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HSRC Annual Report 2016/17
In line with the HSRC’s current strategic focus on poverty, inequality and unemployment, and the recommendations
of the BIS review, CeSTII’s strategic planning for 2017/18 incorporates a dedicated project to explore measurement of
innovation in the informal sector.
Research impact
The survey research performed by CeSTII, the data it generates, and the varied capacity building roles that it plays, impact
on many different domains of national, regional and international evidence-based policymaking, as well as locally.
At the national level, CeSTII’s R&D Survey results form an integral part of the evidence base informing the planning and
co-ordination of the NSI.
Regionally, CeSTII continues to collaborate closely with African member states, such as Namibia’s National Commission
on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), on R&D and innovation data analysis. In January 2017, a delegation from
NCRST visited the HSRC for a one-week data analysis training course facilitated by CeSTII statisticians, in preparation for
the launch of Namibia’s first Innovation Survey Report in 2017.
CeSTII also works on data validation with the African Science and Technology Indicators Initiative (ASTII), a programme
of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), supporting member states from across Africa to ensure the
rigour and coherence of STI measurement.
CeSTII researchers participated in such a NEPAD/ASTII data validation meeting, together with international organisations
such as the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, in Johannesburg in November 2016, where they presented research towards
new contextually appropriate forms of measurement.
Internationally, CeSTII’s data is regularly submitted to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) for inclusion in global repositories of R&D and innovation statistics, and CeSTII’s research leaders are regular
participants at the annual OECD Working Party of National Experts for Science and Technology Indicators (NESTI). In
particular, CeSTII’s presence with the DST at the NESTI Meeting 2017, held at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, France
from 27–30 March 2017, to discuss revisions to the Oslo Manual and the implementation of the Frascati Manual (2015),
once again affirmed its role as a credible voice within global measurement circles.
Under the direction of its new Deputy-Executive Director, Dr Glenda Kruss, CeSTII is also building the capacity of the
next generation of R&D and innovation survey leaders. In 2016/17, CeSTII trained doctoral interns and post-doctoral
fellows, and grew the capacities of its core administrative and research staff cohort. The researchers were exposed to
the full range of fieldwork, research communication, and research management tasks, helping them to gain critical
administrative, management and research skills.
Democracy, Governance and Service Delivery (DGSD)
“Good governance is perhaps the single most important
factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development.”
Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General
Profile of DGSD
As a research programme, Democracy, Governance and Service Delivery (DGSD) seeks to enhance the contribution of
the HSRC as a strategic knowledge partner and resource for addressing key national, regional and international questions
of democracy and development; governance and service delivery; social cohesion; and poverty, inequality and social
justice. In 2016 the BRICS Research Centre joined DGSD as a research unit, consolidating its focus on global governance.
In the main, DGSD research aims to propose strategic interventions using qualitative and quantitative methodologies
that assist policymakers in making evidence-based choices and decisions in response to political and socio-economic
challenges.