UK boost for social research
David Masango
9 December 2004
The Department of Social Development will receive R42-million over five years from Britain's Department for International Development for the SA's Social Policy Analysis Programme, that addresses poverty eradication, social integration and protection.
Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya and British High Commissioner to South Africa Anne Grant signed the five-year funding agreement in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The programme will develop higher quality evidence-based decision-making in policies and programmes that focus on poverty reduction and social inclusion, Skweyiya said.
"In order to achieve this, a major component of the programme focuses on building social policy analysis capacity within both academic institutions and government", he said.
The programme aims to provide specialised graduate level training to about 150 social policy analysts and researchers.
This will include the establishment of policy analysis and
training infrastructure, the development of a research programme and an evidence base for policy monitoring, as well as the dissemination of research findings and ongoing dialogue with civil society stakeholders, Skweyiya said.
To implement the programme, the department has established partnerships with the department of social policy and social work at Oxford University in the UK and the school of development studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
A key outcome of the programme, Skweyiya said, would be "a pool of experienced social policy analysts within academia and government who can inform and enhance the implementation of programmes that reduce poverty and social exclusion".
Grant said the funding formed part of the continuing partnerships between Britain and South Africa that dated back to the 1994 elections.
She added that she was impressed with South Africa's review document for the first decade of freedom, "Towards a Ten Year Review".
"It
clearly outlines the country's achievements in the past 10 years, and most importantly it does not only praise achievements but defines the challenges South Africa still faces, especially in terms of support for the poor."
Source: BuaNews
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