Social & economic policy

Social policy refers to the practice of social intervention, aimed at securing social change, to promote the welfare and wellbeing of citizens. It refers to both the practice of and academic study of policy action. This document collection is aimed at supporting the social policy formulation process, in South Africa and other developing countries.

Policy briefs

• 7 Reasons why a universal income makes sense in middle-income countries 
  
  ­Policy brief which argues that a universal income grant would be a powerful intervention for radically reducing the depth and scale of impoverishment, and for enhancing ­liberty.
  Marais, H., September 2011
• A global policy package to address the global crisis 
  
  A policy brief which identifies a social agenda as crucial in addressing the global financial crisis.
  International Labour Organisation, November 2008
• Africa - preserving progress at a time of economic crisis 
  
  Recommendations to African countries on how to manage the economic crisis with international support.
  Africa Progress Panel, April 2009
• Decisive action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals 
  
  An HSRC policy brief on Millennium Development Goals relating to water, sanitation, education and health challenges facing the Southern African Development Community.
  
  Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), January 2011
• Enabling efficient policy implementation 
  
  Reports the findings of an online survey of 211 public sector officials and private ­sector executives in July and August 2009.
  Economist Intelligence Unit, January 2010
• European social policy: What's wrong with EU2020? 
  
  Refers to a paradigm shift that demands an in-­depth analysis of the limits of the current development model.
  European Trade Union Institute, April 2010
• From Evidence to Action: a newsletter of the Policy > Action Network 
  
  Issue 4 of the newsletter focuses on the issue of violent crime in South Africa. The newsletter aims to stimulate debate around evidence-based policy-making. To contribute to future editions plesae send your submissions to pan@hsrc.ac.za­.
  Policy > Action Network, August 2011
• From Evidence to Action: Issue three: Child-centred policy 
  
  Issue Three of the PAN newsletter focuses on the interface between child-centred evidence and related policy. It features a range of resources that illustrate how child-focused data and research evidence can contribute to and inform better outcomes for children when formulating social policy.
  Human Sciences Research Council and the Programme to Support Pro-Poor Policy Development, June 2011
• Housing, public policy and social inclusion 
  
  Peer reviewed positioning paper which reviews the literature on social inclusion and housing as the foundation for an empirical research project on the best forms of policy intervention.
  Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, September 2010
• How should MDG implementation be measured: Faster progress or meeting targets? 
  
  One page brief arguing that the rate of progress in achieving the MDGs is a more important measure than whether targets are to be met.
  International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth, May 2010
• How to reform the international financial system?: A Chinese perspective 
  
  Recommends priorities for a reform of the international financial system.
  Friedrich Ebert Stiftung , September 2009
• Influencing policy for children in Tanzania: lessons from education, legislation and social protection 
  
  Summarises three case studies on policy development and examines the political drivers of change that influence policy on child well-being.
  REPOA: Research on Poverty Alleviation, April 2009
• Making use of transformative 'home-grown' social policy in Africa 
  
  ­Focuses on the transformative dimension of social policy and its link with economic develelopment.
  AfricaViewPoint (UNDP), February 2009
• Millennium Development Goals report card: Learning from progress 
  
  A summary which is part of initial findings from an ongoing review of progress made towards the Millennium Development Goals.
  Overseas Development Institute (ODI), June 2010
• The gendered dimensions of food security in South Africa: A review of the literature  
  
  This policy brief explores women as a central factor in food security. It investigates the gendered dimensions of hunger and malnutrition in South Africa, in order to foster an understanding of the relations between gender, food insecurity and policy.
  Human Sciences Research Council, March 2011
• The global financial crisis: Implications for Africa 
  
  Brief from a senior policy seminar which considered policy responses to the global economic recession, with an emphasis on African research utilisation.
  African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), March 2010
• Vacancy: Head: Research Use and Impact Assessment (RIA) (Deputy Executive Director) 
  
  The Research Use and Impact (RIA) programme at the HSRC wishes to appoint a suitable candidate to lead the programme. The successful candidate will be based in Pretoria on a 5 year contract. The closing date for applications is 18 November 2011.­­
  Human Sciences Research Council, November 2011

