1 / 55

Africa Institute of South Africa

Africa Institute of South Africa. Presentation to Science and Technology Portfolio Committee, Parliament, Cape Town 12 October 2011 By Dr Matlou – Chief Executive Officer. Purpose of the Presentation. To present on the AISA Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements 2010-2011.

keisha
Download Presentation

Africa Institute of South Africa

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Africa Institute of South Africa Presentation to Science and Technology Portfolio Committee, Parliament, Cape Town 12 October 2011 By Dr Matlou – Chief Executive Officer

  2. Purpose of the Presentation To present on the AISA Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements 2010-2011

  3. AISA’s Vision and Mission • Vision • An indispensable African voice on African Affairs. • Mission • To produce relevant research products aimed at informing sustainable political and socio-economic development in Africa. • Position Statement • Development Through Knowledge • Brand Promise • Africa's knowledge resource

  4. AISA’s Values • AISA’s Corporate Values are entrenched in the acronym PRIDE: • Participation; • Responsibility; • Integrity; • Development; and • Excellence

  5. Introduction • Policy and commitment : • AISA is an organ of state governed mainly by: • AISA Act (Act 68 of 2001) • Public Finance Management Act (Act 1 of 1999) • AISA’s Current Research Agenda • African Continental Integration- 2008-2011

  6. AISA’s Mandate • AISA’s mandate is derived from the AISA act (Act 68 of 2001), which establishes it as a statutory body aimed to: • Provide research and policy development support in its pursuit of programmes that contribute to the development of the African continent; • Conduct research and embark on training programmes that foster continental patriotism and that promote increased awareness and understanding of the African continent among the peoples of South Africa and across the globe; and • Establish and participate in and maintain networks in Africa and globally which will contribute to the peace development and prosperity of the continent.

  7. AISA’s Objectives The institute pursues three objectives: • Promote knowledge and understanding of African affairs through leading social scientists acting in concert and across various disciplines and through training and education on African affairs, • Collect, process and disseminate information on African Affairs, give effective advice and facilitate appropriate action in relation to the collective needs, opportunities and challenges of the continent and • Promote awareness and consciousness of Africa at grassroots level.

  8. Divisions within AISA • Research: organised in 5 units, namely; • Peace and Security • Sustainable Development • Governance and democracy • Science and Technology, and • Knowledge Transfer and Skills Development Unit • Publications • Library and Documentation • Outreach and International Liaison • Corporate Affairs • Finance and Administration • Human Resources

  9. AISA Management • Dr Matlotleng Matlou – Chief Executive Officer • Vacant – Executive Director Research • Prof Phindile Lukhele-Olorunju – Director Research: Natural Sciences • Prof Narnia Bohler-Muller – Director Research: Social Sciences • Mr. Solani Ngobeni – Director Publications • Ms. Elsie Maritz – CFO • Ms. Ingrid Canham – HR Manager • Ms NademaJainoo/Ms Cecilia Silolo-Tshishonga - Corporate Affairs Manager

  10. AISA 2010-2011 AISA’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN DELIVERING ON ITS MANDATE

  11. Research Output 2010/2011

  12. i. Governance and Democracy Seeks to promote and encourage the institutionalization and entrenchment of democracy and governance fundamentals as a basis for integration. Work focuses on: • International partnerships with Africa – including Brazil/ China/ • India/ Russia/USA- Africa, PRAU/IGD/AISA /DBSA/ BRICS • through DIRCO and AU; • Auditing the African Peer Review Mechanism processes in • Africa, in particular the implementation of the national plans • of actions; • Political leadership, parties and the sustainability of • democracy in Africa; • Researching key socio-political and economic issues in • international relations and cooperation and how these affect • South Africa, Southern Africa and the African continent.

  13. RESEARCH THEMATIC UNITi. Governance and Democracy Projects undertaken 2010/2011: • The Role of South Africa in African Continental Integration • Assessing the AU Industrialization Plan Through A Linear • Model: In the Case of Mineral Industrialization • Results: • 3 journal articles, 5 policy briefs and presentations at • national and international conferences/seminars. • Unit briefed various government organizations on • transformation of the PAP and Zimbabwe political • impasse. • Two interns were capacitated by the unit.

