Dr. Towela Nyirenda Jere

1
RD and Innovation Indicators the ASTII
Experience

• Dr. Towela Nyirenda Jere
• Interim Manager - ASTII
• NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency

Second Meeting of the Committee on Development,
Information, Science and Technology (CODIST-II)

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Outline

• The CPA and ASTII
• Genesis Political mandate
• ASTII - Phase 1
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps

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The Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA)

• Three inter-related pillars
• Capacity building
• Knowledge Production
• Technological innovation
• Programmes in two clusters
• Research and Development
• STI Policy (lt ASTII, AOSTI)

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ASTII Genesis and Political Mandate

• Nov 2003 - African countries endorsed the
  compilation of indicators for scientific
  research, technological development and
  innovation activities
• Sept 2005 - African Intergovernmental Committee
  on ASTII
• Nov. 2007 - ASTII Roadmap presented to AMCOST
• 2009 ASTII established as one of the working
  frameworks between NEPAD and AUC

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The ASTII Programme

• Purpose To strengthen Africas capacity to
  develop and use Science, Technology and
  Innovation (STI) Indicators
• Overall Goal To contribute towards the
  improvement of the quality of science,
  technology and innovation policies at national,
  regional and continental levels

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ASTII 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

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ASTII Governance structure

AMCOST
Continental Coordination NEPAD Agency
African Intergovernmental Committee on ASTII
Initiative
ASTII Faculty
National Implementation by ASTII National Focal
Points
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The National Focal Points

• Designated by National government
• Cross-sectoral, inter-ministerial and
  multidisciplinary
• Convene meetings of all relevant stakeholders
• Authority to collect or cause to collect
  statistics
• Critical mass of expertise for the development of
  STI indicators
• organize training for and assemble national teams
  to conduct surveys
• prepare and submit authorized national STI
  surveys and/or indicators to NEPAD

9
The ASTII Faculty

• Dedicated STI Experts that support ASTII
• Resource persons for training
• On-going support to Focal Points
• On-going expert guidance to NPCA

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ASTII Phase 1 Countries

• Algeria,
• Angola
• Burkina Faso
• Cameroon
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Gabon
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mali
• Mozambique
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zambia

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ASTII Activities

• Training on RD and Innovation concepts,
  definitions, methods of data collection
• Conducting RD and Innovation surveys
• Production of RD and Innovation indicators

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Agreed Core RD indicators for ASTII-1

• Gross domestic expenditure on RD (GERD) by
  source and Sector of performance Higher
  education, Government Business Non-Profit
  organizations Abroad
• RD Personnel by level of formal qualification
  and occupation, gender (headcount (HC)
  full-time equivalent (FTE)
• Researchers by gender and field of
  study/research
• Outputs publications, patents (not core but to
  be collected)
• Country specific indicators

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ASTII Phase 1 Achievements

• Designation of National Focal Points for
  implementation at national levels
• Adoption of Frascati Oslo family of manuals as
  survey guidelines
• Agreement on core RD and Innovation Indicators
• Training of members of Focal Points
• Harmonisation of Survey Instruments National
  surveys (RD and innovation)
• Production of the African Innovation outlook

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Significance of ASTII

• How much of a countrys (financial) resources are
  devoted to RD ?
• How are the resources allocated among different
  sectors?
• Are the available human resources sufficiently
  qualified?
• Major findings will be published in the African
  innovation outlook

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GERD as of GDP
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Share of Foreign Funding in RD Activities
(percentage)
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Challenges and Lessons Learned

• Cross-country analysis of data
• Survey methodology sample size, reference
  period, response rate
• Data collection and availability of data
• Context and definition of research and
  researchers

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The African Observatory for Science, Technology
and Innovation (AOSTI)

• Established by the Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.232
  (XII) of February 2009.
• The AOSTI is hosted by the Republic of Equatorial
  Guinea
• Purpose To support the development and
  implementation of STI policy for development by
  providing AU member states with relevant and
  accurate STI information

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ASTII Next Steps

• Incorporation of lessons learned from Phase 1
• Expansion to more countries
• Addition of more indicators
• Up-scaling in phase 1 countries
• ASTII ? AOSTI
• Africa Innovation Outlook

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• THANK YOU

Contact Information Towela Nyirenda-Jere,
PhD Email tjere_at_eafricacommission.org Tel. 27
12 841 4347