Research reports & papers

• Towards better use of evidence in policy formation: A discussion paper 
  
  A report intended as an initial high-level paper to stimulate discussion amongst New Zealand policy advisors and policy makers.­
  Gluckman, P., May 2011
• Accelerating a job-rich recovery in G20 countries: Building on experience 
  
  Recommends a combination of well-coordinated macro-economic policies together with employment, labour market, skills and social protection ­policies.
  International Labour Organisation, April 2010
• Adaptation amidst prosperity and adversity: Insights from happiness studies from around the world 
  
  With examples from the economics, democracy, crime, corruption, and health arenas, concluding with policy implications.
  Brookings Institution, July 2010
• Africa progress report 2011: The transformative power of partnerships:  
  
  A concise overview of the progress Africa has made over the previous year in seven areas, namely economic growth, governance, peace and security, social development, food and nutrition security, climate change, and development cooperation and finance. Provides a series of practical recommendations for policy makers.
  Africa Progress Panel, May 2011
• African innovation outlook 2010  
  
  The first document mapping activities in science, technology and innovation in African countries, for the formulation of policies for science development and the promotion of knowledge-based socio-economic development.
  NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, May 2011
• Assessing progress in Africa toward the Millennium Development Goals 
  
  Highlights policy innovations including expanded social protection programmes in Africa that are facilitating progress toward at­tainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
  United Nations Development Programme, September 2010
• Basic sanitation in South Africa: A guide to legislation, policy and practice 
  
  A simplified yet comprehensive overview of law, policy and practice relating to basic sanitation in South Africa. ­
  Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI), July 2011
• Beyond the national question: Towards the social question 
  
  A Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust annual lecture.
  Mkandawire, T., October 2007
• Citizens' agenda for Africa's development 
  
  Documents outcomes of regional and electronic citizen consultations held in conjunction with various partners during 2010 with the ultimate aim of shaping the African ­policy agenda for the forthcoming decade.
  African Monitor, October 2010
• Citizens' engagement in policymaking and the design of public services 
  
  Citizen participation in policymaking and service design has been debated or attempted, but too infrequently realised. Considers current reform initiatives in the Australian Public Service (APS) and examines the implications of citizen-centric ideals for the processes and structures of government agencies.­
  Australian Public Service (APS), July 2011
• Climate change adaptation: Linkages with social policy 
  
  A general scan of current literature which aims to provide an overview of approaches, guidelines, tools, and policy options being employed to adapt to climate change.­
  Government of Canada, September 2010
• Community roles in policy 
  
  Reviews unique community contributions that are successful in addressing complex policy issues.
  
  Caledon Institute, January 2009
• Divided we stand: Why inequality keeps rising 
  
  ­Reports that the gap between the rich and the poor in OECD countries has reached its highest level for over over 30 years. Includes a special focus on inequality in growing economies.
  OECD, December 2011
• Economic and social survey of Asia and the Pacific 2009: Addressing triple threats to development 
  
  Argues for a more fair and inclusive macroeconomic environment and economic policy reforms.
  UNESCAP, March 2009
• Economic growth and poverty dynamics 
  
  ­Briefly reviews the literature on economic growth and poverty and examines whether economic growth influences poverty dynamics.
  Chronic Poverty Research Centre, February 2009
• Economic report on Africa 2011 
  
  Argues that economic transformation in Africa requires the state to play a central role—using a comprehensive development framework—in planning, articulating and implementing policies aimed at ensuring efficient allocation of resources.
  European Commission for Africa, Africa Union, March 2011
• Employment and social protection policies from crisis to recovery and beyond: A review of experience 
  
  Aims­ to determine which employment and social protection policies yielded good results and in which context. Reviews 13 policies identified in the Global Jobs Pact of June 2009.
  International Labour Organisation, April 2010
• Evidence for social policy and practice: Perspectives on how research and evidence can influence decision making in public services 
  
  Essays from organisations using different methodologies and approaches to generate evidence and influence policy and practice in a number of service areas including criminal justice, childrens' services and poverty reduction.
  NESTA, April 2011
• Evidence-based policy research: critical review of some international programmes on relationships between social science research and policy-making 
  