  14. RESEARCH THEMATIC UNITii. Peace and Security Seeks to promote Africa’s Peace and Security Agenda, in view of the continent’s aspirations to create stable, peaceful and enabling environments for sustainable development. Focus is on: • Promotion of democratic processes for conflict prevention • and management; • Conflict prevention, management and resolution • mechanisms at national, regional, continental and • international levels; • Migration and security; • Crime and human insecurity and its impact on regional • integration; and • Management of trans-border resources and implications • for regional security.

  15. RESEARCH THEMATIC UNITii. Peace and Security Projects undertaken 2010/2011: • Central Africa’s evolving natural resource management • paradigm: The case of the Congo Basin Rainforest and • implications for Peace and Security in the Sub region • The nexus of social capital and national reconciliation in • Burundi and its implications for human security in the • Great Lakes region. • Results: • 4 journal articles, 6 policy briefs, book chapter in the Nile River book project and presentations at national and international conferences/seminars. • Unit gave lectures at the SANDF and SAN War Colleges on Multi-lateral Organizations: The African Union and Regional Security. • One intern was capacitated from this unit.

  16. iii. Sustainable Development In line with Africa’s commitment to promote people’s empowerment as a basis for its development, this unit promotes grassroots driven, equitable and inclusive use and management of resources (both renewable and non-renewable) with a focus on: • Development of common standards for the access, exploitation, • management and sustainable use of all resources; • Monitoring performance in terms of commitments to empowerment e.g. • Millennium Development Goals; • Indigenous knowledge systems and appropriate technologies for • beneficiation processes; • Options for the empowerment of critical actors in development in • particular the youth and women, and • Examination and development of proposals for poverty intervention • strategies.

  17. RESEARCH THEMATIC UNITiii. Sustainable Development Projects undertaken 2010/2011: • Informal trading networks: a ‘loose canon”, or circuits of • integration from below? The case of Cameroon/Nigeria • informal trade interface • Indigenous rights and the influence of the new Kenyan • constitution on Indigenous development. • Results: • 4 journal articles, 4 policy briefs and presentations at national and international conferences/seminars. • Policy briefs on Mubarak and Indigenous People of Lamu District, Kenya attracted attention from DIRCO, Egyptian and Kenyan embassies. • One intern was capacitated by this unit.

  18. iv. Science and Technology AISA seeks to spearhead work towards the development and advancement of Africa’s science and technological platforms as a basis for the pursuit of its common aspiration for sustainable development through: • Supporting processes towards harmonization of regulations that promote • the application and safe use of technology; and promotion of the • development of centres of excellence in science and technology; • Promoting the development of frameworks that protect intellectual • property in Africa, particularly the Pan African Organisation of Intellectual • Property; • Facilitating frameworks for technology sharing, transfer and adaptation • among and across African countries, and • Monitoring the implementation of Science and Technology plans by the • relevant ministries and departments.

  19. RESEARCH THEMATIC UNITiv. Science and Technology Projects Undertaken 2010/2011 : • Determining Africa’s future energy needs, production, • demand and investment requirements through system • dynamics. • The value of spatial based-analytical tools (GIS and • Remote Sensing) in understanding the impacts of the • agrarian reform on food security in the SADC region. • Special focus on South Africa and Zimbabwe. • AISA/Standard Bank Seminar Series projects. • Results: • 4 journal articles, 5 policy briefs and presentations at • national and international conferences/seminars. • Unit concentrated on the Energy Transition in Africa book • project with the target of having it published for 2011 COP • 17 together with the IGD and UNISA book projects. • One intern was capacitated by this unit.

  20. RESEARCH THEMATIC UNITv. Knowledge Transfer and Skills Development Focus was on: • Internal AISA Flagship projects • Internship Programme • Fellowship Programme • AISA Young Graduates Scholars • AISA Campus Lecture Series • SA Campus Lecture Series • Archie Mafeje Memorial Lecture • Scramble for Africa Conference • Results: • 7 interns mentored and 7articles published , 4 Fellows appointed, 61 participated at AYGS Conference, 505 attended seminars delivered at 5 universities, 71 attended the Archie Mafeje Memorial lecture held at WSU and a successful international conference on Scramble for Africa held in Pretoria.

