Adv Gary David Pienaar
Adv Gary Pienaar is a Senior Research Manager in the Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES) research division of the Human Sciences Research Council. He holds an MPhil in Values and Policy Studies (University of Stellenbosch) and a BA (Hons) LLB (University of the Witwatersrand ? Wits). His work at the HSRC has focused predominantly on constitutional law and human rights, public governance, corruption and ethics, democratic participation, transparency and accountability, and evaluations, in which areas he has extensive qualitative (particularly discourse analysis) experience.
Experience and special projects He was formerly project coordinator of the Money and Politics Project (MAPP) at the Open Society Foundation for South Arica (2012), before which he worked as a Senior Researcher: Governance and Public Ethics at Idasa (2008-2011); the Public Protector?s Western Cape Provincial Representative and Chief Investigator (2000-2008); Senior Investigator in the Office of the Public Protector (1997-2000); and as a consultant at IR Network and City Councillor in Johannesburg (1994-1997) after practicing at the Johannesburg Bar (1992-1994). He has drafted the proposals for and/or played managing and/or leadership roles in the following projects: Civil Society Regulatory Frameworks for the National Development Agency (2020); South Africa Country Scoping Study for the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) (2019-2020); Development of a National Policy Framework for Participatory Democracy and Active Citizenship for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD) (2018); Implementation Evaluation of the Integrated Justice System for the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) and DOJ&CD (2016-18); Twenty-Year Review of the work of the Commission for Gender Equality (2017); Final Evaluation of the Access to Justice and Promotion of Constitutional Rights Programme for the Foundation for Human Rights and DOJ&CD (2015-16); Constitutional Justice Project: Assessment of the impact on society of landmark socioeconomic rights judgments for DOJ&CD (2014-15).
Currently, he leads development of the HSRC?s Transformative Governance Index, which aims to encourage and facilitate the faster realisation of socio-economic rights (2016-2020); and development of a scorecard to assess South Africa?s compliance with the African Union?s Convention to Prevent and Combat Corruption.
Publications His publications include a co-edited book on the Constitution, several peer-reviewed book chapters, policy briefs, and numerous research papers and client reports. His latest publications are `Proactive Disclosure of Information and Elections in South Africa: An assessment of South Africa?s compliance with the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa, issued by the African Commission on Human and Peoples? Rights? (University of Pretoria: Centre for Human Rights, September 2020); and a chapter entitled `Realising socioeconomic rights: A reconceptualised constitutional dialogue? in State of the Nation: Poverty and Inequality ? Diagnosis, Prognosis and Responses. Pretoria: HSRC (2019). Forthcoming publications include Cosser, M, Bohler-Muller, N and Pienaar, G `Separation of Powers and the Dangers of Judicial Underreach? in D Plaatjies (Ed) Making Institutions Work. Pretoria: HSRC Press; and Pienaar, G, Cosser, M and Davids, YD `A normative approach to the minimum core: Minimum requirements for a life of dignity? in State of the Nation 2020: Ethics and Politics of South Africa?s Struggle Against Poverty and Inequality. Pretoria: HSRC Press.
Part B Public Opinion Surveys on POPIA and PAIA
The purpose of the overall study is to assess the broader publics understanding of their right of access to information, the process of exercising the....
Building resilience to prevent filicide: Exploring availability and acceptability of preventative and response multi-sectoral services for families experiencing adversity in South Africa
The aim of the study is to explore the perceptions of various role in institutions responsible for prevention of and response to family violence on th....
Social Norms and Behaviour tracking: Measuring Attitudes to Corruption in SA - (GIZ)
The objective of the project is to provide credible evidence-based data that promotes a shared understanding of let drivers and enablers of corruption....
Just Energy Transition from Coal to Renewables
in response to South Africas energy crisis created by Eskoms lack of capacity to produce electricity efficiently. South Africa currently relies on co....
An Impact Assessment of the Work of the Public Service Commission (PSC)
To assess how the work of the PSC is impacting on public administration in line with the mandate defined in Chapter 10 of the Constitution....
The Information Regulator of South Africa (IRSA)- Assess public opinion relating the matters of relevance to the operational effectiveness of the IRSA.
research project to assess public opinion relating the matters of relevance to the operational effectiveness of the IRSA. More specifically, the IRSA ....
The Establishment of the Research Infrastructure for the Future of Democracy in South Africa
Conduct research on the work of the members of the Zondo commission need in research performance, knowledge management, provision of data analytics on....
e-Participation and Policy Modelling South Africa (e-PPMOSA)
To establish a South African platform for e-participation in policy making and modelling through a series of pilot projects. The pilot projects will h....
