A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management specialising in Innovation Studies
Johannesburg, 2015 / It has been stated in literature on National Systems of Innovation, growth theory and competitive advantage, that there has been an emergence of a consensus on the impact of technology on economic prosperity and competitiveness. The systems approach, with its emphasis on knowledge, learning and institutions has stressed the need for institutional change and greater integration between technology policy, industrial policy, and other aspects of public policy. There is also a need for greater coordination and integration between technology and industrial policy, and of employment and income distribution policies on each other. The ability of the government (policy makers and implementers) to achieve this intergration and coherence is key in ensuring achievement of the goals.
The study assessed and evaluated the processes set up by the South African government to achieve coherence in the formulation and implementation processes.
Research Questions:
Does coherence exist between the Innovation and Industrial Policy? What is the extent of the coherence?
What are the factors hindering or promoting coherence?
What is the impact of coherence or lack thereof on the achievement of goals?
The methodology used in this study was document review and analysis, combined with elite interviews of senior managers in the government departments that are custodians of the policies being studied.
Having coherent policies leads to achievement of set objectives and priorities. In order to achieve this coherence, there must be political leadership and commitment. It must be a general objective in all action taken by government. In South Africa, the intention is there and the
structures have been set up. The evidence of Political leadership is in the Constitution, the highest law of the land.
It is stipulated in the Constitution (RSA, 1996) that the policies of the government-of–the day should be executed in a cooperative manner, because in the Republic of South Africa, government is constituted as national, provincial and local spheres that are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. The Constitution further stipulates that all spheres of government and all organs of state within each sphere must exercise their powers and perform their functions in a manner that does not encroach on the geographical, functional or institutional integrity of government in another sphere, and co-operate with one another in mutual trust and good faith.
In order to manage and address the challenges of policy coherence and coordination, the South African Government has established a cluster system. These clusters are called Ministerial Clusters, which were established to foster an integrated approach to governance that is aimed at improving government planning, decision making and service delivery. The main objective is to ensure proper coordination of all government programmes at national and provincial levels. The main functions of clusters are to ensure alignment of government wide priorities; facilitate and monitor the implementation of priority programmes; and provide a consultative platform on cross-cutting priorities and matters being taken to Cabinet (SA Government, 2015).
Regulations have been also put in place to foster intergovernmental relations through the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act, Act No. 13 of 2005. Challenges of capacity and resources exist in the goverment in terms of policy coordination.
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting structures have been created in the form of a ministry in the presidency, the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME). This monitoring is confined to the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the departments and the clusters against the outcomes stated in the Plan of Action.
More reviews need to be undertaken by policy scholars to assess the impacts of the policies on the overall governmental goals.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/20814 |
| Date | 04 August 2016 |
| Creators | Magolego, Tando |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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