South African e-Skills Research Networks
(ResNes)
Prof. SP Songca
Walter Sisulu University
eSkills – a foundation for Human
Capital Development in South Africa
Building an Information Society and
Creative Knowledge Economies in South
Africa through network partnerships
Presentation Outline
 Model description
 Progress update
 Eidos South Africa
 Location of ResNes
 How did we get here?
 Human Resource Planning
 The Four Founding Partners
 The founding agenda
 Legal arrangements
 Governance arrangements
 Statement of Purpose
 Title and Description
 Current Status
 The Concept and Setting
 ResNes Portal
 Fundamental Concepts
 End – thank you.
© TISI 2009
Brief Background and Description of ResNes
 A model is being described for multi-stakeholder cooperation between
government, higher education, business and civil society to form an
alliance that stands a much better chance of delivering on the mandates of
each than it would on individual mandates of each without the others.
 Special focus is on national, even regional eSkilling – one of the most
important key success factors for knowledge economies the world over.
 The model is based on tried and tested approaches that integrate and
harness the combined strengths of the research based knowledge
generation, innovation and intelligence of the nation and its economic
networks in the space of information and communications technologies.
 To provide research based intelligence support to, and thought leadership
for the national strategic response to the priority areas of the medium term
strategic framework (MTSF) and related government policies.
© TISI 2009
Eidos South Africa Projects Website
 It is estimated that South Africa currently experiences a shortage of over
70,000 IT professionals. There is a serious shortage of skills within the ICT
sector and within civil society in general in South Africa.
 This situation is likely to deteriorate, given that the supply side for ICT
graduates from the universities is now showing decline. Addressing the
eSkils shortage through this traditional route of supply is clearly insufficient.
 This shortage of e-skills, should be addressed in other ways - through
involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the society.
 The key stakeholders include education, particularly higher education, local,
provincial and national government, civil society and business.
 Through their networks of international linkages business, government and
particularly higher education can harness existing capacities for research,
intelligence, innovation, latest technologies and resource mobilization.
© TISI 2009
Eidos South Africa – How did we get here?
 Following a series of engagements within the country and abroad, with the
background as outlined, high level thinking has concluded that the best way
forward in order to establish a dedicated funding mechanism is to implement
a pilot project in South Africa modelled on the Eidos Institute Ltd.
 Similar thinking has led to the pilot establishment of the South African eSkills
Research Networks (ResNes) to drive multi stakeholder eSkills programmes
and provide them with multi-stakeholder research intelligence support.
 Establishment of this formal South African e-Skills research body will start
with the founding four university partners that have signed the MoU with eSI
to collate current activity, develop a national agenda, develop a strategic plan
and coordinate research to support all eSkills delivery programmes.
 Participation will draw from excellence across the higher education sector,
government agencies and from business. It is undesirable for membership to
be limited to the founding universities that have signed the MoU with eSI.
© TISI 2009
The Four Founding Partners
MoU with the Meraka e-Skills Institute
(e-SI)/Department of Communications through the
establishment of an e-Skills Higher Education
Research Alliance (ResNes) involving
UP
DUT
UWC
© TISI 2009
WSU
VUT
The founding agenda – an overview!
ResNeS is one of several projects
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Multi Stakeholder Collaboration Program - International Exchanges
Open and Distance Learning
Shared Knowledge Centres
e-Skills Research Funding options
Developing the basis for a National eSkills Action Plan
e-Skills thought leadership seminars
e-Skills Summit
© TISI 2009
Title and Description
 Developing an academic research base for e-Skills to support the National
e-Skills Dialogue Initiative (NeSDI) emerging from government.
 The holistic scoping focus areas span the continuum of eLiteracy,
participatory democracy, government, business, information and
communications technology, end users and professionals.
 ResNeS is initially championed by the founding universities, and will
become an attractant for thought leaders, intellectual discourse and
development of national research agendas and funding mechanisms for eSkills and community informatics.