State Capacity Phase II - GIZ
To extend the scope of the synthesis evaluation on State Capacity with a Special Focus on Directors-General and Heads of Departments by interviewing M....
CHR: Advocacy project: Access to Information in South Africa
To implement a structured and deliberate advocacy approach for the consideration and implementation of the South African elections study. To provide ....
The Impact of and Amendments to the Political Party Funding Act 6 of 2018 (PPFA)
To access the Implications of the Operationalisation of the Political Party Funding Act, 2018 (PPFA) drafted by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA, M....
Government Printing Works Ministerial Review Panel: Review Draft Report
To probe and make recommendations on information and communications technology systems failure, loss of critical State information, leaking of informa....
An assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the selected support mechanisms implemented to mitigate and alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa
To assess: How have the selected support mechanisms performed in mitigating and alleviating the most severe impacts of Covid-19 and assisted the vic....
UKRI GCRF NEWTON FUND COVID COLLABORATION
The study will investigate the experiences and perceptions of people with diverse impairments (PWD), revealing whether they feel their human rights ha....
Synthesis evaluation of State Capacity - Focus on DGs & HoDs
The system under which DG's and HoD's operate including but not limited to leadership, skills, configuration, processes and functioning, employment co....
The Evaluation of the National Education Trust (NECT)
The purpose of the evaluation is to conduct an evaluation of the NECT on behalf of FREF (through Tshikululu Social Investments), a core funder of the ....
Assessment of the implementation and enforcement of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC)
Development of rating metrics / scorecard to objectively assess South Africa's compliance with Articles 5, 6, 8 and 10 of the AUCPCC design and imple....
Regulatory Frameworks Requirements For the South Africal Civil Society Sector to Promote their Active Participation in a Developmental State
To conduct a study on regulatory frameworks for the civil society sector, the Democracy, Governance and Service Delivery (DGSD) Research Programme of ....
SAHRC: human rights and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The objectives of the collaboration between the SAHRC and the HSRC on the human rights research reports are as follows: Objective 1: To draw on the ex....
The Impact of Civic Engagement Programmes on Youth
The purpose of the project is for the development of a questionnaire to be used to survey a sample of 10 000 learners in a representative sample of So....
Technical Support for 25 year Review: Chapter on Constitutional Development
To critically review and analyse the chapter on Constitutional Development.....
Public Officials Skills and Capacity Audit
The purpose of the project is to conduct a skills and capacity audit to understand the capacity realities and support requirements of entry, mid and s....
Development of a Consequences and Accountability Framework for Municipalities in South Africa
The aim of the project is for development of a local government consequences and accountability framework and/or implementation Support Framework with....
Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) project
a) Identify how transparency and accountability within the current systems for delivering and procuring infrastructure needs to be improved at a natio....
Improving Active Citizenship Programme
The overall objective is to assist the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to draft the National Policy Framework for promoting Activ....
State of Social Cohesion and Nation-building in South Africa
The primary objective of this project is to prepare the draft and final reports for the Working Group on social cohesion and nation-building. A draft ....
Implementation of the Evaluation of the Integrated Justice System (IJS)
The study includes an analysis of challenges that the IJS has faced, and expects to face in its future execution of its mandate. This analysis will le....
Upholding Democratic Ideals and the Challenge of Regulating Political Party Funding and Election Campaign Finance
This paper presents a comparative case from the Southern Africa region highlighting various approaches to monitoring party and campaign finance. The a....
Review of Commission for Gender Equity's (CGE's) 20 years of Existence, Achievements and Challenges
The purpose of the Study is to review and assess the work of the since its inception, focusing on its key achievements, impact within the gender secto....
Final Evaluation Access to Justice and Promotion of Constitutional Rights
The Access to Justice and the Promotion of Constitutional Rights (AJ&PCR;) Programme with the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development (DoJ&....
Governance Index Implementation Plan
The HSRC seeks to develop a Good Governance Index for South Africa that would operate as a policy monitoring instrument and a tool for generating evid....
Money, Politics and Transparency Research
Ad-hoc services of a freelance consultant to Global integrity....
BCURE Consortium
The question that this study needs to answer is: how can DEA implement an evidence-based process for environmental policymaking in the context of a de....
Assessment of the Impact of the Decisions of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal
The overall aim of the research project is to assess the impact of the two highest courts, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal on....
Social Cohesion: The Missing Link in overcoming Violence and Inequality
The overall purpose of the project is to deepen our knowledge of violence, and consequently our ability to respond to it in Cities in the Global South....
Cities Support Programme
Background: The CSP is an initiative of National Treasury in collaboration with key government departments to address spatial inequalities and dev....
State of the Nation
Between 2003 and 2008 the HSRC published its annual flagship publication State of the Nation. Taking the South African national agenda as its organisi....