This report reflects the proceedings of the Stakeholder Awareness Workshop on the 2019 Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) White Paper as part of the Innovation for Inclusive Development (IID) Seminar Series held at Future Africa. This proceedings report is a product of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) on the Innovation for Inclusive Development (IID) seminars. The outcomes of the seminar will feed into the DSI's Decade Plan to guide the implementation plan for the 2019 White Paper on STI.
DISCUSSION: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
The next step is to organize sector-specific workshops to develop the content of the plan. Once the plan is approved, a public consultation process will take place. People are involved in the process at the right times and input is welcome.
COMMENT
Ms Urszula Rus, DSI: The Decade Plan will be based on the White Paper, the NDP, the NACI foresight study and reviews, as well as the plans of the new administration. The DSI is at the stage of looking at these documents and trying to define possible focus areas. These areas will be mapped to identify who owns the area, the progress that has happened in that area, and so on.
People will be brought into the process at the appropriate times and input is welcome. innovators need to be very clear about how they can assist them using existing tools. We cannot afford to stifle scientific ideas and exceed budgets, but we are still not in the implementation phase. The issue is how to support commercialization and make sure, even at the sectoral level, that the initiatives work together.
At the time this was discussed, it was linked to loopholes identified by the Ministry of Small Business Development. Nevertheless, the work is being done and once the new administration is in place, the final decisions will be made on how to move forward.
INNOVATION FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Innovation for Local Economic Development (ILED): One of the key priorities in this area is to ensure that everyone is able to benefit from investments in STI and have access to and participate in STI activities and events. Enabling policy environment: In the commitment to invest in certain technologies, the acquisition of the technologies must be made possible through responsive and supportive policies. Upgrading the M&E capacity and policy capacity of the NSI: M&E is essential to be able to measure the impact of investment in STI and the state's ability to deliver its mandate.
The presentations give a sense of how we can accept the DSI White Paper in our provincial dynamics and together with the Gauteng Provincial Forum (which will be launched soon) find opportunities for collaboration. The DSI is already working with the Gauteng Province with the idea of having a joint consultation to ensure alignment in areas of focus and responsibility. We understand the tools and the powers of the persons being approached and we package them in the right way.
In terms of project management, a number of projects have been carried out by other departments and partners in addition to DSI. and key lessons have been learned. The government now has a well-developed M&E system, and there are a number of evaluations of DSI's major programmes.
BREAK-AWAY SESSIONS
SESSION ONE: S&T FOR SUSTAINABLE HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
Technology for Rural Education and Development Program: The program focuses on a range of innovations using technology to improve education and has been implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Basic Education in the Eastern Cape. The roadmap is currently being developed in collaboration with the CSIR to increase adoption of innovations in the SHS space. Grassroots Innovation Program: The program has been implemented and would be scaled up recognizing that innovation can take place outside the R&D space.
Some of the relevant sector policies that are being considered to determine the way forward in SHS are:. The development of smart cities will require broad stakeholder engagement and the concept must be clearly understood in the local context. The move to smart cities (and big data) offers many opportunities and cannot be avoided, especially in the context of increasing populations and urbanization. Response) Ms Nonhlanhla Mkhize, DSI: The government is just one of many stakeholders in the conversation about SHS, which is addressed by a framework that has to do with the deployment of innovative building technologies with Smart cities as one of the focus areas.
DSI is committed to funding these until the end of the experimentation phase, but an enabling policy is essential to harness ICT in the provision of basic services. The fund will take care of purchasing the technology, but deploying the technology requires many components to work together.
RESPONSES FROM PARTICIPANTS
Response) Mr Ephraim Phalafala, DSI: There will be broad involvement in the implementation of the Smart cities concept. The extent to which procurement policy enables the deployment of innovative technology solutions should be considered. A great source of innovation is available at universities in the form of master's and PhD theses that gather dust.
Some work has also been done in neighborhoods of the future and now we are looking at city economies and smart technologies. Recently we have focused on drone management in the context of air traffic control. The infrastructure of some of the rural programs does not allow the implementation of 4IR technologies.
There must be coordination between the creation of ideas and the implementation of those ideas. It would be very useful if we could understand which policies stand in the way of implementing innovative technology solutions to help solve social and economic challenges.
COMMENTS
SESSION TWO: INNOVATION FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (ILED)
DSI is working closely with the Department for Cooperative Governance (DCoG) to incorporate IST into the new National Framework for LED. Participants were asked to point out gaps in the ILED Strategy and major initiatives that should be part of the Decadal Plan and to consider partnering with DSI in drafting the Plan. The points raised touch on a number of topics around the application of knowledge or technology transfer versus involvement in the innovation enterprise.
For example, ILED could focus on water scarcity and participation in the design and management of irrigation systems. This area of work is expressed in the white paper, which talks about the need to decentralize innovation and R&D activities and have areas where there is a focus on specific local problems. Some of the instruments that are introduced (funding as a key instrument) ensure that other places and groups are reached and can participate in the innovation business.
The indicators in the 10-year plan will be very specific to how the benefits are realized on the ground. One of the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the ILED should be the joint allocation of funds, which encourages cooperation among innovation actors.
REPORT BACK FROM THE BREAK- AWAY SESSIONS
Mr Ephraim Phalafala, DSI
Proposed structures of the National Framework on LED will ensure that LED is a priority and that there is coordination across departments and all levels of government. SALGA and DCoG are best placed to lead the conversation on how to ensure that planning is coordinated and that there is participation from all stakeholders. Input was given on skills development in preparation for the 4IR undertaken by the Media, Information and Communication Technology Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA).
Funding is available for the development of ICT skills and new skills needed for 4IR. There is an Evidence Mapping and Synthesis Hub in DPME, which ensures that evidence (including evidence relating to human settlements) is made available when policy decisions are made.
Mr Eric Watkinson, DSI
Drones are increasingly being used for service delivery purposes, but drone traffic must be managed in accordance with air traffic control regulations. Projects initiated by the national government for implementation at the provincial level should be well and continuously monitored. The development of community-based spatial plans has been proven to work in a number of urban informal settlement improvements, and there is no reason why similar participatory approaches (for example in planning) would not work in rural areas.
She indicated that the presentations and report from this seminar would be shared with participants and that they would be invited to provide input on the report as well as additional suggestions in response to the questions posed to the breakaway groups. Participants were also invited to interact directly with the DSI officials responsible for the White Paper. The following email addresses should be used: busisiwe.ntuli@dst.gov.za or Tshepang.mosiea@dst.gov.za.
Participants will be invited to a series of further engagements that are planned in preparation for the drafting of the Decadal Plan. Some of the issues that need to be addressed as part of making the best use of ICTs for South Africa's development priorities include the responsiveness of legislation, the role of Higher Education Institutions in developing relevant skills and the need for funded research projects to given tangible inputs towards the realization of national development priorities.
WAY FORWARD
ANNEXURE A: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Jennifer Peace MS Hawaasa Durban Kibbaa. G. Mathala Mokwele Nama natti dhagahama g. Mathala Mokwele Waan godhuun natti dhagahama.
ANNEXURE B: LIST OF ACRONYMS
SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute SANSA South African National Space Agency SHS Sustainable Human Settlements SONA State of the Country Speech. STI Science, Technology and Innovation T4LIA Tools for advancing local innovation TIA Agency for Technological Innovation.