  Reviews programmes seeking to enhance the interconnections between social scientific research and policy and highlights issues around the nature of ­these linkages.
  Management of Social Transformations (MOST), 2009
• From agenda to action: Turning resources into results for people 
  
  Reviews developments over the past five years, identifying six priority areas, three for African policymakers and three for their international partners.
  Africa Progress Panel, May 2010
• Governing development in Africa - the role of the state in economic transformation 
  
  Recommends that African countries adopt a developmental state approach that uses the market as an instrument rather than a sole mechanism for fostering long-term investment, rapid and sustained economic growth, equity ­and social development.
  Economic Commission for Africa, March 2011
• Human Development Report 2010 - 20th Anniversary: The real wealth of nations: Pathways to human development 
  
  L­ooks back rigorously at the past several decades and identifies often surprising trends and patterns with important lessons for the future.
  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), November 2010
• Implementing the APRM: Views from civil society  
  
  Assembled collaboratively over the past year by several South African civil society organisations (CSOs), this report scrutinises the country’s track record in fighting corruption, managing diversity, addressing xenophobia and racism, managing elections, consolidating democracy and upholding the rule of law, as well as confronting social exclusion and effective service delivery. ­­
  APRM Monitoring Project (AMP), June 2011
• Innovation policies as social policies: on strategies for the pursuit of proactive equality in underdevelopment 
  
  Explores the theory that inequality can be reduced by connecting innovation policies with social needs.
  Universidad de la Republica, 2005
• Knowledge, networks and nations: Global scientific collaboration in the 21st century 
  
  Reviews the changing patterns of science, and scientific collaboration, in order to provide a basis for understanding such ongoing changes. Aims to identify the opportunities and benefits of international collaboration, to consider how they can best be realised, and to initiate a debate on how international scientific collaboration can be harnessed to tackle global problems more effectively.
  Royal Society, March 2011
• Making growth inclusive: Some lessons from countries and the literature 
  
  E­xtracts lessons from case studies of Brazil, Vietnam, and Ghana to suggest three key areas where action by governments is likely to deliver: a proper redistributive agenda, appropriate macroeconomic prudence, and a policy environment that fosters a pro-poor private sector.
  Oxfam International, April 2011
• Maximizing the social, policy and economic impacts of research in the humanities and social sciences 
  
  This report was commissioned to inform the report, Punching our weight from the British Academy.
  Public Policy Group, London School of Economics, September 2008
• Paradigm shift: Social justice as a prerequisite for sustainable development 
  
  Calls for a new paradigm for sustainable development, focusing on­ social cohesion.
  European Trade Union Institute, April 2009
• Policy-making as discourse: a review of recent knowledge-to-policy literature 
  
  This working paper explores the current understanding of the link between knowledge and policy in development.
  Overseas Development Institute, August 2009
• Pro-poor development: Distribution, growth and policy interactions 
  
  Explores the main lines of interaction between growth and distribution to determine the potential for pro-poor growth.
  Rao, J.H., February 2002
• Prospects for South Africa's future: Development report 2011 
  
  ­This report seeks to focus on the core, critical interventions that will be needed if South Africa’s development objectives are to be ­met.
  Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), November 2011
• Punching our weight: the humanities and social sciences in public policy making 
  
  Addresses what policy makers need, what the humanities and social sciences offer and the challenges of providing better evidence for public policy making.
  British Academy, September 2008
• Recognising community voice and dissatisfaction 
  
  The result of a collective process of reflection on the meaning and implications of community protests for local governance. The network’s third publication providing a civil society perspective on the state of local governance. ­
  Good Governance and Learning Network (GGLN), May 2011
• Research support to the Fagerberg Committee 
  
  A review of Norway's research system in preparation for possible reforms. Based on comparative data from Canada, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway.­
  technopolis, March 2011
• Review of the child support grant: uses, implementation and obstacles 
  Community Agency for Social Enquiry, June 2008
• Sectors and skills: The need for policy alignment 
  
