Dr Derek Derek Davids

TELEPHONE: 021 466 7838
EMAIL: ydavids@hsrc.ac.za

Dr Yul Derek Davids is a research director in the HSRC's Developmental, Capable and Ethical State research division and an advisory member at the Department of Applied Legal Studies at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He holds a PhD in political studies from the Stellenbosch University (2010) and an MA in research psychology from the University of the Western Cape. Davids specialises in democracy, governance and social cohesion and has also done work focussing on the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable people, including those living in poverty, and of their quality of life and wellbeing.

Before joining the HSRC, Davids worked at the Institute for Democracy from 1999 to 2005, where he managed the Public Opinion Service and the Afrobarometer survey project. Davids also did consultancy work for Management Systems International in Nigeria, the US Agency for International Development in Tanzania, as well as the International Foundation for Elections Systems in Uganda. Recently, Davids conducted most of his research in the area of poverty, well-being and quality of life by employing public opinion surveys. Currently, Davids manages the State of the National book publication.

Davids is an experienced researcher and has published 15 scientific articles in local and international peer-reviewed academic journals, 55 research reports, 25 abstracts, and 10 book chapters. He co-edited a book entitled South African Social Attitudes 2nd Report: Reflections on the Age of Hope (2010) which was published by HSRC Press in 2010. Davids also co-edited Paradise Lost: Race and Racism in post-apartheid South Africa that will be published by Brill Publishing in 2022. He has also presented more than 50 papers and posters at local and international conferences. Davids contributed the HSRC University of Johannesburg COVID-19 Democracy Survey project from 2020 to 2022 that culminated in the publication of a series of reports, newspaper articles and media appearances that informed the policy debate on COVID-19 and the impact of the national lockdown.

Recent

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....

Enhancement, Editing and Publishing of Military Veterans Manuscripts Project

The project entails the enhancement, editing and publishing of draft manuscripts developed by seven military veterans. These are draft memoirs and/or ....

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 ....

Dialogue on Race and Racism based on the Book - Paradise Lost: Race and Racism in Post apartheid South Africa

The issue of race, and the racism is a contentious one, and is an unresolved issue in South Africa. The publication of the book provides an opportunit....

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....

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....

A Synthesis Evaluation Study of New District Development Model: the case of the three piloted municipalities in Limpopo, Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces

Also outlined in Concept Note: New District Coordination Model to Improve the Coherence and Impact of Government Service Delivery and Development. 17-....

The 2021 Social Unrest in South Africa: Primary survey-based research

With reference to the unrest in KZN and Gauteng and its far-reaching social and economic impacts on the country, this research is to better understand....

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....

RPL Longitudinal Study - CPUT

Develop an automated RPL Screening Tool: The purpose of the proposed research is to enable and increase access for community-based paralegals to 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....

UJ-HSRC Covid-19 Democracy Survey

The main aim of this UJ-HSRC COVID-19 Democracy Survey was to provide critical social data with which to understand public perceptions of the economic....

Assessing the Effectiveness of Climate Finance in BRICS Cities - NIHSS

- Understanding the financing strategies and their linkages to monitoring and evaluation frameworks of BRICS cities. - To evaluate the linkage between....

CPUT CAO Paralegal Study Project Budget (Pilot Study)

The purpose of this survey project is to provide access to the Bachelor of Paralegal Studies programme for community-based paralegals through an RPL p....

Jigiga One Health Initiative (JOHI)

A. To Assess the achievement of the JOHI project thus far B. To assess the relevance of the project continuing to phase 2 C. To provide recommendati....

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....

Vision 2018 (IEC)

Understand the level of employee knowledge and awareness of Vision 2018 To evaluate the extent to which organisational experiences match up to the gui....

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....

A Survey on the State of youth in Gauteng

The objective of the project is to conduct a survey on the state of youth in Gauteng which specifically addresses the issues which are not only issues....

Provision of Stakeholder Satisfaction Surveys for Parliament of RSA

Our understanding of Parliament???s requirements is that a survey of stakeholders of Parliament should be conducted with a view to determining their o....

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 ....

African Peer Preview Mechanism - APRM

To develop a methodology for conducting a Preliminary Review mission in Kenya; To help pilot the methodology in the Preliminary Mission; To conduct t....

Improving Electricity and Water Service Delivery in Gugulethuby strengthening Citizen Engagement (Cape Town) using the Community Scorecard approach

The overall objective is to use the Community Scorecard methodology to improve electricity and water service delivery in Cape Town municipality throug....

Survey on Career Pathing and development of Women as part of promoting Gender Mainstreaming in the Electoral Commission of south Africa

Recent deliberations by the Commissioners of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) raised concerns that very few women apply for and /or are ....

Family Cohesion, Values and Strengthening in promoting Family well-being in South Africa

The broad objective of the study is to enhance knowledge of family-related dynamics, cohesiveness, orientations and preferences (hereafter referred to....

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....

Profiling Livelihood Assets in South Africa

The main objective of this study is to improve our understanding of the dynamics of poverty, unemployment and inequality within South Africa. This wil....

NADCAO Cost Benefit Analysis Project

This proposal was submitted in response to a request from the National Alliance for the Development of Community Advice Offices (NADCAO) and the CAO s....

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....

Review of the Employee Satisafction Survey Questionnaire

"The Employee Satisfaction Survey (ESS) is a perception study which aims to identify issues which impact on the performance and productivity of public....

Millennium Development Goals 2,6,7

Statistics South Africa is leading the writing of a comprehensive progress report to measure the country's progress towards achieving the targets set ....

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....