Business Plan 2008/09Presentation to: Parliamentary Portfolio Committee

on Science & Technology

Delivered by: Prof. Robin Crewe,

President, ASSAf

Date: 23 May 2008

ASSAf Business Plan 2008/09 Presentation

Contents

1. Vision Statement

2. Mission Statement Summary

3. Financial Objectives for 2008/09

4. Consolidated Budget for 2008/09

5. USNA Funding for 2008/09

6. ASSAf Programmes 1-4

ASSAf Vision Statement

ASSAf aspires to be the apex organisation for science scholarship in South Africa

Internationally respected and connected

Its membership, the aspiration of the country’s most active scholars in all fields of scientific enquiry

Collective resource, making possible the professionally managed generation of evidence-based solutions to national problems

ASSAf aspires to be an engine of excellence in scholarship and intellectual

cooperation

ASSAf Mission Statement Summary

To become increasingly associated with the highest levels of scholarly achievement and excellence in the application of scientific thinking for the benefit of society

To consolidate its infrastructure and capacity; and expand and mobilise its membership to include scholars from a full disciplinary spectrum

To proactively and reactively embark on a programme of systematic studies of evidence-based issues of national importance

To develop a sound and robust methodology for constituting study panels; and producing authoritative reports that are well-

disseminated and have significant impact

ASSAf Mission Statement Summary cont.

To publish science-focused periodicals to promote a national interest in the sciences:

1. South African Journal of Science – multidisciplinary journal of the highest quality and international standing

2. Quest: Science for South Africa – science magazine that showcases the best of South African research to a wide national and international audience

3. Strategic Reports – policy advisory reports that seek to influence national decision- and policy-making

ASSAf Mission Statement Summary cont.

To promote the development in South Africa of an indigenous system of research journals of internationally recognised

quality and usefulness

To develop and maintain productive partnerships with the Departments of Science and Technology, Education, Health, Water Affairs and Forestry, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and Agriculture, and the DST-affiliated NACI

To develop and maintain collaborative linkages with science councils; NGOs; higher education institutions, etc. with a view to the building of capacity in science and its applications within the National System of Innovation (NSI)

ASSAf Mission Statement Summary cont.

To create new and diversified sources of funding for the sustainable functioning of an independent national Academy

To communicate effectively with general and specific publics, as well as with partners and sponsors

To expand activities in partnership with national science academies of other countries, including the contracted partnership with the US National Academies

To play a significant role in the international science system, particularly in Africa, through organisations such as the IAP and IAC; TWAS; ICSU; and NASAC; all within the context of NEPAD

Financial Objectives for 2008/09

To implement the intentions in its strategic plan of diversifying and stabilising ASSAf’s sources of income

To bring its financial operations to a high degree of efficiency and effectiveness

To perform appropriate internal audit and risk management, and reporting correctly and transparently

To continue its unbroken record of unqualified external audits

To execute and manage projects as cost-effectively as possible, and deliver the highest quality and value to sponsors

Consolidated Budget for 2008/09INCOME (Other than Development Funding from USNA) R

Parliamentary grant-in-aid  3,320,000

Ring-fenced allocation for Quest  700,000

Additional funding: Inflationary adjustment 300,000

Contract funding for the implementation of scholarly publishing  4,336,000

Members’ subscription fees 58,800

Interest receivable 410,000

Revenue from publications 550,000

TOTAL ANTICIPATED INCOME (Excluding USNA Funding) 9,674,800

Logo of partner organisation sourced from its website – presentation not for commercial purposes

EXPENDITURES (Other Than Those to be Budgeted under USNA Development Funding)

R

Programme 1: Administration and Governance 1,742,981

Programme 2: Strategic Aspects of Publishing in S&T in South Africa 5,792,900

Programme 3: International Academy Relations 384,686

Programme 4: National and Regional Activities 1,754,233

TOTAL ANTICIPATED EXPENDITURES (Excluding USNA Funding) 9,674,800

Consolidated Budget for 2008/09 cont.