  Presents the results of a large-scale study of ­skill demands of five economic clusters in South Africa, to inform the conceptualisation and formulation of skills development strategies.
  Human Sciences Research Council, 2009
• Social protection concepts and approaches: implications for policy and practice in international development 
  
  Reviews conceptual developments regarding the meaning and importance of social protection.
  Overseas Development Institute, February 2001
• South Africa's children: A review of equity and child rights 
  
  ­This report reflects an analysis of key indicators to assess the fulfi lment of children’s rights in South Africa. Most of the data is derived from Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey (GHS) which covers six broad areas, education, health, social development, housing, household access to services and facilities, food security and agriculture. Download part one and part two.
  South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), March 2011
• South Africa's public policy clubs of exclusion  
  
  Commentary from the South African Civil Society Information Service (Sacsis) that the Zuma administration is attempting to insulate public policy choices from contestation in society, and as a consequence failing to build broader­ policy consensus.­
  Hassen, E-K., July 2010
• South African child gauge 2008/2009  
  
  Annual review of the status of South Africa’s children focusing on access to education.
  Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, June 2009
• South African child gauge 2010/2011: Children as citizens: Participating in social dialogue 
  
  Themed essays illustrate­ how children’s participation in decisions that affect them is not only a legal right, but that it is essential for a healthy democracy, effective service delivery and children’s optimal development. Includes a list of resources on ­on children's participation­
  Childrens Institute, University of Cape Town, August 2011
• South African Development Index (SADI) 
  
  An initiative by the South African Institute of Race Relations which aims to track development trends in South Africa, and will be released on a quarterly basis. ­
  South African Institute of Race Relations, February 2011
• South African social attitudes: The 2nd report: Reflections on the age of hope 
  
  The second in th­e HSRC series that aims to monitor the evolving dynamics of South African social values in relation to broader societal developments.
  Human Sciences Research Council, September 2010
• Start-up subsidies for the unemployed: Long-term evidence and effect heterogeneity  
  
  Uses administrative and survey data from a large sample of participants in two distinct start-up programmes and a control group of unemployed individuals.
  IZA, February 2010
• State of the cities report: Towards resilient cities 
  
  Assesses the progress made by South African cities over the last decade in relation to key development outcomes and whether developmental metropolitan government has had the desired effect in improving socio-economic and environmental conditions.
  South African Cities Network (SACN), April 2011
• State of the cities report: Towards resilient cities 
  
  Assesses the progress made by South African cities over the last decade in relation to key development outcomes and reviews strategic problems and opportunities relating to planning and management­
  South African Cities Network (SACN), April 2011
• State, business and growth in post-apartheid South Africa 
  
  Explores the relationship between ‘state-business relations’ and pro-poor growth in post-apartheid South Africa. ­
  Research Programme Consortium for Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth (IPPG), January 2010
• Stupid public policies and other political myths 
  
  Looks at ten policy myths and 'bad ideas'­.
  Schultz, D., December 2008
• The effects of education and health on wages and productivity 
  
  A staff working paper using a human capital earnings function and data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to estimate the effects of education and health status on wages.
  Productivity Commission, March 2010
• The forgotten fundamentals 
  

  Argues that strong social programmes can play a vital part in an economic stimulus package.

  Caledon Institute, December 2008
• The future of the welfare state 
  
  Full text of monograph launched at conference on the welfare state, with chapter on the need for a values-led debate on shaping public policy.
  Social Justice Ireland, September 2010
• The G-20 London summit 2009: Recommendations for global policy coordination 
  
  Explores a range of proposals for policy coordination to address the global financial crisis.
  Brookings Institution, March 2009
• The great policy disconnect 
  
  C­onsiders the processes that have guided fundamental decisions about electricity choice, and their implications for public interests over the long term.
  Heinrich Boll Stigtung, November 2010
• The impact of the financial crisis on conflict and state fragility in sub-Saharan Africa 
  
  An issues paper which summarises the major points and offers ­policy recommendations.
  Governance and Social Development Resource Centre , July 2009
• The implications of the global financial crisis for low-income countries  
  
