Network

FOPRISA Institutional Profiles

• Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Botswana
• Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit (NEPRU)
• Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI)
• Centre for Defence and Security Management (CDSM), University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
• The Southern African Defence and Security Management (SADSEM) network
• The Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF)
• Southern African Development Community (SADC)
• Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA)

Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Botswana
Department of Political and Administrative Studies (PAS), University of Botswana
The Department of Political and Administrative Studies is housed within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Botswana. The PAS department offers combined major programmes in public administration and political science as well as single major degree programmes in each discipline.

It also offers a Master’s degree in Public Administration as of 1990. The department was chosen in 1997 as a Centre for Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM) in SADC. It hosts the Democracy Research project (DRP) Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) and is a member of SADSEM.

Contact Details
Address: Private Bag UB 00704, Gaborone, Botswana
Phone: +267-355 2745
Fax: +267-374 538
Email(s): tsieb@mopipi.ub.bw
Website: www.ub.bw

Department of Economics, University of Botswana
Address: Private Bag UB 00704, Gaborone, Botswana
Phone: +267-355 2745
Fax: +267-374 538
Email(s): siphambe@mopipi.ub.bw
Website: www.ub.bw

Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit (NEPRU)
Contact Details
Address: P.O. Box 40710, Windhoek, Namibia 9000
Phone: +264 61 277500
Fax: +264 61 277501
Email(s): klauss@nepru.org.na
Website: www.nepru.org.na

Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI)

The Chr. Michelsen Institute is a private social science research foundation working on issues of development and human rights, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Balkans. CMI is committed to carrying out both basic and applied research. Its basic research normally focuses on key issues in development and on development trends in specific regions and countries.

Researchers at the Institute have led numerous assessments and evaluations of international development assistance. The staff members have gained substantial practical experience from long-term assignments in developing countries and with international organisations. A particular strength of CMI is the multi-disciplinary approach developed to address these and other research questions. At present, about 40 researchers are employed by the Institute covering the core disciplines economics, political science and anthropology, supplemented by sociology, geography and history.

The Institute receives a core grant from the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The grant currently represents approximately a quarter of the Institute's turnover. Funding for basic research projects is also provided by the Research Council of Norway. Additionally, the Institute does commissioned research for the ministries of foreign affairs and aid agencies of Norway and the other Nordic countries, for the UN system, the World Bank and various NGOs.

CMI plays an important role in development studies networks in Norway, in particular through the affiliation arrangements with the University of Bergen and the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration. The collaboration entails teaching, joint research projects and support to graduate students and Ph.D. candidates. CMI also has long-term collaborative agreements with research institutions and universities in various developing countries, such as Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Mali, Palestine and Malaysia. The forms of collaboration include research, staff exchange, teaching, information technology, library support, advanced training and publication.

The Institute houses the largest specialised library and documentation centre in Norway on development issues, with a collection of about 70,000 titles and subscriptions to some 600 periodicals in addition to a growing collection of CD-ROMs. The CMI library has several exchange agreements with institutions in Africa and Asia. The collection is searchable on-line through the Norwegian integrated library system BIBSYS.

Contact Details
Address: 38 Fantoftvegen
P.O. Box 6033
Postterminalen NO 5892, Bergen, Norway
Phone: +46 61 22 82 84
Fax: +46 61 23 14 96
Emails: jan.isaksen@cmi.no, lise.rakner@cmi.no, arne.tostensen@cmi.no
Website: http://www.cmi.no

Centre for Defence and Security Management (CDSM), University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

CDSM at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand, has developed an advanced all-round capacity in Southern Africa in the training of defence management and civil-military relations. It seeks to enhance the democratic management of defence and security at national and multinational levels.

CDSM also co-ordinates the regional Southern African Defence and Security Management (SADSEM) Network and oversees its research and policy activities (see below). CDSM is recognised as a research centre by the University Senate and forms part of the Graduate School. It is headed by the Chair in Defence and Security Management who is also the director.

CDSM evolved from a programme established in 1993. Nearly 2,000 senior military officers and government officials from every SADC member state, as well as leaders from civil society, have attended its various accredited courses in defence management. Many of the graduates have played prominent roles in formulating defence policy in Southern African countries and have taken up key positions in defence ministries and defence secretariats.

The CDSM has extensive research, policy development and education and training expertise in relation to a wide range of defence and security issues in Southern Africa.

Contact Details
Address: 2 St David’s Place, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
PO Box 601, WITS, 2050, South Africa
Phone: +2711-717 3519
Fax: +2711-717 3695
Email(s): Cawthra.g@pdm.wits.ac.za, Magano.s@pdm.wits.ac.za
Website: http://pdm.mgmt.wits.ac.za

The Southern African Defence and Security Management (SADSEM) network

The Southern African Defence and Security Management (SADSEM) network has emerged as an important and influential regional programme. It is widely regarded as providing key inputs into the efforts to promote regional peace and security in Southern Africa through its focus on democratic control and management of the defence forces and other security organs, on regional security co-operation and on multinational co-operation in conflict management and peace missions. It has also made an important contribution to building sustainable local research and policy capacity for peace and security, has promoted the involvement of civil society in these issues, and has developed capacity within governments for the democratic governance of security and for regional security co-operation.

