NACI Annual Report 2005/06

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NACI Annual Report 2005/06 Briefing of the
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on ST
24 October 2006
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NACI delegation

• Prof Calie Pistorius (NACI Chair)
• Prof Tshilidzi Marwala (NACI Councillor)
• Dr Sagren Moodley (NACI Secretariat)
• Mr Tjaart van der Walt (DST)

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Overview

• NACI Act
• Objectives and functions
• Composition and structure
• Meetings and management
• Annual Report 2005/06
• Advice to the Minister
• Extending NACIs reach
• Research projects in progress
• Financial report
• Way forward
• (NACI in context providing science advice to
  government)

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National Advisory Council on Innovation Act, No
55 of 1997
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NACIs objectives

• Shall advise the Minister and through the
  Minister, the Ministers Committee and the
  Cabinet, on
• The role and contribution of science,
  mathematics, innovation and technology (including
  indigenous technologies)
• Promoting and achieving national objectives,
  namely
• Improve and sustain the quality of life of all
  South Africans
• Develop human resources for ST
• Build the economy
• Strengthen the countrys competitiveness in the
  international sphere

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NACIs functions

• May or shall on request of the Minister, advise
  on
• Coordination and stimulation of the National
  System of Innovation (NSI)
• Promotion of co-operation within the NSI
• Development and maintenance of human resources
  for innovation through selective support for
  education, training and RD in the HE sector and
  at science councils, science and technology
  institutions (SETIs) and private institutions

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NACIs functions

• Strategies for the promotion of technology
  innovation, development, acquisition, transfer
  and implementation in all sectors
• International liaison and co-operation in the
  fields of science, technology and innovation
• Co-ordination of ST policy and strategies with
  policies and strategies within policies and
  strategies in other environments
• Structuring, governance and co-ordination of the
  ST system
• Identification of RD priorities in consultation
  with provincial departments and interested
  parties, and their incorporation in the process
  of government funding of RD

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NACIs functions

• Funding of the science and technology system in
  respect of its contributions to innovation,
  including
• Framework for national and government expenditure
  on RD
• Building and maintenance of ST capacity by way
  of selective funding of training and RD
• Distribution of funds allocated to science
  councils
• Funding of RD in all sectors
• Funding of national facilities utilised for
  research

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NACIs functions

• Establishment, phasing out, rationalizing and
  management of
• Science councils
• National facilities utilised for research
• National RD programmes conducted by science
  councils
• SETIs within the NSI
• Promotion of mathematics, the natural sciences
  and technology in the education sector in
  consultation with the Minister of Education and
  the Minister of Labour

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NACIs functions

• Strategies for
• Promotion of the dissemination and accessibility
  of scientific knowledge and technology
• Promotion of the public understanding of ST and
  their understanding and their supportive role in
  innovation for development and progress
• Establishment and maintenance of IT systems to
  support
• Monitoring and evaluation of the overall
  management and functioning of the ST system and
  the NSI
• Continuous revision of ST policy to address
  changing and new circumstances

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NACIs functions

• Developments in the fields of science technology
  and innovation which may require new legislation
• Any other matter relating to science,
  mathematics, innovation and technology including
  indigenous technologies, which the Minister may
  refer to NACI

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Structure of NACI

• NACI Plenary Council
• Exco
• Working groups
• SET4W subcommittee
• Previously SARG
• Biotechnology subcommittee
• Indicators group
• Link to DST
• CEO of NACI is the DG of DST
• Secretariat appointed in DST

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Structure of NACI

• NACI is currently organized internally in 5
  working groups (strategic thrusts)
• Infrastructure for innovation promotion
• Human capital and knowledge base
• Science, technology and innovation for
  competitiveness
• Social dimensions of innovation
• Position and role of NACI in the NSI
• New strategic plan for next phase

