Chapter 2 The challenge of evidence-based strategy development: Linkages between evidence, policy and practice

5 Making linkages and connections

The RAPID framework identifies the importance of networks, linkages and facilitation agents. These help translate and communicate research findings and enable strategic approaches across disciplinary and institutional boundaries, resulting in shared understandings and effective joint programmes. To some extent these are in place at provincial level, particularly as a consequence of the consultative forums which have, in most instances, succeeded in bringing together senior government officials from relevant departments and municipalities to review their roles in the provision of SIS services and examine the integration of different planning frameworks. The field-based learning processes have also succeeded in bringing people together to learn the lessons from selected projects. In both instances, key role-players have been exposed to the emerging SIS framework and have made important contributions to its definition. This has been less successful at national level where interactions between the DLA and other departments have been relatively limited. There has been some engagement with DWAF in the areas of water, forestry, fire and co-management in protected areas. There has been some engagement with the NDA's Directorate of Farmer Support. But there has been no sustained engagement with DPLG, DEAT, the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) or the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at this stage. Despite these limitations, key elements of the Strategy presented in this publication are already influencing thinking and practice on the ground. Once the SIS Strategy is adopted and clear communications processes are put in place, conditions favourable for the uptake of the Strategy will already have been put in place. In certain contexts, these conditions have been generated as part of the design and development process.However, these opportunities need to be acted on speedily. Our experience shows that the energy and mutual undertakings generated through such processes are relatively short-lived if they are not quickly followed up and made a part of the institutional architecture. The Strategy itself explicitly recognises the need for these linkages and connections and has addressed this extensively as part the review of institutional options.