  Makes policy recommendations to reduce the impact of the economic recession on low-income countries.
  International Monetary Fund, March 2009
• The Nairobi Report: Frameworks for Africa-UK research collaboration in the social sciences and humanities 
  
  ­­­­Recommendations on how to strengthen the research base in African universities.
  British Academy, March 2009
• The state of the world's children 2011: Adolescence - an age of opportunity 
  
  Examines the global state of adolescents, outlines the challenges they face in health, education, protection and participation, and argues that investing in them now is our best hope of breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and inequity and laying the foundation for a more peaceful, tolerant and equitable world.
  UNICEF, March 2011
• The university in development case studies of use-oriented research 
  
  This analysis provides new understandings of current concepts of 'globalisation', 'use-oriented' research, 'knowledge society and economy', and 'national system of innovation'.
  HSRC Press, November 2011
• Universities and economic development in Africa: Pact, academic core and coordination: Synthesis report 
  
  Draws together evidence and synthesises the findings from eight African case studies that formed part of the HERANA project.
  CHET, February 2011
• Wage subsidies to combat unemployment and poverty: Assessing South Africa's options 
  
  Investigates whether the introduction of wage subsidies is an appropriate policy measure for dealing with South Africa’s particular sources of unemployment.
  International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) , May 2010
• Why is crime In South Africa so violent?: Rapid evidence assessment 
  
  ­The objective of this Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) is to identify the reasons given in the existing research literature for why crime in South Africa is so violent.
  May 2011
• World development report 2011: Conflict, security, and development 
  
  Examines the changing nature of violence in the 21st century, and underlines the negative impact of repeated cycles of violence on a country or region’s development prospects.
  World Bank, April 2011
• World social science report 2010 
  
  Review of the state of the social sciences and how knowledge is produced, disseminated and used; includes a chapter on ­­Social sciences and po­licy-makers.­­­
  UNESCO, June 2010

Case studies

• Call for proposals: To conduct a series of case studies on the policy influence of impact studies 
  
  Call for proposals to conduct a series of case studies to identify factors that contribute to or impede evidence from rigorous impact evaluations to influence policy(deadline is 28 February 2011).
  International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), February 2011
• Developing social policy for children in the context of HIV/AIDS: A South African case study 
  
  Describes and analyses the process of policy design, development and implementation.
  Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, December 2008
• Reporting tax research: Connecting researchers and journalists for improved media coverage and debate in Kenya 
  
  Describes some of the methods and activities developed by the Relay programme and how they were applied to Kenyan tax and governance issues.
  Panos Institute, January 2011
• Systematic review database 
  
  ­This database provides policymakers and practitioners with easy access to systematic reviews that examine evidence on the effects of social and economic development interventions in low- and middle-income countries. It draws together systematic reviews from a range of sources and covers all sectors.
  International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), September 2011
• Towards a basic income grant for all 
  

  Reviews findings of research on the benefits of basic income grants, conducted by BIGC in Namibia.

  Basic Income Grant Coalition, Namibia, September 2008

Country studies

• Africa Capacity indicators 2011: Capacity development in fragile states 
  
  This report introduces a unique and unprecedented series of data on the state of capacity in Africa. It also examines key issues and challenges confronting in-country and cross-border capacity development.
  African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), February 2011
• Assessing progress in Africa towards the Millennium Development Goals 
  
  The third in a series which discusses what needs to be done further in reaching the MDGs,  an abridged version of a much more comprehensive joint Economic Commission for Africa, African Union Commission, and African Development Bank report.
  United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, February 2009
• Development Progress 
  
  A new website with country case studies, each focusing on one of eight major areas of development and what interventions have worked.
  Overseas Development Institute, September 2010
• Diagnostic overview 
  
  Aims to identify the main challenges confronting the country and examine their underlying causes. Serves to advance the discussion about the major issues confronting South Africa.
  National Planning Commission (NPC), June 2011
• Policymaking in Latin America - how politics shapes policies 
  
  Suggests that poor policy outcomes lies less in the policies than in the political interactions and processes behind these policies. ­
  Inter-American Development Bank, 2008
• Public support to food security in India, Brazil and South Africa: Elements for a policy dialogue 
  