  21. Special Projects and Initiatives • Electoral monitoring project (Sudan Referendum) • Women and Defence ( financially supported conferences organised by DoD) • Support to SADC Armed Forces ( Lectures at SAND and SAN War Colleges ) • North Africa Project ( organised conference and reviewed book chapters) • Nile River Project (organised conference and reviewed book chapters) • The Standard Bank Project (Conducted Seminars being collated for publication in 2011) • Social Science Research Council (SSRC) [HIV/AIDS Book Published ] • AISA Autobiography • Growing partnerships (Worked closely with DIRCO, DST, NRF, HSRC, AU, SADC, IGD) • Russian Academy of African Affairs at AISA (Signed MoU) • Other research-related activities • Research Seminars (Within and outside AISA) • Engagement with the Media (Radio, TV and Print) • Capacity Building (7 interns mentored)

  22. Research Output 2010/2011

  23. Publications Introduction The Publications Division is a conduit through which AISA’s research outputs are disseminated. However it needs to be noted that the division not only publishes internally generated research outputs but those from external stakeholders as well. The Publications Division publishes books, monographs, policy briefs, occasional papers, as well as an International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS) listing and the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) accredited journal, Africa Insight. Although the majority of what the division publishes is internally generated, it also publishes commissioned and unsolicited journal articles, books, occasional papers and monographs from other researchers from various South African and African universities and from the Diaspora. We also co-publish with other like-minded research institutions such as the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD), South Africa.

  24. Publications Outputs Figure 1 shows the titles published by the division in the reporting year 2010/2011. Books 6% Journal articles 66% Occasional papers 10% Monographs 1% Policy briefs 17%

  25. Publications Results Representation at local and international conferences, book fairs and colloquiums including: • Cape Town Book Fair (CTBF) • Standing Conference of University Presidents at the University of South Africa (UNISA) • Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Literacy Week • Launch of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI) in Sandton, Johannesburg • South African Society of Education (SASE) conference at the University of Venda • MAP Africa conference at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town • Annual DIRCO conference in Tshwane • Taylor & Francis Editors’ Indaba in Rosebank, Johannesburg • African Studies Association of the United Kingdom’s biannual conference in Oxford, UK.

  26. Publications Results In conjunction with its research counterpart, held a colloquium in Nairobi, Kenya on ‘Co-operative Diplomacy, Regional Stability and National Interests: The Nile River and the Riparian States’ the proceedings of which have been published as a book. • Apart from conferences, book fairs and colloquiums, Publications attended a number of seminars and book launches during which AISA’s research outputs were showcased. • We achieved our strategic objective of forging links with like-minded research Institutes in areas such as co-publishing by entering into a collaborative initiative with the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD), which resulted in a joint publication entitled, Natural resource governance in Southern Africa by Emmanuel Kisiangani and Lesley Masters (eds). • The division capacitated 2 interns.

  27. Library and Documentation Services (LDS) Expanding Library Holdings • Books : Added 251 ordered books to 67,158 books : Total of 67,409 books ( this total include the Pierre Botha collection and Mikelle Antoine collection). • Journals : Added 884 direct subscription journals to 18,494 journals : Total of 19,378 journals. • Ready reference collection : Added 32 annuals to 4644 annuals : Total of 4676 books. • Exchanges : Added 530 exchanges ( 120 books; 369 journals; 21 discussion papers; 10 newsletters; 6 bulletins; 4 annual reports) • Gifts : Added 85 gifts (41 books; 42 journals; 2 annual reports) • Archives : The archives stands at 4706 individual volumes. • The total library collection stands on 96, 784 volumes. Shows an increase of 1,782 volumes from 95,002 in 2009/10.

  28. Library and Documentation Services (LDS) Providing Efficient and Effective Services to Clients Users were divided into the following percentages : • AISA : 65.85% • Academics : 7.2% • Corporates : 1.03% • Individuals : 5.92% • Students : 5.15% • Government : 12.8% • Embassy : 0.25% • Other : 1.8% • AISA’s own researchers made up 66% of the enquiries and outside clients made up 34% of the enquiries.