© TISI 2009
The Concept and Setting
 Due particularly to rapid developments and globalization, the skills
needed for the future are very different to those needed in the past.
 The impact of the convergence of ICTs is changing the basis and
reality of service delivery across the socio-economic spectrum of
emerging societies everywhere.
 There are fundamental concepts relating to these changes for national
education systems, particularly for higher education in South Africa.
 There are also urgent responses required from the sector in relation to
these changes in order to meet changes and realities of service
delivery across the socio-economic spectrum.
© TISI 2009
Fundamental Concepts
 Collaborative approaches across disciplines, sectors and societal
structures to problem solving and addressing local, provincial and national
strategic objectives are required and are of prime importance.
 Education, particularly higher education, has an important role in providing
easily accessible integrated content, strategic and pedagogical leadership
in e-skills development for creative workforces for the Information Society
and Knowledge Economies.
 It also has an opportunity to provide the space, the collaborative
leadership, the analysis frameworks and the strategic direction for multistakeholder collaborations to develop, deliver and grow e-skills based
projects across government, business, civil society and education that
distribute service delivery benefits and that provide post-graduate
qualifications.
© TISI 2009
Progress update
 In formalizing the commitment to e-Skills as outlined in the MoU with the
Meraka e-Skills Institute (e-SI)/Department of Communications through the
establishment of an e-Skills Higher Education Research Alliance (ResNes)
initially involving the University of Pretoria, Durban University of
Technology, University of the Western Cape and Walter Sisulu University
(WSU) we have engaged several units within WSU, including FSET, SoC,
planning, legal, risk and Community and International Partnerships to
establish ResNes at the Walter Sisulu University within the Faculty of
Science, Engineering and Technology (FSET), as an independent entity.
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Prepared a Concept Paper for ResNes and MoA
Established an appropriate legal vehicle for ResNes
Proposed the constitutional structure and arrangements
Proposed an operational and human resource structure
© TISI 2009
Walter Sisulu University
A comprehensive Developmental University
Eastern Cape Technikon
University of Transkei
Border Technikon
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Faculty of Science Engineering and Technology
WSU has 4 faculties FSET, FHS, FED, FBMSL and a proposed
5th - FAGRIC in the drawing board.
FSET has five schools
 School of Computing – SoC.
 School of Engineering – SoE.
 School of Technology – SoT.
 School of Mathematics and Computational Sciences - SoMACS.
 School of Applied and Environmental Sciences - SoAES.
© TISI 2009
Location and structural arrangements
School of
Applied and
Environmental
Sciences
School of
Engineering
School of
Technology
Information
Technology
© TISI 2009
School of
Mathematical and
Computational
Sciences
Applied
Informatics
Computer
Science
Academic Schools and Departmental Composition
Academic School and Departmental Compositions
School Of Mathematical & Computational Sciences
Prof. Swami Mishra (PhD)
Applied Mathematics
Mathematics
Statistics
School Of Computing
Dr. Cecille Marsh (PhD)
Applied Informatics
Information Technology
Computer Science
ResNes
School Of Engineering
Mr. Gerber (M.Eng)
Building Construction
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
School Of Applied & Environmental Sciences
Prof. Denis Jumbam (PhD)
Chemistry and Chemical Technology
Botany
Zoology
Environmental Sciences
Physics
School Of Technology
Mr. Aaron Sepeng (M.Tech)
Fine Art
Fashion
Food and Consumer Science
© TISI 2009
Human Resource Planning
 ResNes Manager.
Overall manager of the unit and its activities. Responsible for
operations, finance, marketing and strategic visioning.
 Secretariat.
Secretarial support to the unit and especially the manager
 Networks coordinator
Manages/coordinates the research networks membership and
participation.
 Research coordinator
Manages/coordinates the research programmes and projects.
