Three researchers from the University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) Albert Luthuli Leadership Institute (ALLI) recently joined delegates from the Presidency of South Africa on a “learning journey” to Germany.

The trip, which took place from 26 to 30 August 2024, was organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), which coordinates the Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP) known as the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative (SDGI) in South Africa.

The SDGI partnership includes several key stakeholders alongside the ALLI: the Presidency, civil society organisation African Monitor Trust, and Stellenbosch University's Policy Innovation Lab. As part of UP’s contribution to this initiative, ALLI runs the Policy Support Initiative (PSI) and the SDG Hub. These platforms aim to bridge the gap between academic research and policy transformation. The PSI secretariat plays a crucial role by processing policy questions and identifying and appointing suitable academic experts from across South Africa’s 26 public universities.

The primary objective of the visit was for participants to gain insights from various German institutions regarding their approaches to implementing projects similar to those initiated by the SDGI. By examining these approaches, the team aimed to gather valuable lessons to enhance current SDGI projects and inform the planning for the initiative’s second phase, which is set to begin in October 2025.

The ALLI’s Professor Derick de Jongh (Director), Dr Dominique Mystris (Manager: SDG Policy Initiative) and Dr Stanley Ntakumba (Programme Lead: MPhil Development Practice and Lead: Sustainable Development Goals Hub and Policy Support Initiative) were part of the visiting group.

German Institute of Development and Sustainability

“The main highlight was our visit to the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), a renowned think tank based in Bonn, Germany,” Dr Ntakumba said. Founded in 1964, IDOS operates as an independent organisation dedicated to postgraduate training, research, and providing policy advice to the German government. The visit was hosted by Dr Sven Grimm, who leads the Research Program on Inter- and Transnational Cooperation and is an Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University (SU).

“The experience at IDOS exemplifies the 'gold standard' for supporting evidence-based policy transformation,” Dr Ntakumba said. “IDOS’s approach integrates rigorous research methodologies with high-level expertise to influence policy. They produce a diverse range of knowledge products, which are published online, and engage with decision-makers both locally within Germany and internationally within the European Union and other multilateral forums.”

The ALLI researchers said they had gleaned several key lessons related to the PSI, including:

• Bridging the gap between research and policy-making is a complex challenge that requires the involvement of multidisciplinary teams, active stakeholder engagement, and negotiations. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that some policy questions may not have clear answers through scholarly research alone.
• With approximately 170 experts and strong global partnerships with universities and think tanks, IDOS's success highlights the importance of investing in skills and building robust networks.
• Publishing research and advisory notes is crucial for maintaining transparency and credibility, and it is equally important to respect the confidentiality of political clients.

“Given that the PSI is a relational initiative rather than an institutional one, we believe that we could leverage the lessons learned from IDOS to enhance capacity-building efforts in South Africa,” Dr Ntakumba said. “This involves engaging robustly with academic institutions, science councils like the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and civil society think tanks to develop a tailored, effective mechanism for evidence-based policy transformation in the long term.”

The delegation was received at IDOS by Matthias Rompel, GIZ Regional Director for Southern Africa, who shared insights into GIZ’s implementation of advisory services on behalf of the German government. He acknowledged Germany’s fiscal constraints but expressed confidence that Southern Africa remains a priority for development support. Rompel also highlighted that South Africa remains highly esteemed as a “global partner” by GIZ, reflecting its significant role in the G20 and reaffirming that the effectiveness of this partnership to achieving the SDGI goals is paramount.

Other visits

The delegation also participated in a workshop on Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSPs) led by Klaus Baesel from the Competence Centre for Change Management. “This workshop provided deep reflections on our own partnership, the SDGI, and highlighted good practices and critical success factors for MSPs that are pertinent to any development partnership,” Prof De Jongh said.

At the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the delegation met with Senior Policy Advisor René Franke and Chief Data Scientist Dr Iliya Nickelt.

“The meeting with Mr Franke was crucial for reassuring us about the continuation of funding despite Germany’s fiscal challenges,” Dr Mystris said. “The discussion delved into GIZ’s perspectives on inequality and its intersectionality, with a strong belief that the SDGI represents a positive step forward and should advance to its second phase in 2025.”

The focus of the working session with Dr Nickelt was on the use of digital tools for policy transformation and improving organisational systems and processes. The SU Policy Innovation Lab also presented its new project on service delivery-monitoring using citizen data and Large Language Models.

The team also visited the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), where they were hosted by Dr Marc-Oliver Pahl, Secretary General of the RNE, which operates similarly to South Africa’s National Planning Commission. “A key lesson from this visit was RNE’s success in building strong partnerships with various stakeholders across Germany’s economy, including business, labour, civil society, academia, and policymakers,” Prof De Jongh said. “RNE’s approach involves developing research products and codified engagement processes for each stakeholder sector.”

The group also met with Ambassador Phumelele Stone Sizani, South Africa’s ambassador to Germany. “The engaging meeting provided an opportunity for the Ambassador to understand how the SDGs are being implemented in South Africa and explore ways to support the SDGI at a political level,” Dr Mystris said. “It became evident that substantial work remains in the area of SDG implementation and that leveraging academic evidence and expertise is crucial to support this process.”