Impact of our work

Key to the work of SDGi II, is providing evidence generated by various knowledge sources, such as academia, research institutes, and the scientific community, to policymakers to facilitate sound decision-making to address South Africa’s three national priorities: (1) drive inclusive growth and job creation; (2) reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living; and (3) build a capable, ethical and developmental state. Sound decision-making is key to achieving the country’s National Development Plan and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) is an ex-ante policy analysis tool which has been used in South Africa since 2015 to assess the socio-economic impact of draft public policies. Through SEIAS, the risks and costs associated with draft public policies are taken into consideration, while ensuring alignment with national priorities. SDGi strengthens the SEIAS by providing technical support to: (1) integrate new methods for evidence-informed policy-making; and (2) improve institutional conditions for SEIAS at a local government level and piloting the methodology. While providing this evidence to policymakers, SDGi also pays close attention to its selection process of academics. We make a concerted effort to promote gender equality and address multidimensional discrimination. We also try to strengthen our reach with the historically disadvantaged universities, to ensure that inputs from these universities are also considered and brought to the attention of policymakers. In doing so, we have supported various requests for evidence from the Policy and Research Services (PRS) Unit. We assist with drafting frameworks, conducting independent assessments of Bills, improving Socio-Economic Impact Assessments, and compiling reviews among other requests. So far, our evidence has contributed to topics like governance, energy, gender-based violence and femicide, economic growth, and climate change, just to name a few.

Building on the achievements of the first phase of the initiative, this workstream aims to deepen inclusive policy dialogues by convening government, academia, and civil society to review key programmes and generate new evidence for policy design. These platforms strengthen the link between policy, science, and society, by embedding evidence-informed and gender-responsive insights into national decision-making.

The demand for digital tools and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) within government has grown steadily, driven by a better understanding of their benefits, risks and possibilities. SDGi will continue to explore and test various digital solutions aimed at enhancing evidence-based practices and improving the skills of policymakers.