Presentation to the Portfolio Committee of the Business Plan 2005 - 2006

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Presentation to the Portfolio Committee of
theBusiness Plan 2005 - 2006

• Agricultural Research Council

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Purpose of the Presentation

• To present the business plan of the ARC for
  2005/2006 budget year to the Portfolio Committee.

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Core Strategic Mandate

• Core strategic mandate is to
• Conduct national priority driven research,
• Develop technology, and
• Transfer technology that promotes agriculture and
  industry,
• To maintain national public goods on behalf of
  the Department of Agriculture (DoA) and the
  Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• To provide National Services to agriculture.
• Meeting obligations created by some ring fenced
  programs determined by the shareholder.
• Undertaking certain specified projects requested
  by the shareholder.

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Strategic overview

• The requirement to accelerate delivery of
  services to Previously disadvantaged groups
  compels the ARC to constantly review its
  investments.
• The new governance model of the science councils
  compels new understanding.

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Business Drivers of the ARC

• National legislation and policies
• National Priorities
• National Imperatives
• To modernise and grow the 2nd economy
• To grow the competitiveness of 1st economy
• To create social security safety nets.
• MinMEC priorities
• Funding pressures
• Institutional reviews

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Programs of the ARC

• Core Strategic Research Program
• Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
• Maintenance of National Assets
• Provision of National Services
• Special Programs
• Capacity Building
• SADC and NEPAD
• Administration and support

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Program 1 (a)Core Research ProgramAims and
Goals

• Aim To conduct applied and adaptive research
  with the aim of developing technologies in the
  following key disciplines
• Cereal and grain crop production
• Fruit and vegetable crop production
• Animal improvement and production
• Sustainable use of natural resources
• Goals To optimise and enhance the sustainable
  production, value and safety of foods and other
  products derived from
• Grain and industrial crops products
• Horticulture and vegetable crop production
• Livestock production.

The program comprises multi-disciplinary research
conducted by the core divisions of Grains
Industrial Crops, Horticulture, Livestock and
Public Support Services to develop new products
and services and the improvement of existing
products and services in line with national
priorities.
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Program 1 (b)Core Research ProgramAims and Goals

• Sustainable rural livelihoods
• Aim To orientate the work we do in applied and
  adaptive research with the aim of developing
  technologies that are responsive to the needs of
  the resource poor farmers (RPFs) and emergent
  farmers in the different disciplines
• Goals To optimise the productive and
  competitive capacity of the RPFs to ensure
  household food security, rural incomes and
  employment, improve national and international
  market opportunities and safeguard the natural
  resource base.

The program comprises multi-disciplinary research
conducted by the core divisions to develop new
products and services, improvement and transfer
of existing and new products and services to the
RPFs.
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Program 2Maintenance of National Assets Aims
and Goals

• Aim To maintain national collections of plants,
  animals, bacteria, yeasts and viruses that form
  important sources for reference, and/or represent
  important sources of genetic material on behalf
  of the people of South Africa.
• Goals To sustain and develop the natural
  resource and biological bases, reference
  collections, gene banks, technologies and
  services required by Government in the execution
  of its regulatory, developmental and protection
  functions and in meeting its obligations in terms
  of international agreements and conventions.

The program comprises multi-disciplinary
research on the characteristics of these national
assets AND their actual physical upkeep.
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Program 3Provision of National ServicesAims and
Goals

• Aim To provide diagnostic and surveillance
  services around the pest and diseases that can
  befall the whole agricultural sector.
• Goals To ensure that pests and diseases are
  identified in time and solutions developed to
  mitigate any economic and social problems that
  may result

The program comprises multi-disciplinary research
to develop new products, improvement of existing
products to mitigate the effects of pests and
diseases
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Program 4(a)Special Program SADC and NEPADAims
and Goals

• Aim To contribute to the improvement of the
  quality of life of the inhabitants of the SADC
  countries and support the objectives of NEPAD.
• Goals To assist in finding solutions applicable
  to the region and the continent

The program comprises forming partnerships in
multi-disciplinary research to develop new
products, improve existing products and sharing
knowledge
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Program 4(b)Special Program Strategic Capacity
Building Aims and Goals

• Aim To develop scientific and human resource
  capacity in the ARC.
• Goal To ensure that adequately skilled and
  sufficient number of strategic human capital is
  developed.

The program comprises different ancillary
projects internally and externally focused on
developing future capacity requirements
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Program 5Administration and SupportAims and
Goals

• Aim To provide value added support services to
  the core divisions.
• Goal To ensure that the services provided are at
  a cost that enables optimal investment in the
  core operations.