The project has achieved this through carefully targeted training programmes, which have involved more than 1,000 senior officials, military officers and civil society leaders since January 2000; through research and policy programmes; through internships, mentoring and support for studies; and by building a network of nine tertiary institutions which deliver the project on a co-operative basis to all 14 countries belonging to the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The network is managed by a co-coordinator, a steering committee that meets quarterly and an advisory board that meets annually.

Contact Details
Address: 2 St David’s Place, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
PO Box 601, WITS, 2050, South Africa
Phone: +2711-717 3519
Fax: +2711-717 3695
Email(s): cawthra.g@pdm.wits.ac.za, vannieuwkerk.a@pdm.wits.ac.za
Website: www.sadsem.net

The Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF)

The Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) is an independent, not-for-profit non-governmental research institute that was established in April 1993 and started operations in 1994. ESRF's mission is to conduct policy-related research and to build capacity in economic and social policy analysis and development management. During its first phase (1994-1998), the Foundation's objectives were to build and strengthen human and institutional capabilities in economic and social policy analysis and development management. It also aimed at enhancing the understanding of policy options within the government, public sector, business sector, and donor community and in the growing national non-governmental sector mainly in, but not limited to, Tanzania.

In phase two (1999-2003), ESRF is concentrating on consolidating the institutional and human capacity gains during the implementation of phase one, building/strengthening sustainable human capacity in government, the civil society and the private sector in policy analysis and development management, building/strengthening sustainable indigenous capacity in research, policy analysis and development management. The Policy Research Programme has six main themes. These are, Challenges of Sustainable Human Development; Macro-Economic Studies; Growth Potential and the Challenges of Accelerating the Rate of Economic Growth; Trade, Regional Integration and Globalization; and Institutional Implications of the Reform Process.

In its seven years of existence, the foundation has developed institutionally into a credible policy research institute. In addition to research, commissioned studies and capacity building, the foundation has distinguished itself through its capacity to organize regular policy dialogue workshops, which have facilitated interactions among researchers, policy makers, civil society, the private sector and donor community. Thus ESRF is a leading institution analyzing development policy and building capacity for implementation of those policies at different levels within the Tanzanian society.

In terms of facilities, ESRF has a library/cum depository centre, which offers adequate computer facilities, office space, a conference centre and other working facilities. ESRF also operates Tanzania Online, which is a gateway to information on development issues in Tanzania. The objective of this initiative is to provide an interactive facility for easy access to a comprehensive set of documents. Tanzania Online database includes analytic documents on development issues in Tanzania, priorities, progress towards poverty reduction and other sector reform developments. The subjects covered are: education, agriculture, mining, tourism, trade, industries, health, poverty reduction, water environment, women development, private sector development, science and technology, and others.

ESRF has a lean but committed, motivated and competent staff. Staff strength stems from a team spirit of 26 professional staff (including 11 PhD holders and 15 at Masters Level) and 22 support staff. The research staff essentially initiate and co-ordinate various studies and engage a large network of experts in the implementation of research studies.

Contact Details
Address: 51 Uporoto Street, Ursino Estates
P.O Box 31226, Dar es Salaam
Phone: +255-22-2760260
Fax: +255-741-324508 / 2760062
Email(s): blunogelo@esrf.or.tz
Website: http://www.esrftz.org/

Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Contact Details
Address: SADC House, Private Bag 0095
Gaborone
Botswana
Phone: +267 3951 863
Fax: +267 3972 848
Email(s): amondlane@sadc.int
Website: www.sadc.int

Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA)

The Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) is an independent non-government policy research institute, which started operations in 1995. BIDPA's main foci are policy analysis, capacity building and other forms of institutional support for development policy implementation. BIDPA is funded partly by its own contract research and consultancy revenue and through grants from the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the Botswana Government. The initial phase of BIDPA’s operations was also funded by the Norwegian Government through NORAD.

The operations of BIDPA are guided by a Board of Trustees that consists of ex-officio members from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Office of the President, the University of Botswana, the Bank of Botswana and the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM), as well as an independent member. BIDPA's trust deed sets out various objectives and functions of the institute, including promoting research, analysis and publication on development policy issues of relevance to Botswana and the Southern African region; monitoring the performance of the Botswana economy; management of public policy implementation; offer advice and consultancy services; and provision of technical and financial assistance and assist in professional training and public education of Botswana citizens in matters relating to policy analysis. BIDPA presents and publishes the outcome of its policy analysis to individuals, organisations or the general public at large.

BIDPA’s development policy related research, consultancy, analysis and advice covers these principal areas:

• Economic structural change;
• Incomes, welfare and poverty;
• Macro-economic policy and planning;
• Micro-economics;
• Trade;
• Public administration (including governance, public policy analysis, institutional analysis, public sector reform).

BIDPA also provides technical and logistical support, for example in the preparation of the national development plans and hosting the Vision 2016 Secretariat for the nation of Botswana. Other support is through reference group membership, such as to policy development teams, international cooperating partners and bilateral aid donors. In terms of capacity-building, BIDPA provides scholarships and specialised training in economic modelling, forecasting and analysis.

Contact Details
Address: Plot 134 Gaborone International Finance Park
Private Bag BR 29
Gaborone, Botswana
Phone: (267) 397-1750
Fax: (267) 397-1748
Email: kaundajm@bidpa.bw, knkacha@bidpa.bw
Website: http://www.bidpa.bw/

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