Maropene Ramokgopa
The art of policymaking relies largely on empirical and well-researched evidence and accessible knowledge systems. It is this principle that drives the work of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) as the centre for coordination of government performance towards the attainment of development goals.
Our country has multiple research centres and institutions with varying capacity and scope of work. Many of these institutions can assist the government in crafting policies that are responsive to the needs of the people.
These partnerships are necessary for the country to reach developmental goals as outlined in the National Development Plan Vision 2030, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union Agenda 2063.
The Department drew largely from this wealth of evidence to produce the Medium-Term Development Plan 2024 – 2029. Partnerships and collaboration in research will assist with the implementation of the MTDP 2024 – 2029 and in monitoring the implementation of the priorities.
The Department made several attempts in the 6th administration to bring on board research partners and work with the government to deliver key monitoring and evaluation reports.
These partnerships also assisted to bolster the Department’s research observatory and create access to cogent research outputs in the country. In the process of pulling different research institutions to support the work of the government, several lessons emerged which will assist in building a sustainable model for partnership and collaboration.
Some of these lessons that can enhance and strengthen better collaborations and partnerships were observed in the conceptualisation. These include management; mobilisation of resources; data collection; planning cycle; and lastly, production of research reports. The Department has observed that during the conceptualisation phase, the participation of research partners assisted in refining the scope of the research project and in mobilising support from key stakeholders.
Working with experienced trusted partners in government such as the National Research Foundation (NRF) and Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) enabled the rapid mobilisation of resources. For example, the National Research Foundation mobilised over 80 experts to assist in authoring various chapters of the COVID-19 report, which is an in-depth assessment of government interventions to deal with the pandemic.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) which is the main development agency of Germany pledged budget support through Policy Research Services (PRS) in the Presidency which assisted in mobilising peer reviewers for the 30-year review report through the University of Pretoria. In-kind support by the Human Sciences Research Council during the initial period of writing the 30-year synthesis report enhanced the approach and quality of the report.
The partnership with the University of South Africa, the University of Johannesburg, the National School of Governance, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) and National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) helped in ensuring that the report is disseminated widely.
The Human Science Research Council ensured that the Department secures the ethical clearance, which increased the participation of academics in the production of the COVID-19 reports.
In instances where the Department sought to solicit inputs from society, these partnerships made it easier to mobilise experts and critical functionaries and helped enhance the quality of feedback.
As we advance the work of the 7th administration, the Department will continue to deepen partnerships and collaborations to support informed policy decision-making and effective implementation processes. This will be important in the implementation of the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024 – 2029, the programme of action to implement the strategic priorities of the 7th administration, which are to drive inclusive growth and job creation; reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living; and to build a capable, ethical and developmental state.
We have seen these partnerships in action in the work that is done by the Department in coordinating the G20 Development Working Group (DWG), where collaboration with research and academic institutions, and multilateral organisations is supporting the advancement of South Africa’s commitment to foster global solidarity, equality, and sustainable development in addressing global development challenges.
The Department and the National Planning Commission (NPC) have also recently convened government departments, civil society, research institutions and other stakeholders in a National State of Service Delivery Dialogue to find ways to bridge the rural-urban divide in service delivery in the country.
These partnerships that shaped the research approach for government have set the ground for the development of a working model for collaborations. The DPME is working on this approach to ensure that it continues to provide well-researched insights and inform policy decisions in government.
* Maropene Ramokgopa is Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media