USNA Funding for 2008/09

The Projected Development Funding from the US National Academies for 2008/09 is R1,634,000

As per the ASSAf/USNA MoU, USNA will provide ASSAf with the following general support: * Pro rata contribution to staff costs

* Training programmes and communal expenditures * International activities i.r.t. ASADI

In addition, USNA is expected to sponsor:* Agreed ASSAf Consensus Studies, and* Agreed ASSAf Committee Activities

Logos of partner organisations sourced from their respective websites – presentation not for commercial purposes

ASSAf Activities are Structured, for Budgetary and Reporting Purposes, into Four Programmes

PROGRAMME 4National and

Regional Activities

PROGRAMME 3International

Academy Relations

PROGRAMME 2Strategic Aspects of Publishing in

S&T in SA

PROGRAMME 1Administration and Governance

ASSAf

Programme 1: Administration and Governance Governance Leadership in respect of the Academy's national role, distributing the tasks to members, and through mobilising the Membership Finance Group formed to advise Council, oversee finances Executive Officer retiring end of March 2008 – recruitment in progress

Membership Exploration of widened participation, e.g. WAYS Africa, South African chapter, etc. Enhancing role of Membership in regional and national activities, e.g.

ASSAf panels, committees, task teams, public lectures, etc.

Staff and Infrastructure Strengthening middle management and capacity building Monitoring and evaluation of Academy activities and impact Purposeful marketing/branding of the Academy (Publications Officer, Communications Officer)

Scholarly Publishing: Implementation of 10Recommendations in 2006 ASSAf Report Follow-up study of scholarly publishing (book chapters) nearly completed

National Scholarly Editors’ Forum established

Adoption of a national code of best practice for editorial discretion and peer review (in progress)

Mandate given for grouped peer review of SA scholarly journals by ASSAf Panels

Investigation of an online course system for scientific writing

Task team set up to examine possible national platform for open access publishing in SA, incl. information system

Partnerships in place to cover data curation and open access issues

Programme 2: Strategic Aspects of Publishing in S&T in SA

Programme 2: Strategic Aspects of S&T Publishing in SA cont.

Quest: Science for South Africa Magazine

Quarterly, youth-oriented science magazine, well-established on editing and production side

Publications Officer to drive public sector programmes

Partnerships with DST, DoE, SAASTA, science centres, etc. being set up

Use and impact research in teacher training programmes initiated

Open access system under investigation

Growing subscription and retail bases

Programme 2: Strategic Aspects of S&T Publishing in SA cont.

South African Journal of Science

Ranked 23rd /50 in world rankings in ISI-indexed multidisciplinary journals

Editor retiring end-2008 – new editorial model of Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editors

Available electronically on Sabinet, but open access system to be introduced

Vision – to be the flagship national journal in scholarly publishing programme

Programme 3: International Academy Relations

ASADI: African science academy development (US National Academies grants)

NASAC: Network of African Science Academies

IAP: Water research and science education programmes

IAMP: Scientific writing programme

TWAS: Prize for young scientists, etc.

G8 + 5: ASSAf included in annual meetings of science academy presidents

Uganda National Academy of Sciences: Bilateral agreement

Logos of partner organisations sourced from their respective websites – presentation not for commercial purposes

Programme 4: National and Regional Activities National Awards and Activities:

* Gold Medals* Sydney Brenner Fellowships* Regional Public Lectures* Annual Visiting Lecturers

Generation of Evidence-Based Advice (Panels and Committees/ Fora): * Report on HIV/AIDS, TB and Nutrition: done; follow-up phase

* Consensus Study on Clinical Research in SA: ongoing

* National capacity in the Humanities/Social Sciences: to be started soon

* Biosecurity: to be started soon

* Science Education enhancement: to be proposed

* Postgraduate Studies in SA, and the development of human capital in S&T: to be proposed after multi-sector inputs and commission

Access ASSAf’s website at: www.assaf.org.za

© Academy of Science of South Africa – information may be freely quoted, provided full acknowledgement to ASSAf is given.