This document discusses strategies for strengthening research uptake from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa. It provides two examples of how the CSIR developed research uptake strategies. The first example describes developing an uptake strategy for the Upper Olifants River Study to link findings to stakeholders and plan further research. The second example discusses the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Project, which identified priority freshwater areas and targeted products to government users. Lessons learned include planning early for uptake, sufficient funding, managing stakeholder expectations, targeting all government levels, designing timely products that fit policies, and targeting influential individuals.

1. Strengthening Research Uptake – Examples
from the CSIR
Nikki Funke
Senior Researcher
Natural Resources and Environment Unit

2. What is the science-policy gap?
© CSIR 2011 Slide #
Godfrey et al., 2010

3. © CSIR 2011 Slide #
Funke and Nienaber, 2011
Complexity of the South African policy-making
process

4. © CSIR 2011 Slide #
CSIR Mandate
“The objects of the CSIR are, through directed and
particularly multi-disciplinary research and technological
innovation, to foster, in the national interest and in fields
which in its opinion should receive preference, industrial
and scientific development, either by itself or in co-
operation with principals from the private or public
sectors, and thereby to contribute to the improvement
of the quality of life of the people of the Republic, and
to perform any other functions that may be assigned to the
CSIR by or under this Act."

5. Conducting research for impact: some challenges
• Focus in NRE still seems to be on producing high quality
scientific outputs sometimes at the expense of end-user
engagement and relevant and targeted research outputs
• However, things are changing slowly but surely because
of:
– CSIR-wide focus on research impact, and
– Role played by social scientists and natural scientists
with an interest in research uptake in the NRE Unit
• Some examples to illustrate

6. Research Uptake Strategy for the Upper Olifants River Study
• The Upper Olifants River Study focused on identifying sources of
pollution, impacts of pollution and mitigation strategies in the Upper
Olifants River Catchment.
• The study’s technical team expressed a need for the development of
a research uptake strategy in order to:
 To link technical research findings with stakeholder needs
 To set out the need for further research and activities to optimise
the uptake of research findings

7. Purpose of the Upper Olifants Research Uptake Strategy
The purpose of this strategy is to suggest separate but
inter-connected activities for a way forward when it
comes to:
 transferring the research findings of the Upper Olifants
River Study,
 strengthening stakeholder relationships,
 creating public awareness, and
 obtaining clarity on the issues of co-operative
government and government departments’
environmental management responsibilities.

8. Research Uptake Strategy and Pillars of Support

9. Lessons learned
• Importance of a research uptake strategy
• Need for early planning of uptake and
sufficient funding to implement such a
strategy
• Need to manage stakeholders’
expectations about what the strategy can
achieve

10. National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Project
• Important national-level initiative that offers concrete tools to improve and
facilitate freshwater conservation management and planning in different
sectors by identifying a national network of freshwater ecosystem priority
areas.
• The project was based on a high level of technical inputs and endorsement
by scientific experts from a range of organisations and engagement with
end-users from government and non-government sectors.
• The NFEPA products include:
 a set of digital maps of the priority areas at the national and Water
Management Area (WMA) level,
 a NFEPA atlas aimed at creating awareness among the end-user
community and a more generalist audience,
 and an implementation manual targeting government actors in different
sectors.
• Aim for products to be taken up into existing legislative tools and policy

11. National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Project

12. Lessons learned
• The “Who” and “How” of targeting government departments:
– Target all levels of government
– Target various levels of the political hierarchy
– Target a wide range of government departments
• Design of research outputs:
– Some degree of entrepreneurial logic is important
– Products must fit into existing legislative tools and policy and must be
timely.
• The politics of targeting high-level decision-makers
– Target individuals who “have the ear” of high-level decision-makers
– Products need to suit the political climate within which decision-makers
work
– Importance of bridging actors

13. Parting Thoughts
• Not just one-sided communication (speaking at your
target audience)
• About use of relevant products to inform every-day
decision-making and strategising at higher levels
• Importance of being self-reflexive and learning from each
experience to improve on the next one
• How do we monitor that there is uptake and that
research products are being used?