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Composition of NACI

• Chairperson appointed by the Minister
• 16 to 20 members appointed by the Minister (after
  consultation with the Ministers Committee and
  submission to the Cabinet for notification)
• CEO of NACI (DG of DST)
• Officer from DTI (appointed by Minister with the
  concurrence of the Minister of Trade Industry)

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Composition of NACI

• Chair Prof Calie Pistorius (VC, UP)
• ExCo Prof Pistorius, Ms Abrahams, Dr Mjwara, Dr
  Potgieter, Dr Tsengwa
• Composition of Council
• Sector
• Business 8
• Higher Education 7
• Science Councils 4
• Government 3
• Black 13 White 9
• Female 6 Male 16
• Resources (staff and finances) are provided and
  administered within the DST system

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What NACI is and is not

• NACI is not
• Science council (such as the CSIR, HSRC or the
  NRF), Think tank or RD organisation, university
• NGOs or a public forum (NSTF)
• Learned body or society (such as ASSAf, RSSA or
  SAAE)
• Government department (particularly DST, DTI,
  DoL, DoE)
• NACI is a statutory advice body
• Advice to the Minister (Ministers Council and
  Cabinet, as opposed to the Head of State,
  Parliament, Government)
• Minister also has other options for advice, such
  as personal advisor(s), DG and Department and
  others
• Comparison to the Council of Higher Education

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Meetings and management

• Meetings
• Council four times p.a.
• ExCo10 times p.a.
• Sub-committees As needed
• National SET4W (4x) Biotech (2x) Indicators
  Reference Group (2x)
• Annual Corporate Business Plan as framework
• Finances, procurement and human resources within
  DST administrative and control systems

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Annual Report 2005-2006

• This Annual Report covers 2nd year of the present
  Councils term of office (2004-2007)
• Year ending 31 March 2006
• Implementation of planning done in August 2004
• Activities during the year 2005/06
• Task group approach
• Establishment of advice framework and priorities
• Evidence-based advice Research projects, leading
  to advice in next year (way forward)
• A number of advices rendered to Minister
• Extending NACIs reach

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Advice to Minister

• Improving the utilisation of research findings
  increasing the return on RD investment
• Shortage of technical skills the potential
  impact of skills shortages on large engineering
  construction projects
• Mobility of research workers to minimise
  negative effects and optimise positive effects

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Extending NACIs reach

• Parliamentary Portfolio Committee briefing
• ASSAf, NSTF
• International liaison
• OECD, peer advisory bodies, GLOBELICS
• National advisory committees
• SET4W
• ASGISA and JIPSA
• Contributions to international conferences

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Evidence-based advice Research projects

• Tracking of RD expenditure (suite of 8 projects)
• Required physical infrastructure for NSI
• Mapping the knowledge base of South Africa
• Competitiveness in large, medium, small and micro
  enterprises
• Gender equity policy
• Dynamic modelling of human resources
• Best practices in STI policy and governance
• OECD report

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Project approvals
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(No Transcript)
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Financial report
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Expenditure 2005 - 2006
Item R000
Advice development 5,134 66.6
Institutional cost 2,326 30.2
Other (incl equipment) 242 3.2

• Notes
• Resources are allocated by DST as a sub-programme
• Processing and control is done by DST

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The way forward.

• Advice already handed to the Minister this year
  (2006/07)
• OECD report
• Three advisory notes (August 2006)
• Research outputs (ASSAf)
• Proposed IPR legislation
• Tax incentives for RD

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The way forward

• Advice/briefings scheduled for presentation to
  Minister in November 2006
• Gender policy
• Best practices in the NSI
• Required infrastructure for the NSI
• Tracking of RD expenditure
• Innovation and competitiveness
• Dynamic modelling of human resources
• Optimising NACIs advisory role Providing
  science advice to government

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The way forward.

• Strategic planning session
• Setting the agenda for the next phase
• NACIs format and operation
• Optimising NACIs role within a system of
  providing science advice to government