1. NRF Key Performance Indicators
October 2017
Gerhard Moolman

2. Mandate of the NRF
Support and promote research and knowledge generation through human capacity development
Support and promote research and knowledge generation through the provision of National Research Platforms
Strengthen the relationship between Science and Society through Science Engagement
Contribute to National Imperatives

3. Mandate of the NRF
The draft Amendment Bill of 2015 to the NRF Act proposes enhancements to the current mandate of the organisation as follows:
Supporting and promoting research through funding, representative human capital development (HCD) and the provision of the necessary research infrastructure in order to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of science and technology, including the humanities, social sciences and indigenous knowledge;
Supporting and maintaining National Research Facilities;
Supporting and promoting public awareness of and engagement with science; and
Promoting the development and maintenance of the national science system and the support of government priorities.

4. Why do we report? Compliance Combined assurance Monitoring Managing
As recipients of public funding - ensure that we account for the value of our operations and adherence to mandate.
We cannot manage what we cannot measure – use reporting to monitor progress and performance gaps through the use of predetermined objectives.
Combined Assurance – Accountability
Board
CEO
CorpEX
Deputy CEO: RISA
RISA Management
South Africa – many needs
Education, housing, healthcare, a dwindling pension fund, infrastructure
Compliance
Combined assurance
Monitoring
Managing

5. Risk Based - Combined Assurance
Independent appraisal function
Tests effectiveness and adequacy of controls
External Audit – Confirmation of NRF Value Proposition
Specialised Audits/ Investigations
REVIEWS and EVALUATIONS Through External Panels
Enterprise Risk management
Compliance, Health, safety and Environment
Compliance
Quality assurance
REVIEWS and EVALUATIONS
Policy & Procedures
Oversight,
Strategy implementation,
Performance Management
Management (1st Line)
Internal Assurance (2nd Line)
Internal Audit (3rd Line)
External Assurance (4th Line)

6. The NRF contribution to the MTSF Priorities

7. The National Facilities contribution to the MTSF Priorities

8. KPI Target Setting Considerations
Consider the strategy and what the end goal is;
Consider historic trends and new interventions;
Keep in mind that grant, researcher and student targets are based on grants with expenditure within the grant year:
These targets need to be driven in the award cycles which, in most cases, occurs in the prior year;

9. ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE AGAINST PRE-DETERMINED OBJECTIVES
NRF Performance 2016/17
ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE AGAINST PRE-DETERMINED OBJECTIVES
21%
Percentage of targets exceeded
11%
Improvement in performance compared to prior year
For the year in review the NRF:
Met 63% of the KPIs of which 21% were exceeded – in prior year 53% of targets were met
12% of targets were not met within 5% variance
25% were not met

10. SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING RESEARCH
NRF Performance 2016/17
SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING RESEARCH
POSTGRADUATE SUPPORT
RESEARCHER SUPPORT
PRODUCTIVITY
EQUIPMENT GRANTS
All targets were exceeded with the exception of the 4 marked in red. The only indicator that decreased year on year was the publications emanating from the use of equipment (1105 users in 2015/16 to / %)

11. Researcher Support 4 520 BLACK & FEMALE RESEARCHERS SUPPORTED 54 076
Total number of researchers supported
54 076
Total number of
research and instructional staff at Universities
12 612
Research and instructional staff with doctoral degrees
11 397
Research and instructional staff with masters degrees
35%
The approximate percentage of researchers (with doctoral degrees) funded by the NRF
Over the 5 years from 2013 to 2015, the NRF:
Increased support for black researchers by 98%;
Increased the support for female researchers by 63%
Note a proxy indicator of NRF reach is the number of NRF funded researchers divided by the total number of research and instructional staff with PhDs

12. Researcher Support – Ratings
BLACK & FEMALE RATED RESEARCHERS SUPPORTED
3 663
Total number of rated researchers
70%
Increase in black rated researchers over 5 years
51%
Increase in female rated researchers over 5 years

13. NRF KPI Performance

14. Progress Against the Ministerial Guidelines
BLACK REPRESENTATION
FEMALE REPRESENTATION
Note: 2011/12 is the baseline year – 2015/16 and 2016/17 are performance trends
Factors affecting performance at the higher levels:
Attrition of black and female students
Time to completion

15. NRF KPI Performance

16. Enkosi, Thank you, Re a leboga, Siyabonga, Dankie
@NRF_News
@NRFSouthAfrica