NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 704
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25 JULY 2014 INTERNAL PAPER
NO. 6 - 2014
"704 Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Science and Technology:
1) (a) Whether her department has implemented any of the recommendations
contained in the review report of the panel appointed by her
predecessor, Mr Derek Hanekom, to conduct an external institutional
review of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) in November 2012; if
not, why not; if so, (a) which recommendations and (b) what is the
status of the implementation of the recommendations?
NW788E
REPLY:
1) (a) In response to the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) Review, the
Department of Science and Technology (DST), together with the
Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), developed actions to address the
12Â recommendations made in the Review report.
(b) Both the DST and the TIA have responded to all the Review
recommendations.
16/4/1/4
1. The primary purpose of the Review was to reflect on the establishment
and operations of TIA in order to assess its strengths, weaknesses and
its fitness of purpose in the current innovation environment. The
Review was based on TIA's strategic and performance plans since its
inception in 2008/9, with a particular focus on the integration of the
biotechnology regional innovation centres (i.e. Cape Biotech, BioPAD,
LIFElab and PlantBio). As the TIA had only been established in April
2009 when its inaugural Board was constituted, the Review was
considered to serve as a "formative" review of the institution.
2. The Review Report made 12 recommendations (attached hereto as Tag A),
of which the DST was required to respond to 9 of the 12, and the TIA to
the remaining 3. The DSTâs approach to addressing the actions
formulated in response to the Review recommendations was to work
jointly with the TIA, where appropriate and practicable. This is in
the interests of developing the operational and strategic relationship
between the two organisations.
3. It is noted that the DST has responded to and actioned the
implementation of all 9 recommendations assigned to the Department.
Progress in this regard was reported to the DST EXCO in April 2014.
4. The recommendations and actions taken are highlighted in the table
below.
| |Recommendations |Activities and Status |
|1 |The learning from |The Department has captured a report on |
| |the establishment |lessons learnt. This was based on |
| |of the TIA to be |questionnaires and face-to-face interviews|
| |codified to inform |conducted with key actors involved in the |
| |future |TIA establishment processes. |
| |establishment of | |
| |entities by the | |
| |DST. | |
|2 |Status on the |The investments of the Trusts, which were |
| |investments of the |officially migrated into the TIA in 2010, |
| |former Trusts that |have been consolidated and / or exited as |
| |governed the BRICS.|confirmed by the TIA internal auditors in |
| | |March 2014. |
|3 |Improving the |Significant improvements in the |
| |relationship |relationship between the Department and |
| |between the DST and|the TIA Board and Executive are noted. |
| |TIA Executives. | |
| | |This is, however, considered to be an |
| | |ongoing action and guided by effective and|
| | |where required, continuously improved |
| | |client relationship management processes |
| | |and activities. To date such activities |
| | |have included, but are not limited to: |
| | |Day-to-day engagements between senior |
| | |officials of the DST and the TIA |
| | |interim-CEO and Executives. |
| | |Regular DST / TIA Executive bilateral |
| | |meetings. |
| | |Various joint working projects involving |
| | |officials in the DST and the TIA relating |
| | |to, by way of example, coordination and |
| | |harmonisation of the activities of |
| | |publicly funded innovation support |
| | |initiatives (including consultations |
| | |pertaining to the development of the DST |
| | |Commercialisation Framework); planning and|
| | |implementation of the inaugural Technology|
| | |matchmaking Programme (TMP) to be held in |
| | |February 2015; as well as, concluding |
| | |South Africaâs bilateral agreement with |
| | |Malaysia and participation as part of the |
| | |delegation to Taiwan in May 2014. |
|4 |Enhancing the |Extensive engagements took place between |
| |function and |DST and TIA on the Technology Stations |
| |positioning of the |Programme (TSP). The DST has decided to |
| |Technology |retain the TSP at TIA, for a further two |
| |Stations. |years, but has proposed reconsideration of|
| | |the current project management unit |
| | |management arrangements. Discussion on |
| | |the TSP will further evolve as part of the|
| | |strategic and annual planning engagements |
| | |between the Department and the TIA. |
|5 7|TIA strategic and |The TIA operational (i.e. Annual |
|& |operational plans; |Performance Plan (APP)) has been approved |
|10 |performance |by the Minister and engagements are |
| |targets; and cash |ongoing between the officials in the |
| |flow management. |Department and the TIA relating to the |
| | |finalisation of the Strategic Plan (SP), |
| | |(in line with the revised timeframes for |
| | |the submission of SPâs under the new |
| | |government). |
| | | |
| | |Engagements in respect of the APP and SP |
| | |have also included recommendations and |
| | |agreement on improved cash flow |
| | |management. |
|6 |DST ring-fenced |A protocol on the management of |
| |funding and |ring-fenced allocations has been developed|
| |projects. |and agreed to between the TIA and the DST |
| | |(signed off by EXCO in April 2014). This |
| | |will be amended, as needed, during the |
| | |implementation of the TIA SP. |
|8 |Shareholderâs |A Shareholder Compact (SC) has been |
| |Compact (SC) to |drafted and is awaiting finalisation, |
| |consolidate TIA |subject to the approval of governance |
| |mandate |policies by the TIA Board. Such processes|
| |expectations. |are also influenced by discussions within |
| | |the DST as to the requirements of a SC for|
| | |Schedule 3A entities, as well as |
| | |development of the TIAâs strategic plan. |
|9, |TIA positioning |This is an ongoing action. These actions |
|11 |along the |are being championed by the IPI |
|& |innovation funding |sub-programme together with Programme 5. |
|12 |value chain; skills|Discussions between the DST and the dti |
| |development; and, |have been extensive, and are ongoing, |
| |inter-departmental |particularly in respect of coordination on|
| |coordination. |national commercialisation funding |
| | |instruments and IP policy priorities. The|
| | |TIA, IDC and other public entities and |
| | |stakeholders, have participated in these |
| | |discussions as part of various workshops |
| | |hosted by the dti. TIA and NIPMO have |
| | |also initiated discussions and it is |
| | |anticipated that there will be improved |
| | |coordination between these two entities, |
| | |especially in regards to capacity |
| | |development initiatives, going forward. |
| | |The TIAâs role visâà âvis the DSTâs |
| | |Commercialisation Framework and the |
| | |Emerging Industries Action Plan is also |
| | |being elucidated. |