  29. Library and Documentation Services (LDS) Creating an increased awareness of AISA mandate, products and services Seminars • Records Management seminar on the 29th March 2011, where record practitioners shared information about good standards and practices on records management. Workshop • 20 library students from the University of Limpopo on the 7th October 2010. LDS staff did presentations on the LDS in general, a practical session on how cataloguing is done in LDS and a presentation on how the periodicals section functions. The students thus gained hands-on training on library science and information practices.

  30. Library and Documentation Services (LDS) Creating an increased awareness of AISA mandate, products and services • Geo-Portal launch : The AISA geo-portal was launched on the 13th October 2010. The interface shows 28 themes for all African countries and is updated on an ongoing basis. • AGIRN (Africa Geo Info Research Network) project : AISA, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and EIS agreed on compiling the AGIRN portal and AISA portal to ensure maximum dissemination and marketing. • School outreach : Outreach was done in the Eastern Cape (30 schools), Limpopo (102 schools) and KwaZulu-Natal (107 schools). A total of 209 schools were reached. This is an increase of 88 schools compared to the 121 visited in 2009/10.

  31. Library and Documentation Services (LDS) Maps Collection A list of 1047 commercially bought maps and inherited maps from other libraries was captured in separate Word documents according to country from A-Z. Information includes the kind of map, scale and date published. A total of 3448 maps have been captured during this period.

  32. Corporate Affairs, Outreach and International Liaison (OIL) Corporate Affairs and OIL are responsible for all stakeholder and media relations, events, branding, marketing, communications and reputation building of the Institute as well governance and compliance issues. Ambassadorial Forum • AISA’s flagship project undertaken in partnership with the City of Tshwane generated keen interest in African affairs during the period with the hosting of 7 events: • Walter Sisulu Paediatric Cardiac Centre for Africa • Sudan’s decisions and implications: The elections and the referendum • Russia investments in Southern Africa • Nigeria@50: Trends, issues and options • Inaugural Africa Expo Launch Expo • Investment opportunities in Rwanda • South Sudan referendum and South Africa’s role in taking the process forward

  33. Corporate Affairs, Outreach and International Liaison (OIL) Conferences • Professor Bernard M Magubane at 80: The celebration of a life • AISA Young Graduates and Scholars Conference • Workshop • Aligning diplomacy to the SADC development Agenda • AISA Campus Lecture Series • University of Limpopo • University of Venda • University of Zululand • The Archie Mafeje memorial lecture

  34. Corporate Affairs, Outreach and International Liaison (OIL) Seminars • Kaduna come down: Intricacies of informal entrepreneurs along the Cameroon/Nigeria border • Central Africa’s evolving natural resource management paradigm: The case of the Congo Basin Rainforest • Technology Intervention as a means of meeting development needs for Africa with special reference to Remote Sensing and GIS and the launch of the AISA Geo-portal • Robbers or rebels? – Understanding the role of greed and grievance in fragile societies • The politics of indigenous rights in Kenya • Taking a preventative approach towards Records Management and ensuring Compliance acroscs different locations • The challenges of industrialisation and infrastructure development in SADC and the continent

  35. Corporate Affairs, Outreach and International Liaison (OIL) Partnerships AISA maintained its policy of pursuing partnerships in support of regional integration and the development of knowledge based economies in Africa. Key AISA Partnerships include: • Department of International Relations and Cooperation • Ebukhosini Solutions • Information Decision Support Centre • Tshwane University of Technology • North-South Centre • Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) • City of Tshwane • Africa Expo in partnership with Enov8 New Media.

  36. Business Environment Analyses External Factors Affecting the Business of AISA • Competition from other organizations focusing on Africa, both in RSA and globally, e.g. universities, research consultancies and non-governmental organizations; • The necessity to create varied sources of funding to augment the parliamentary grant

  37. Business Environment Analyses Identified Internal Factors Affecting the Business of AISA • Lack of attractiveness of AISA as an employer as portrayed by the high staff attrition rate and difficulty in attracting quality researchers; • Non-competitive remuneration; • Management challenges.

  38. Proposed Solutions to AISA Challenges • Delineate AISA’s niche as dictated by its legislative mandate and location within the DST; • Identify and partner with other similar research and governmental organizations in order to have a better impact; • Develop a clear communication and marketing strategy that will ensure that AISA’s products and services are visible and attractive to all its stakeholders and widely accessible to policy-makers and decision-makers; and • Implement recommendations cited in the 2010 Institutional Review relating to improving research capacity, funding from government, co-operation with like-minded institutions and good management.