  A comparative study of the food-security policy agendas in the IBSA countries which aims to  identify and examine critical issues and good practices in order to reveal relevant points for knowledge sharing. Includes a one-page summary.­
  International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), May 2011
• Social policies in Grenada 
  
  Calls for an assessment of gaps in social policy, especially in relation to legislation on social protection, with special attention to the role of women and children.
  United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), November 2010

Toolkits & guidelines

• Call for submissions: Terms of reference for an online course on how to build a policy influence plan 
  
  Call for the development of a course which will improve  organizational capacity to influence public policies in developing countries - deadline 23 January 2011
  Global Development Network (GDNet), January 2011
• Data strategies for policymaking: Identifying international good practice 
  
  Reviews international good practice for using data in policymaking and develops a conceptual framework for characterising and classifying the different elements of a data strategy for public sector orga­nisations.
  RAND Corporation, 2010
• e-Atlas of global development 
  
  A free, online, interactive tool, which maps and graphs more than 175 indicators from the World Bank’s development database.
  World Bank, March 2011
• From Evidence to Action: Issue 6: Evaluating our way to better government performance 
  
  In the final issue of the PAN newsletter for 2011 ­we look at how the evaluation of government programmes can be invaluable in improving performance and service delivery.
  Policy > Action Network, Human Sciences Research Council, December 2011
• From Evidence to Action: P>AN Newsletter 1/2010 
  
  This is the first edition of the Policy > Action Network newsletter, From Evidence to Action, published with support from the Programme to Support Pro-Poor Policy Development (PSPPD), a partnership between the Presidency and the Eu­ropean Union.­
  Policy > Action Network, November 2010
• Handbook on monitoring, evaluating and managing knowledge for policy influence 
  
  The main purpose of this handbook is to facilitate the investment process of a public research institute in developing a system (from the simplest to the most sophisticated) of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and knowledge management (KM) of the impact of research on public policy.
  CIPPEC, February 2011
• Magenta book 
  
  Sets out the key issues to consider when designing and managing evaluations, and the presentation and interpretation of evaluation results. Describes why thinking about evaluation before and during the policy design phase can help to improve the quality of evaluation results without needing to hinder the policy proce­ss.
  HM Treasury, April 2011
• Managing for development results: A focus on Africa 
  
  A case book aimed at ensuring­ that managers are using evidence to make decisions and development stakeholders are able to keep track of progress.
  African Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results, 2010
• Poverty, equality and growth: the role of social transfers: A handbook for parliamentarians 
  
  A handbook designed for parliamentarians in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on the role of social transfers as a specific social protection policy instrument for reducing chronic poverty and inequality and for promoting inclusive, or pro-poor, economic growth.
  Wahenga, April 2011
• Research as a tool for advocacy 
  
  A presentation outlining approaches to achieving research-based­ policies.
  Institute for Security Studies (ISS), 2010
• Sound expectations: From impact evaluations to policy change 
  
  A conceptual framework to be used in the production of case studies which identify factors that help or hinder rigorous impact evaluations from influencing policy.
  International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), April 2011
• The China-Africa toolkit: A toolkit for African policymakers 
  
  Aims to provide critical information, basic data and interpretations that can enhance decision making on issues involving China and Africa.
  South African Institute of International Affairs, December 2009
• Tools and resources 
  
  Provides analytical tools and resources to assist analysts and managers with policy development or service-planning in the area of sustainable development.­
  Population and Sustainable Development, New Zealand, February 2011
• Tools and resources 
  
  Aims to provide analytical tools and resources to assist analysts and managers with policy development or service-planning projects.
  Population and Sustainable Development, New Zealand, March 2011

Conference & seminar papers

• 3ie UK office launch event: Toward an evidence-based development policy 
  
  Papers from a workshop highlighting the lack of rigorous evidence in international development, the importance of closing knowledge gaps and the challenges of translating evidence into policy­.
  International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, October 2010
• 3rd Joint meeting AU Conference of Minsiters of Economy and Finance and Economic Development. joint ECA/Africa Union (AU) 
  
