Capacity Building for Economic Development​​​​​​​

This sub-programme has two workstreams:

• Capacity Building of Social Partners
• Harnessing Economic Development Expertise

Capacity Building of Social Partners

It is the objective of government in the medium term is to strengthen its engagement with society and with social partners. This can be achieved by, amongst other things, improving the function and capability of institutions, strengthening the participation of organised sectors of society within them, and by enhancing the capacity of representative bodies by, among others, improving their research and representative support capacity on economic development and industrial policy. Without this capacity, it is more likely that the environment for engagement will be reactive and that productive partnerships will not emerge.

The purpose of this workstream is to promote the research output and knowledge by the social partners of the economic development of sectors, and issues relating to equity and productivity through the establishment and administration of a Social Partner Fund or equivalent mechanism.

Harnessing Economic Development Expertise

The formulation of policies for a developmental state not only requires ongoing work within the state, but also the capacity to rapidly learn from international experience. A number of eminent local and international economists and policy analysts work in areas that the state could draw on, but who are not and are unlikely to become employees of the state. There is research capacity available in a number of places within and outside the state, such as research institutions, policy units, government departments and entities such as the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the South African Reserve Bank as well as universities. It would be of considerable help to government if it could draw on such expertise on an ongoing basis.

The purpose of this workstream is:

• Establish an Economic Development Advisory Panel that provides the Minister with advice on economic matters affecting South Africa’s development and the creation of decent work as well as key economic challenges and international, regional and national trends. The panel will draw on both local and international expertise.
• Create and coordinate knowledge networks on economic development matters among researchers and policy analysts so that government can draw on new insights and government is able to foster policy coherence on economic development matters within the state and state entities and in research work in different institutions. The networks will consist of economic development economists within the state, state entities, Reserve Bank, state research institutions like the CSIR and HSRC, universities and the social partners.
  
  The activities will consist of regular meetings, seminars, electronic exchanges and publication of work. The knowledge networks will also lay the basis for a number of other sub-programmes of EDD.
• Convene and host an annual conference bringing together economic development practitioners, policy makers and researchers.
  
  The annual Economic Development Conference will be a key forum to promote research, policy coherence, creative analysis and solutions and to debate key issues. It will assess the state of current research and policy-development and identify key areas of focus for the period ahead.
  
  Ministers and senior government officials responsible for policy-development will interact with researchers and academics.
  
  A conference publication will be produced of the key submissions and papers and Cabinet will be able to draw on the research and work that is generated by the Conference.