1 The African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII) Initiative – An Update By Philippe Kuhutama Mawoko (PhD) NEPAD OST

2 Outline The Rationale of ASTII Initiative The Political Authority Progress to date Acknowledgments Next steps

3 GDP a Country XZ Partitioned in its Economic Activities - Information in the Public Domain-

4 Botswana GDP by sector in 2004/5 Source: African Economic Outlook 2006/2007- AfDB

5 Local Circumstances Matter Botswana Country XZ

6 A Question-type by the African S&T Policy makers Relationship of interest between the sectors of the economy and the state of Science, technology or innovation in country XZ!!! ( ! not necessary trivial matters)

7 The African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST)s Call In 2003 (Johannesburg): Africa should develop and adopt a common framework for STI indicators; In 2005 (Dakar) : Africa should establish an African intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology & Innovation Indicators (ASTII) Initiative. In 2007 (Nairobi): NEPAD OST and the African Union Commission to collaborate to ensure that the ASTII initiative achieves its goals Themes of the AU Summit in January 2007 :Science, Technology and Scientific Research for Development and Climate Change in Africa. The SADC Protocol on Science, Technology and innovation

8 ASTII Initiative Overall Goal : contribute toward i mproving the quality of science, technology and innovation policies at national, regional and continental levels. Purpose : To strengthen Africas capacity to develop and use Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators. Specific 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

9 Countries participating in ASTII Initiative – Phase 1

10 Milestones Meeting of the African Intergovernmental Committee on STI indicators, Maputo, Sept STI Training Workshop, Pretoria, South Africa, March 2008 Round-table on the development of manufacturing engineering in Southern Africa: NEPAD, Industry and Universities, June 9-10, 2008 in Pretoria,

11 Outcomes of the Meeting of the African Intergovernmental Committee on STI Indicators Establishment of the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Committee on STI Indicators; Agreement on guidelines/manuals for R&D and Innovation Indicators. Start with Frascati & Oslo Family of Manuals. Agreement on features, roles and responsibilities of National Focal Points for R&D and Innovation surveys ; Agreement on criteria for selecting countries to participate in the (phase 1) R&D and Innovation surveys; Work-plan.

12 Core R&D Indicators Gross Domestic Expenditure on Research and Experimental Development (GERD), by source and performance sector R&D Personnel by level of qualification and function, gender(headcount (HC) & full-time equivalent (FTE)) Researchers by gender and field of study/research Expenditures in development areas identified by the CPA Outputs: publications, patents (not core but to be collected). Countries are free to add additional indicators for particular policy needs

13 STI Training Workshop Main objectives : Sharing of experience and knowledge necessary to conduct R&D and/or Innovation surveys and to develop relevant indicators; Ensure common understanding of STI underlying concepts, definitions, issues and approaches, and harmonize survey instruments to conduct such surveys; To promote collaboration Outcomes : core indicators (not re-invent the wheel), work plan

14 Round-table on the development of manufacturing engineering in Southern Africa: NEPAD/ Industry / Universities Problem of interest: To better understand the size and shape of the engineering education landscape in order to design and implement step change to improve the production of qualified and competent engineering human capital. How: The step change is to be achieved by ensuring relevant shifts in policy and practice through partnerships between government, industry and higher education in the region Regional Evaluation: Work underway with the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA)

15 Cooperation and Acknowledgments Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) Faculty For STI Training Africa Development Bank- Department of Statistics the African Regional Centre for Technology (Dakar) Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa UNESCO Institute of Statistics (MOU signed) OECD -National Working Party on Science and Technology Indicators (NESTI); Research Policy Institute, Lund University Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology UN-HABITAT and University of the Witwatersrand Countries / AU Commission/NEPAD Secretariat

16 Next Steps Fundraising Exchanges of experiences Official launch of surveys Publication of African innovation Outlook

17 Merci/ Thanks