The program comprises services from Finance and
Information Technology, Human Resources and
Business Development and International Relations
divisions
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Key targets for this year

• Key Targets for 2005/2006
• Increase our commitment to solutions of Resource
  Poor Farmers (RPFs) to 30 of total commitment
• Develop two new technology incubators for RPFs
• Develop 20 more technologies than last year
• Improve our customer satisfaction rating by 20
• Improve our employee satisfaction rating by 20

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Priorities for the year (1)

• Improve our capacity in fore sighting in order to
  advice the shareholder on strategic investments
  in agricultural research.
• Elevating the profile of the programs dealing
  with issues of Resource Poor Farmers.
• Reaching agreement with DoA and DST to fully fund
  the national services and the maintenance of the
  national assets.
• Increase the revenue derived from other sources
  through optimal leveraging of the resources of
  the organisation without undermining the core
  strategic mandate.

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Priorities for the year (2)

• Continue on the cost containment strategies.
• Agree partnership with Onderstepoort Biological
  Products (OBP) on the production and marketing of
  vaccines.
• Creating a performance oriented cadre of
  employees.
• Implementing of core business capacity
  development programs.
• Developing and implementing sustainable staff
  retention strategies.

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Priorities for the year (3)

• Improve and sustain the culture of customer
  orientation.
• Implement new marketing and communication
  strategies.
• Will enhance our relationships with other
  partners within the national system of
  agriculture especially Provincial Departments of
  Agriculture.
• Entrenching the culture of accountability.
• Consolidating the integration of the
  organisation.
• Enhance the image of the organisation.

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PROGRAM 1(a)Core Research ProgramMeasurable
Objectives
Output Measure/indicators Targets
Technology development used in agricultural primary and secondary production Number of technologies initiated 15 more technologies initiated than last year
Pest and disease management services Number of pest and disease outbreaks that are successfully contained. Maintain successful containment
Reports and manuals on scientific investigations Number of reports and manuals published. 10 increase in publications.
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PROGRAM 1(b) Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
ProgramMeasurable Objectives
Output Measure/indicators Targets
Technologies directed at solutions desired by RPFs Number of technologies 20 more than last year
Packaging and transferring of technologies into the RPF sector Number of information pamphlets, brochures issued 20 more than last year
Reports on the needs of resource poor farmers Number of reports 20 more than last year
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PROGRAM 2 Maintenance of National Assets
Program Measurable Objectives
Output Measure/indicators Targets
Conservation of basic germplams, collection of grain and industrial crops Number of national assets in care 5 increase on last year
National bio-resources fully protected. Losses to the collections lt 1 per annum
Strategies on National Assets Approved strategies By 30 March 2006
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PROGRAM 3 Provision of National Services
Measurable Objectives
Subprogram Output Measure/indicators Targets
Climate Monitoring Early warning climate monitoring advisories Ongoing provision of appropriately packaged, interpreted information and decision-support systems Maintenance of the quality and integrity of the system.
Diagnostic Services Plant, animal and soil pest and pathogen identifications Number of diagnosis made and turn around time. 5 improvement in turn-around time.
Crop Forecasting Provision of production estimates for agricultural statistics Regular provision of production estimates Full satisfaction from public-sector clients and end-users
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PROGRAM 4 Special Programs Measurable
Objectives
Subprogram Output Measure/indicators Targets
Capacity Building Building and sustaining young black and female researchers for the ARC Number of participants Number of mentors Rand value invested 64 16 R 5million
SADC and NEPAD Advice on solutions needed (Safrinet Biosystematic network) Number of reports Depends on collective decisions of network.
Reports on the prevalence of economically significant migratory pests (ICOSAMP) Number of reports Depends on collective decisions of network.
Reports on disease surveillance of industrial crops Number of reports Depends on collective decision of network.
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Funding
Economic Classification Current 2005-2006 2006-2007
Economic Classification Core Strategic Fund (Parliamentary Grant) 312,992 333,317 361,943
Economic Classification Other Transfer Receipts 53,500 61,835 64,269
Economic Classification Sub-total 366,492 395,152 426,212
Economic Classification External Revenue 215,120 234,542 257,996
Economic Classification TOTAL 581,612 629,694 684,208
Economic Classification Commercial Revenue as of Total Income 37 37 38
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Resource allocation
Economic Classification Current 2005-2006 2006-2007
Economic Classification Compensation of Employees 322,357 344,400 374,394
Economic Classification Goods and Services 196,378 203,292 219,228
Economic Classification Use of Infrastructure (Depreciation) 17,883 29,113 33,454
Economic Classification Payment for Capital Assets 44,994 52,888 57,132
Economic Classification
Economic Classification TOTAL 581,612 629,694 684,208
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Challenges to the ARC

• Competition for skilled capacity
• Investments made in public interest research
• Investments in new infrastructure

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Conclusion

• ARC ready for the challenges it face
• Will continue to ensure effective delivery and
  protection of agriculture base.
• THANK YOU