  Presentations and reference documents from this conference held in Lilongwe, Malawi from 25-30 March 2010.
  African Union, March 2010
• Challenging boundaries: Social Policy Association conference 
  
  Presentations from the 2008 Social Policy Association conference.
  Social Policy Association, June 2008
• Child Rights: Children's rights at a crossroads 
  
  A conference aiming to contribute to collaboration for the improved use of research and greater youth involvement in participatory re­search.
  African Child Policy Forum, November 2009
• Engaging meaningfully with government on socio-economic rights: A focus on the right to housing 
  
  A booklet explaining what 'meaningful engagement' is, when it should take place and the role of community leaders.
  Socio-economics Rights Institute of South Africa, March 2010
• Governing development in Africa: The role of the state in economic transformation: Issues paper 
  
  Issues paper discussing the role of the State in African development in order to identify an appropriate set of interventions to enhance the role of the State and other stakeholders in performing the key tasks necessary for economic transformation in Africa.
  AU/UNECA, March 2011
• Harnessing Knowledge to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa 
  
  Presentations from meeting which explored how best African countries can harness knowledge to advance their development and to achieve the targets of the Millennium Declaration Goals (MDGs).
  United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), November 2010
• Innovative South Africa: conference 
  
  Showcased innovation developments in South Africa and provided a platform for developing an innovation policy dialogue with European partners.
  Department of Science and Technology, June 2006
• International conference on social cohesion and development 
  
  Papers from conference aiming to deepen understanding of the complex and pertinent relationship between social cohesion and development.
  OECD, January 2011
• Jobs for young people 
  
  ­Report from a round table of senior economic policy-makers, economists, and leaders from business and civil society which examined the feasibility, desirability and possible impact of the proposed wage subsidy in South Africa­.­
  Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), August 2011
• National conference on structural poverty in South Africa 
  
  Conference presentations can now be downloaded. Also look at the summing-­up, Cross cutting golden threads.
  Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) et al., September 2010
• New partnerships for growth research in Africa 
  
  Launch workshop report from the Africa Growth Initiative, which works towards sustainable economic development in Africa.
  Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings, June 2010
• Presentation: Evaluation as a key source of evidence for policy-making 
  
  Presentation from a seminar which reviewed evidence-based policy-making and the potential role of evaluation as a key, and a systematic, source of evidence. Presented by Dr Ian Goldman, Deputy Director General, Evaluation and Research, DPME,­ The Presidency.­
  Goldman, I., January 2012
• Producing knowledge syntheses that are both rigorous and relevant to policy makers 
  
  Workshop report where participants were enabled to apply a knowledge synthesis ­method including: choosing a relevant policy for study, analysing it, performing a literature review (in a way that differs from literature reviews on simple interventions) and organising deliberative processes.
  National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy, June 2011
• Public policy: Why ethics matters 
  
  Essays based on a conference which aimed to ­encourage and facilitate debate about the ethical basis for policy making.
  Australian National University, October 2010
• Responses to the global crisis: charting a progressive path: handbook of ideas 
  
  ­Interactive conference handbook ­aimed at gathering policy proposals on the global crisis.
  Progressive governance conference, March 2009
• Revenue mobilization in sub-Saharan Africa 
  
  Papers from a conference which aimed to identify lessons on what has and has not worked, and to consider how best to deal with emerging challenges, with the emphasis discussing experiences of African countries that have successfully reformed their tax policy and revenue administration systems.
  International Monetary Fund (IMF), March 2011
• Strengthening evidence-based policy in the Australian Federation 
  
  Proceedings of a roundtable discussion held from 17-18 August 2009.
  Productivity Commission, March 2010
• The African debate on social justice 
  
  Examines the concept of social justice in Africa and the possible role to be played by the youth, especially in the age of globalis­ation.­
  Centre for Policy Dialogue, Zambia, 2008
• UNRISD conference on social and political dimensions of the global crisis: Implications for developing countries 
  
  Papers on social and political dimensions of the current crisis,­ policy and institutional reforms, and implications for developing countries.
  United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, November 2009

