Dr. Towela Nyirenda Jere Interim Manager - ASTII NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency R&D and Innovation Indicators: the ASTII Experience Second Meeting.

Dr. Towela Nyirenda JereInterim Manager - ASTII

NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency

R&D and Innovation Indicators: the ASTII

Experience

Second Meeting of the Committee on Development, Information, Science and

Technology (CODIST-II)

Outline

• The CPA and ASTII

• Genesis & Political mandate

• ASTII - Phase 1

• Lessons Learned

• Next Steps

The Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA)

• Three inter-related pillars:– Capacity building– Knowledge Production– Technological innovation

• Programmes in two clusters:– Research and Development– STI Policy (<= ASTII, AOSTI)

ASTII Genesis and Political Mandate

• Nov 2003 - African countries endorsed the compilation of indicators for scientific research, technological development and innovation activities

• Sept 2005 - African Intergovernmental Committee on ASTII

• Nov. 2007 - ASTII Roadmap presented to AMCOST• 2009 – ASTII established as one of the working

frameworks between NEPAD and AUC

The ASTII Programme

• Purpose: To strengthen Africa’s capacity to develop and use Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Indicators

• Overall Goal : To contribute towards the improvement of the quality of science, technology and innovation policies at national, regional and continental levels

ASTII Objectives

• To develop and cause the adoption of internationally comparable STI indicators

• To build human and institutional capacities for STI indicators and related surveys

• To enable African countries to participate in international programmes for STI indicators

• To inform African countries on the state of STI in Africa

AMCOST

African Intergovernmental Committee on ASTII Initiative

National Implementationby

ASTII National Focal Points

Continental Coordination

NEPAD Agency

ASTII Faculty

ASTII Governance structure

The National Focal Points• Designated by National government • Cross-sectoral, inter-ministerial and multidisciplinary• Convene meetings of all relevant stakeholders• Authority to collect or cause to collect statistics • Critical mass of expertise for the development of STI

indicators • organize training for and assemble national teams to

conduct surveys• prepare and submit authorized national STI surveys

and/or indicators to NEPAD

The ASTII Faculty

• Dedicated STI Experts that support ASTII

• Resource persons for training

• On-going support to Focal Points

• On-going expert guidance to NPCA

1. Algeria, 2. Angola 3. Burkina Faso4. Cameroon5. Egypt 6. Ethiopia7. Gabon8. Ghana 9. Kenya 10. Lesotho 11. Malawi12. Mali 13. Mozambique14. Nigeria15. Senegal16. South Africa17. Tanzania 18. Uganda 19. Zambia

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

18

17

19

ASTII Phase 1 Countries

ASTII Activities

• Training on: R&D and Innovation concepts, definitions, methods of data collection

• Conducting R&D and Innovation surveys

• Production of R&D and Innovation indicators

Agreed Core R&D indicators for ASTII-1

1. Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) by source and Sector of performance: Higher education, Government; Business; Non-Profit organizations; Abroad

2. R&D Personnel by level of formal qualification and occupation, gender (headcount (HC) & full-time equivalent (FTE):

3. Researchers by gender and field of study/research 4. Outputs: publications, patents (not core but to be

collected)5. Country specific indicators

ASTII Phase 1 – Achievements

1. Designation of National Focal Points for implementation at national levels

2. Adoption of Frascati & Oslo family of manuals as survey guidelines

3. Agreement on core R&D and Innovation Indicators4. Training of members of Focal Points 5. Harmonisation of Survey Instruments National surveys

(R&D and innovation)6. Production of the African Innovation outlook

Significance of ASTII • How much of a country’s (financial)

resources are devoted to R&D ? • How are the resources allocated among

different sectors?• Are the available human resources

sufficiently qualified?Major findings will be published in the African

innovation outlook

GERD as % of GDP

Share of Foreign Funding in R&D Activities (percentage)

Challenges and Lessons Learned

• Cross-country analysis of data• Survey methodology: sample size, reference

period, response rate• Data collection and availability of data Context and definition of research and

researchers

1818

• Established by the Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.232 (XII) of February 2009.

• The AOSTI is hosted by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea

• Purpose :To support the development and implementation of STI policy for development by providing AU member states with relevant and accurate STI information;

The African Observatory for Science, Technology and Innovation (AOSTI)

ASTII Next Steps

• Incorporation of lessons learned from Phase 1• Expansion to more countries• Addition of more indicators• Up-scaling in phase 1 countries• ASTII AOSTI

– Africa Innovation Outlook

THANK YOU

Contact Information

Towela Nyirenda-Jere, PhD

Email: tjere@eafricacommission.org

Tel. : +27 12 841 4347