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HSRC Annual Report 2016/17
The urban housing predicament presents challenges which cannot be solved by working in silos or by applying standard
remedies. It requires a proactive and creative approach recognising the unique value of well-located urban land. The
study findings were discussed at the National Treasury’s City Budget Forum and several follow-up initiatives are under
way to explore the feasibility of streamlining and simplifying selected regulations.
The State of Informal Settlements
Despite the high profile of informal settlements as flashpoints of discontent and violent protest, there are many
uncertainties and gaps in knowledge surrounding conditions within them and how they are changing. This inhibits
effective policy responses and efforts to monitor progress over time. A baseline assessment was therefore undertaken for
the Department of Human Settlements to assist in evaluating the performance of the Upgrading Informal Settlements
Programme (UISP) in the nine provinces.
The study used mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) and found a surprisingly stable population with very high
levels of poverty and deprivation. The study also suggested changes to the design of the UISP, including increased funding
to enhance the impact of interventions for local residents. The findings were presented at the Habitat III Conference in
Ecuador, where the New Urban Agenda was launched. This has prompted a follow-up study in OR Tambo Municipality
to investigate the provision of water and sanitation in human settlements.
Innovation in Public Employment Programmes
Public Employment Programmes (PEPs) are among the most important responses to mass unemployment in South
Africa, yet there are important gaps in knowledge surrounding their impact and effectiveness. Researchers from the EPD
team have undertaken several sizeable studies in recent years, with three important conclusions:
•
There are major challenges in evaluating impact, largely due to the lack of baseline data, unclear chains of causality,
confounding factors and the complexity of processes between outcomes and impacts;
•
There is an absence of evidence of the broader impact of PEP interventions on livelihoods, hence the urgent need
to review and refine methodologies to assess the effects; and
•
There is substantial evidence of innovation in the implementation of PEPs, althoughmuch of this is poorly documented.
In the year under review, the HSRC hosted a seminar to discuss the challenges of evaluating PEPs with senior officials
from the National Department of PublicWorks; the Provincial Department of Transport, KwaZulu-Natal; and international
experts from the International Labour Organization and the Overseas Development Institute. An important outcome
was a commitment by the researchers to collaborate on writing a book on PEP innovations.
Dynamism in Rural Areas
Innovation is about applying new ideas, processes and practices to do things better and offer solutions to pressing societal
problems. Knowledge producers, such as universities and science councils, are unable to assess the scale and state of
innovation in response to the high incidence of poverty in rural areas, because they are rarely situated in the countryside.
Recognising the solutions that may exist in rural areas, the DST has partnered with the HSRC to work with universities
and 27 local municipalities to prepare a platform for resilient local innovation systems.
During 2016/17 the Rural Innovation Assessment Toolbox Project completed a unique survey of rural enterprises in
eight of the poorest local municipalities in the country. The results provide a nuanced picture of innovation actors and
activities at local level, and offer a valuable resource for interventions aimed at boosting performance. The survey went
beyond conventional organisations by also examining small businesses, informal organisations, schools, churches and
individuals involved in social innovations. Universities played a key role, which should encourage them to adopt these
tools and undertake similar surveys in the future to provide ongoing information for local decision-makers.
Spatial Evidence for Planning
A better understanding of spatial trends and dynamics is essential for sound policy-making and planning. The Spatial/
Temporal Evidence for Planning SA Project is a joint venture between the HSRC and the CSIR, sponsored by the DST.
The emphasis is on spatial simulation and modelling, and the current phase focuses on migration modelling, using