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This address will be in three parts:. The first will reaffirm who we are as HSRC, in terms of our mandated objectives The second part will look back on our recent achievements The third part will look ahead, towards new challenges and opportunities. Who we are.
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This address will be in three parts: • The first will reaffirm who we are as HSRC, in terms of our mandated objectives • The second part will look back on our recent achievements • The third part will look ahead, towards new challenges and opportunities
The HSRC – who we are and what we do • First, we promote, support and co-ordinate research in the human and social sciences. In this regard I see the HSRC as a doer, a catalyst, and as an energizer • Second, the HSRC provides advice to decision-makers, based on this research • Third, we distribute the results of research
who we are and what we do (cont.) • Fourth, we conduct public interest research and evaluate implementation of programmes • Fifth, we train young and upcoming researchers, particularly women and black South Africans, something about which I am personally very passionate, for obvious reasons
To achieve these goals, we are supported by • Government – at all levels; • Donor organisations and other funders of research; • Other research entities: universities, fellow science Councils, NGOs, as well as the media, and • Individuals who participate as participants in surveys or interviews; and the potential beneficiaries of our research
What we have achieved in the year under review • Sound financial management and overall performance in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (Income Statement on page 134) • Received a positive report by the Auditor-General (page 98 of the Annual Report) • For every R1 it received from the Parliamentary Grant, the HSRC has raised nearly R2 from other sources (page 141 Annual Report) • Not accumulated either an undue surplus or a deficit, despite having to manage an overall turnover of close to R240 million for the year
Excellent performance against its rigorous ‘COUPE’ benchmarks: • C for contracts and grants (to expand the HSRC’s funding base in a sustainable manner); • O for outreach (to improve external collaboration, thereby benefiting research capacity, quality and impact), • U for user needs (toensure that our research remains relevant), • P for performance (focusing on improved organisational performance in terms of both • E for excellence
21 64 22 51 24 43 40 * 51 30 53 23 79 64 92 COUPE indicators Mar.‘01-'05 Target 05/06 % 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 * 58% including interns
Special achievements for the year • Large-scale survey of training in private enterprises for the Department of Labour • Developed a model, ‘AQEE’ (literally, a key) to evaluate the functioning of education systems (Access, Quality, Efficiency, Equity) • Comprehensive survey, with UKZN and MRC, of demand and supply of educators, taking into account the effects of HIV/AIDS (in cooperation with labour movement, policy makers, Council)
Special achievements for the year (cont.) • HIV front: groundbreaking study with MRC and University of Stellenbosch on HIV exposure risk to children in Free State • Exposed risks in dental, maternal and neonatal services resulting in appropriate interventions
Special achievements for the year (cont.) • SAHARA is a continent-wide network • Facilitates multi-country,multi-site studies • Collaborates with SADC, NEPAD, universities, governments and NGOs • Transfers income to research partners in Southern, Eastern, Central and West Africa
Special achievements for the year (cont.) • ‘Birth to 20’ largest and longest running study of child youth and health, currently looking at sexual and reproductive health risks, and risks for chronic diseases
Special achievements for the year (cont.) • Commissioned by government: large repeat-visit monitoring survey to track service delivery, evaluate performance and measure efficacy of interventions • HSRC data officially designated ‘Official Statistics for the National R&D’; also recognised by the OECD in Paris • HSRC and partners have established FIVIMS for monitoring food insecurity for Department of Agriculture
My vision for the future: • Make HSRC both a human and social sciences research council • Use history, philosophy, arts, culture, heritage, language, religion to gain new insights into our society • The HSRC will be the knowledge hub for research, debate and generation of solutions on public policy challenges • The HSRC will create implementation research networks of researchers, policy makers, NGOs, donors to implement evidence-based programmes
My vision for the future: (cont.) • Outreach into Africa not in ‘coloniser or imperialist’ mode, but as research catalyst and to promote collaborative research for capacity building • The HSRC will endeavour to create Africa-wide networks to jointly explore their history better to understand their milieu • The HSRC will seek to attract African visiting scholars, fellows and scientists to harness their energies and scientific expertise
Policy Analysis Unit (PAU) • To serve as a ‘think tank’ targeting critical challenges facing our country • To bring together multidisciplinary theorists and intellectuals • To provide forum for discussion of key societal issues and inform policy makers, activists, donors • To host time-limited initiatives on critical issues such as employment and quality of education
Current time-limited PAU initiatives • Employment , Growth and Development initiative will identify scenarios and strategies for unemployment reduction and employment creation • National Education Quality Improvement initiative to harness regional collaboration to develop a systems model for incorporation of relevant knowledge in policy making
Organisational Restructuring • Restructuring objectives: • To streamline institutional governance • To promote greater synergy between cognate research initiatives • To streamline donor support • Increase efficiency • Facilitate greater collaboration between research programmes
HSRC COUNCIL • International Liaison • Business Development • Corporate Communications • Council Secretariat • Internal Audit GENDER & DEVELOPMENT Prof. Cheryl Potgieter CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERMr Mike de Klerk CAPACITY DEVELOPMENTDr Romilla Maharaj FINANCEMr Martin Fox PRESIDENT AND CEO Dr Olive Shisana PUBLICATIONSMr Garry Rosenberg SAHARADr Gail Andrews CROSSCUTTERS ITMr Gerald O’Sullivan SUPPORTSERVICES KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMSProf. Michael Kahn EMPLOYMENT, GROWTH & DEV.Dr Miriam Altman HRMs Vicky Tlhabanelo POLICY UNITVacant ISMs Faye Reagon EDUCATIONQUALITYDr Anil Kanjee OPSMs Adeola Adesanya RESEARCH PROGRAMMES DEMOCRACY &GOVERNANCEProf. Adam Habib SOCIAL ASPECTS OF HIV/AIDS& HEALTHVacant EDUCATION, SCIENCES & SKILLSDEVELOPMENTDr Andre Kraak URBAN, RURAL &ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTDr Udesh Pillay SOCIETY,CULTURE &IDENTITYDr Xolela Mangcu CHILD, YOUTH & FAMILYDEVELOPMENTProf. Linda Richter Structure of the HSRC
Organisational Restructuring (cont.) • Restructuring objectives: • Need to strengthen the role and position of the human sciences, alongside the social sciences, in our research. Currently, the human part of the HSRC is silent. The HSRC has not • Need to systematically used history, philosophy, arts, culture, language, religion and tradition to gain new insights into, and make sense of our continent and society