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HSRC presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology

HSRC presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology. 22 February 2005. Overview of the HSRC. What we do: vision and mission. The HSRC does "social science research that makes a difference" Contributes to the evidence and analysis basis of transformation The HSRC

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HSRC presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology

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  1. HSRC presentation to thePortfolio Committee on Scienceand Technology 22 February 2005

  2. Overview of the HSRC

  3. What we do: vision and mission • The HSRC • does "social science research that makes a difference" • Contributes to the evidence and analysis basis of transformation • The HSRC • supports development nationally, in the region and in Africa • by conducting applied social-scientific research projects and co-ordinating research programmes that are • collaborative • policy-relevant • user-driven • often large-scale • primarily public sector-oriented

  4. HSRC Act, No. 23 of 1968 • The Council (strictly, the ten members and CEO) is established by this Act and some regulations • The Act provides a broad list of functions, including to: • conduct, co-ordinate, foster and disseminate applied social science of public benefit • collaborate with departments and tertiary institutions • advise the Minister in these respects • undertake commissioned work, for which it may charge fees • The act needs updating e.g. on public services as provided by the Institutional Review Report • This process is presently underway

  5. Thumbnail stats: HSRC 2004 • Staffing as at March 2004 (60% black, 53% female) • 155 researchers, spread across five centres, 92% with Masters or PhD, 67% published in a refereed journal this year • 39 interns, mostly doing Masters, some PhD • 112 support services staff • Projected earnings from grants (half international) and tenders of R140m in ’04/05 now exceed R82m Parliamentary grant • 250 projects, nearly two-thirds conducted collaboratively • Project collaborations in 30 other African countries • "Blue chip" list of users especially in national, provincial and local government and public entities • Some 350 outputs in year ending March ‘04, many disseminated free on the web and widely publicised in the media; 115 journal articles

  6. NewHSRC CouncilPMG note: photographs not included

  7. HSRC organisational structure

  8. Executive Directors Assessment Technology and Education Evaluation ATEE Knowledge Management KM CYFD Child, Youth and Family Development Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Health SAHA D&G Democracy and Governance Surveys, Analyses, Modelling and Mapping SAMM EEPR Employment and Economic Policy Research SCI Social Cohesion and Identity HRD Human Resources Development Integrated Rural and Regional Development IRRD Corporate Office of the CEO PMG note: photograph not included

  9. Civil society grants/earnings What the HSRC is / isn't NGO Consultancy User-drivenresearch agenda Autonomousresearch agenda HSRC University Department Statutory Government funds

  10. Research aspects

  11. Alignment with National and DST priorities • Macro level: • Alignment with national development and poverty-reduction imperatives established by the government and its departments at various levels • Meso level: • Contributing to the "missions" of the national R&D strategy, e.g. SATPOR, resource-based technology • Micro level: • Addressing information needs for policy-formulation and monitoring of DST e.g. CeSTII

  12. Impact to make a difference

  13. CeSTII • Support from DST to establish Centre for Science and Technology Innovation Indicators (CeSTII): • To become the “indicator generation and interpretation hub” of a local, regional and international network of excellence • Outputs by end of first year: • Survey of Inputs into Research and Experimental Development 2001/02 • released by Minister in January 2004 • Seeking official statistics status and OECD accreditation • Feasibility and design study for the Innovation Survey 2005 • Capacity and infrastructure development • Collaboration and publications

  14. SATPOR • “Science and Technology for Poverty Reduction” • Funded by DST, involving HSRC, CSIR and University of Fort Hare • Collaborators include HBUs, NGOs, other science councils • Four sectors: Agriculture Small-scale mining  Health  Energy • Preliminary findings and recommendations: • Existing batch of technology transfer projects too small to have a meaningful impact on South Africa’s poverty • Too many projects have a technology transfer strategy that is out of sync with the resources and needs of the country • Pursue further engagement with government departments to assist in formulating evidence-based technology transfer strategies • Other poverty-related areas requiring more research: • Barriers to engaging in productive activity • Fine-tuning social protection

  15. HRD • Ring-fenced funding from DST for three years • Supporting strategic planning for national Human Resources Development • Collaboration with national and international research experts • Major achievements • Integrated, web-enabled data warehouse accessible by users • Peer-reviewed publications: Biennial HRD Review; books; journal articles • Media awareness • R1 additional funding leveraged for every R1 of ring-fenced funding • Informing HRD planning for SETAs, provinces • Current research relevant to DST: • New science and industrial policies • Implications of new knowledge and innovation requirements on the education and training system • Developing analytical models to enable matching of demand- and supply-side perspectives

  16. HIV/AIDS • HSRC and partners committed to making a difference • First representative national survey – forecasting models; government planning; model for replication in SADC • SAHARA – Africa-wide network of excellence; source of research funding grown from external donor funds • Orphans and vulnerable children in 3, now 6 countries • Study of impact of HIV/AIDS on educators • Research across the HSRC • HIV/AIDS, poverty and land • Skills forecasting – developing new models • Stigma; human rights • Mother-to-child transmission • Risky behaviour; community-based support