Reading lists

• The impact of employment guarantee schemes and cash transfers on the poor 
  
  This review applied a systematic protocol to the identification and retrieval of published and unpublished documents relating to the impacts of employment guarantee schemes and cash transfers on the poor. ­
  Overseas Development Institute (ODI), June 2011

Advocacy initiatives

• African Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results 
  
  A community of over 1,000 practitioners managing for development results (MfDR) from 37 different African countries and regions across the world.
  March 2011
• From evidence to action: Issue 5: Education 
  
  Issue five of the newsletter ­From Evidence to Action looks at the education system in South Africa, ­in particular how­ evidence informed policies can be implemented to address many of the problems it faces.­
  Research Use and Impact Assessment, Human Sciences Research Council, November 2011
• From Evidence to Action: the Policy > Action Network newsletter 
  
  Download the second issue of the Policy > Action Network newsletter and email pan@hsrc.ac.za if you would like to make comments or submissions for the next issue.
  Human Sciences Research Council, February 2011
• Front line economic, social and cultural rights online manual 
  
  Advocacy toolkit with case studies and extensive references.
  Social and Economic Rights Action Center, July 2009
• Ghana Research & Advocacy Programme 
  
  A pooled funding mechanism for supporting the institutional development of civil society organisations undertaking research and advocacy ­for pro-poor policy development in Ghana.
  2010
• Handbook on progressive realisation 
  
  Aims to strengthen civil society advocacy initiatives to advance access to socioeconomic rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
  Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute (SPII), February 2011
• IPC-IG Internship Programme  
  
  This internship offers outstanding graduate-level students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to IPC-IG’s work as a global forum for policy dialogue and South-South learning on development innovations.
  International Poverty Centre, January 2011
• Meaningful engagement workshop 
  
  Report from a workshop which aimed to gain more clarity on the concept of meaningful engagement to feed into civil society strategies and actions.
  Centre for Applied Legal Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, July 2009
• Mobilising social justice in South Africa: Perspectives from researchers and practitioners  
  
  Presents findings of five research projects around civil society and strategies for achieving social justice in South Africa.­
  Jeff Handmaker& Remko Bekhout, November 2010
• National Planning Commission (NPC) Jam 
  
  If you have some ideas on building a better South Africa, please register for and participate in the National Planning Commission (NPC)­ Jam (an online brainstorming event from noon on 28 September until noon on 1 October). Additional information can also be found here. ­
  National Planning Commission (NPC) , September 2011
• Online training: How to build a policy influence plan 
  
  CIPPEC, a leading think tank in Argentina will award 12 scholarships to participate in the third edition of this online training programme developed jointly with Global Development Network (GDN)­ which will start by the end of August 2011.­
  
  CIPPEC, August 2011
• Painting the landscape: A cross-cultural exploration of public-government decision-making: Preliminary findings  
  
  Report aiming to stimulate discussion ­amongst government officials, public participation practitioners, professional associations and civil society leaders, with executive summary.
  International Association for Public Participation, August 2009
• Pensions Watch: Social protection in older age 
  
  A new online resource for policy makers and development practitioners on non-contributory (social) pensions. The site aims to bring together learning from existing social pension schemes around the world in order to inform policy makers, academics and activists.
  HelpAge International, January 2011
• Policy responses and submissions 
  
  Read NESTA's policy responses and submissions over the ­past few years.
  National Endowment for Science Technology and Arts, 2009
• September National Imbizo 
  
  A new Facebook forum for a national citizens' dialogue, currently working against xenophobia and planning for ­a National Indaba in September 2010.
  July 2010
• Social Service Practitioners Advocacy Network 
  
  Join this network to engage with the draft Social Service Professions Bill and advocate for improvements.
  Children's Institute, December 2008
• Strategies for effective policy advocacy: Demanding good governance in Africa 
  
  ­Lessons learned by civil society coalitions when demanding improved­ governance in Africa.
  South African Institute for International Affairs, June 2009
• World social forum 2011 
  
  Follow events at this open meeting in Dakar, Senegal from 6-11 February.
  February 2011