© TISI 2009
Legal arrangements
 An independent entity
The ResNeS is an entity within the faculty of Science, Engineering and
Technology, located in the School of Computing, reporting to the director
of the School who reports to the executive dean of the faculty. ResNes
manager accounts to the ResNes governing board.
 A section 21 company or similar instrument
The legal status of the entity is envisaged as a section 21 company an
independent not for profit business organization within the SoC.
 The Structure and Finance of ResNes
The structure of ResNes includes the manager, research coordinator,
networks coordinator and a secretariat. The finance and funding support
will be independent of the WSU finance and accounting system so that it
will be managed and audited separately.
© TISI 2009
Governance structural arrangements
 The Governing Board
The Board of ResNeS is comprised of Research Administrators with
institutional responsibilities for research coordination (one from each of the
founding universities) of each of the participating institutions.
 The membership
The membership of the ResNeS is made up of existing and emerging
researchers from academia, government, business & civil society from
across South Africa, Africa and internationally.
 The constitution
The constitution of ResNes is expected to increase with time as more
universities join. However membership and participation in research is not
limited to the constituting universities.
© TISI 2009
Statement of Purpose
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research classification
research working groups
evaluation of e-Skills impacts
e-Skills thought leadership
constitution
research funding
policy ….
© TISI 2009
Statement of Purpose
 Thought leadership
Commence a process of e-Skills thought leadership, seminars,
conferences, summits across education, business, government and civil
society.
 Develop a constitution
Develop a constitution that would allow a participative process across the
structure of the organization, provide for growth and sustainability as well
as define the basis for an academic recognition of the generic role of
eSkills as a valuable and legitimate contributor to academic enquiry,
pedagogy and policy development.
 Research classification
Develop a research classification for current and emerging e-skills
applicable for the Information Society and Knowledge Economies.
© TISI 2009
Statement of Purpose
 Research working groups
Establish research working groups across disciplines. These working
groups are the research expertise and resource of the research network.
 Develop integrated approaches for policy development
Engage with university, government and business structures and
processes to develop integrated approaches for policy development.
 Research and evaluation of e-Skills impacts
Research and evaluation of e-Skills impacts, applications and the
underpinning pedagogy.
© TISI 2009
WSU ResNes Task Team
In order to effect internal governance and management, the ResNes has set
up an internal Task Team/committee consisting of the following
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Executive Dean FSET, Prof. Songca
University Planner, Dr. Matoti
Director of the School of Computing, Dr Marsh
Director Risk Managent, Mr. Jack.
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Given that it is academic in nature the work of ResNes will be reported
through the academic committee structure - School board, faculty
board, Senex/Senate and Executive management.
© TISI 2009
Work in progress
 Given that the focus and scope of ResNes projects will depend largely on
the programme of action or action plans, I shall not elaborate on the rest
of the potential pipeline research projects.
 However, it is necessary to emphasize that what is being pursued here is
a national programme of action as opposed to “strategic plans or
frameworks” of which there is a legendary proliferation and remarkable
paucity of implementation.
 It is also necessary to emphasize that a critical requirement for the
feasibility of any programme of action is a solid support with relevant and
current research based intelligence to expose the status quo, for critical
path definition, forecasting and projection analysis, monitoring, evaluation
and impact assessment.
© TISI 2009
Current Status
Developments
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ResNes MoA – working progress
Proposed legal arrangements – working progress
Proposed structural arrangements - finalized
Human resource plan - finalized
Purpose statements – evolving
ResNes Portal development – draft concluded
ResNes funding framework – working progress
© TISI 2009
Portal Concept – Crude/draft
How will the
portal work?
© TISI 2009
The ResNes Portal and ResNes Service Delivery
Consolidation of
Research projects
Contribution
to policy
Consolidation
of membership
Thought
leadership
debate
The
ResNes
Portal
Coordination
of research
© TISI 2009
ResNes
Management
National
eSkilling
Contribution to
eSkills Roll-out
projects
End thank you
End, thank you
© TISI 2009