  17. Africa

  18. Project-specific examples across Africa

  19. Indicative deployment of Parliamentary grant

  20. Parliamentary Grant within programmes2004/05 estimate

  21. Gender based research • Champion for gender equity and ensuring transformation • Gender audit of practices at HSRC • Gender reference group established • Seminar series on gender • MOUs with NPA, NRA, etc. • Research projects • Gender and transport • Perceptions of masculinity • Five year longitudinal study of women in SET

  22. Social Cohesion and Identity (1) • Social Cohesion and Leadership • Historical examination of African leadership • Biographical writings on leaders • Intellectual foundations of political ideas • South African identity and its meanings • Race, culture and identity • Identity and public policy • Black Economic Empowerment • Business and social values in a comparative perspective • History and contemporary relevance of black business • Identity, Africa & the World Lecture Series • Conversations on African Identity by distinguished scholars

  23. Social Cohesion and Identity (2) Afican Genome Programme • Third international conference on impact of genomics in Africa to be held in Narobi in March • Afican Genome Education Initiative established with HSRC support • Hand over from HSRC on 1 April • Social Capital • Understanding and strengthening social networks • Media • Improving media access and diversity • Impact of cellular technology • Improving the quality of South African media

  24. Organisational aspects

  25. COUPE strategy and sentinel measures

  26. Major organisational transformations • Restructuring admin to 40% of staff complement • Integrated conditions of employment • Staff development framework and internship programme • HIV/AIDS wellness and ARV programme • Modern digital processes • Electronic publishing  Countrywide videoconference and network connectivity  Intranet  Virtual library • Updated financial and other policies • Incremental modernising of IT infrastructure • Social responsibility (“Homeless on our doorstep”)

  27. HSRC Broad representivity trends from 1998 to 2004

  28. Black employees in employment levels, 2001/02 to 2003/04

  29. Female employees in employment levels, 2001/02 to 2003/04

  30. Improvement on disability representation • Within approximately 250 employees, the number of people with disabilities has increased from 2 to 4 in 2004/05

  31. Institutional Review 2003 “The HSRC showed itself to be a robust and forward-looking organisation, eager to use the Review as a vehicle for serious self-examination and, where necessary, repositioning” (Preface: p. 3) “We conclude that the HSRC of 2003 is a different and much better organisation in important respects than the HSRC of 1997. It has earned the respect given to it by the bulk of its stakeholders and collaborators by the breadth, quality and relevance of its contributions to the study and practice of social development in South Africa” (Preface: p.4)

  32. Review:Main recommendations • Becoming a platform for institutional collaboration and networking in South Africa and across the continent • Deepening the transformation • gender and race, representivity at senior levels • research needs of poor communities • Multimedia communication of research findings to public at large • Strengthening support services and systems • Formulation of public purposes of HSRC, for new Act • Considering data preservation and Intellectual Property

  33. Task teams • Research quality, impact and implementation • Balance between scholarly and earnings work • Gender, race and disability • Communicating research findings • NEPAD – Africa outreach • SATPOR – Technology transfer for poverty reduction • Relationships (especially HEIs) • Networks (with collaborators and stakeholders; access by marginalised communities) • Systems development • Professional development • Project management • New legislation for the HSRC • Intellectual Property

  34. Professional development

  35. Proportions of researchers (excluding interns) with Masters and Doctorates

  36. Research Interns • Total of 40 interns benefited from research training at the HSRC in 2003/04 • Two-thirds of the interns are female • All of the interns are black (23 African, 11 Coloured, 5 Indian) • The majority are pursuing masters studies, some are pursuing doctorates and a few are not registered for further studies

  37. Research Interns are trained in national priority areas Assessment Technology and Education Evaluation Knowledge Management Surveys, Analyses Modelling and Mapping Child, Youth and Family Development Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Health

  38. Financial aspects

  39. HSRC research earnings over time (shown in nominal rands) * * Excluding CSD, building grant and ring-fenced funding

  40. MTEF main requests • Integrated management information system: (R19m in 2005/06) PLUS • Research activities (R19m), in collaboration with other science councils: • Implementation-oriented research on poverty and technology transfer for poverty reduction (R4m), • Resource-Based Technology Clusters (RBTC) (R6m), • Corporate involvement and population migration in Africa (R5m), • HRD and skills (R4m) PLUS • Further research activities (R8m): • Social protection initiatives (R6m), • Studying the evolution of technological change (R2m)

  41. Proposed performance-related three-year MTEF scenario

  42. Budget of income and expenditure

  43. HSRC income and expenditure from 2002/03 to 2004/05

  44. Allocation of Parliamentary grant across research programmes for 2004/05 and 2005/06

  45. Fresh challenges • Succession sequence for new CEO, August 2005 • Process for new HSRC Act - workshop • Change from Section 3A to 3B Public Entity plus shareholder compact • Creatively balancing inherent tensions e.g. proportions of parliamentary grant and contract income • Focus on changing developmental challenges

  46. PMG note: photographs not included HSRC Publishers

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