  39. Human Resources • The AISA Invested 55% of the MTEF allocation to our labour cost (including statutory skills-levy contributions and Interns) We developed 8 interns and received 3 interns from NRF during the period. • Over and above 1 % of this was invested in the training and development of our staff.

  40. Employment Targets Set vs. Actual as at 31 March 2011

  41. Employee Age Distribution as at 31 March 2010

  42. AISA Scientific Qualifications

  43. Finance : Strategic objectives Finance, Administration and Information Technology focused on the following strategic objectives during the 2009/10 financial year: • Improve the control environment and comply to all relevant legislation; • Ensure that AISA’s budget is utilized effectively and efficiently in pursuance of its mandate;  • Comply with GRAP standards, relevant audit requirements and National Treasury regulations; • Achieve financial management excellence through efficient and effective controls and processes; 

  44. Finance : Strategic objectives (Cont.) • Assess and mitigate the impact of the top risks across AISA; • Review and update policies on an annual basis; • Liaise with the internal and external auditors to correct all identified control environment deficiencies;  • Manage the institute’s cash flow to facilitate operations; • Effective management and safe-guard of assets; • Ensure that AISA’s insurance policy is adequate and covers all assets and possible liabilities; • Increase the revenue to AISA to augment the grant received by government; • Develop, maintain and improve AISA’s IT infrastructure; • Improve business efficiencies.

  45. Internal Control Environment One of the areas in which AISA rightfully excelled over the last three years was our commitment in improving the internal control environment. Vigorous monitoring, implementation of policies and procedures, a firm hand of the Chief Executive Officer and a zero tolerance approach from the Audit Committee and commitment from staff contributed to the improvements. Although AISA obtained an unqualified audit report for the financial year under review, AISA will continue to improve on matters identified and will endeavor to obtain a clean audit report in the years to come.

  46. Audit Opinions Expressed over the last 5 years

  47. Financial Performance AISA ended the financial year with an deficit of (R2,430) million (Surplus R3,997: 2008/9). The deficit derived from two risk identified liabilities at year end which comprised of Post retirement medical aid and the Pension fund conversion liabilities. Although AISA ended the 2009/10 financial year with an accumulated surplus, it must be emphasized that the financial statements have been prepared on an accrual basis of accounting and are in accordance with historical cost convention which differs from cash basis of accounting. Included in the accumulated surplus is committed projects to the amount of R1,168 million as per note 24 (P120) stated in the annual financial statements that was not expensed at year end. From the remaining R10,224 million R3,2 (SFP P95, N5) million refers to the retirement benefit asset, a non distributable asset. This refers to the surplus funds in terms of the current Defined Benefit Plan.

  48. Financial Performance (Cont.) However, the surplus funds for the retirement benefit assets will be distributed when the fund is converted to a Defined Contribution Plan. Also, included in the accumulated surplus are the non-current assets (property, plant, equipment and intangible assets) of the Institution to the amount of R4,847 (N2,3 P95) million to ensure that operations can be conducted and objectives be achieved. From the above AISA also ring-fenced an amount of R3,935 million of which R1,804 million was not expensed at year end. Taking this above into account the accumulated surplus funds available for distribution are calculated at R371 thousand for the year ending 31 March 2010. Total income generated for the 2009/10 financial year amounted to R30,684 million (R31,584 million : 2008/9). 95,4% (96,5% : 2008/9) of Total Income generated, comprised of the grant received from the Department of Science and Technology.

  49. Financial Performance (Cont.) Total expenditure amounted to R33,114 million (R28,207: 2008/9). 49% (53% : 2008/9) of the expenditures incurred refers to employee related costs. Non-current assets increased from R5,957 million to R8,050 million. The increase is as a result from acquisition of property, plant, equipment and intangibles. The retirement benefit asset also grown from R2,418 million to R3,202 million. Current assets decreased from R11,953 million to R7,932 million. The decrease can be attributed to a decrease in trade and other receivables at year end. Non-current liabilities increased from R4,088 million to R4,560 million from the prior year. The increase refers to a substantive increase of R2,661 million in provisions. Trade and other payables decreased from R4,088 million to R1,929 million at year end.

More Related