation, improved communication, staff development and a review of the National Planning Commission Act to reinforce its mandate.
The strategy also places renewed emphasis on mobilising development finance and strengthening partnerships with the private sector and international development partners, while supporting the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
By the end of the five-year period, the NPC aims to increase execution of its institutional plan from 54% to 80%, maintain budget execution between 98% and 100%, digitise all key public services and raise staff satisfaction from 60% to 80%.
Nashandi said achieving those targets would require stronger internal collaboration, discipline and innovation.
“The success lies on discipline among staff members, strong intra-institutional collaboration and working together within NPC, and innovation and digital transformation to accelerate delivery of services,” he said.
He said the strategy marks the beginning of a new chapter in Namibia’s development planning as the country prepares for the post-Vision 2030 era.
“This Strategic Plan, like others before it, represents a strong foundation for a strong forward-looking innovative National Planning Commission. It represents our contribution to the future,” Nashandi said.
