BE at UP – a research partner to government

The development and execution of research agendas and strategies is becoming an integral part of ensuring efficient and effective service delivery in all spheres of government. In this regard Business Enterprises at University of Pretoria (Pty) Ltd (BE at UP) has recently been invited to attend a workshop at the Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Education.

Dr Elmar de Wet, General Manager of BE at UP, was requested to deliver a paper on “Building Institutional Capacity.” The BE at UP team showcased the capabilities of the company and how it can assist government with the realisation of research outputs. Firstly, to assist government with the institutionalisation of research, namely the development of research strategies, research agendas and the associated knowledge transfer required to adequately capacitate staff. Secondly, BE at UP shared their expertise in supporting government with the execution of their mandates, across various departments and levels of government.

The knowledge and insights that BE at UP shared with the audience, stems from the successful completion of a range of diverse projects in the public sector:

• 23 projects with provincial government.
• 18 projects with municipalities.
• 67 projects with state-owned entities.
• 26 projects with councils.

Dr de Wet also highlighted the close link that should exist between departmental research agendas and its strategic plan, annual performance plan, monitoring and evaluation studies, impact assessments and economic modelling.

BE at UP, through its research and consulting services and capacity building initiatives, remains a research partner of choice to all spheres of government and is very grateful to the Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Education for the opportunity granted to share its knowledge and expertise in this regard.