Policy-making is a complex process that involves various actors and processes, and in some cases, divergent interests. At times, policy outcomes are uncertain and are not guaranteed to cater to all interest groups. These factors make policy advice and policy advisory systems increasingly important in the policy-making process.
On 20 June 2025, the Policy Innovation Lab hosted a Roundtable on Policy Advisory Systems at the University of Pretoria. Four experts shared their research findings on policy advisory system good practices in Brazil, India Kenya, and South Africa. These are countries with challenges similar to South Africa. The discussions also zoomed in on the use of digital tools that are used in these countries to improve policy advice. Participants from the national and provincial government, academia, research institutes, and civil society participated in the roundtable discussions in person and virtually.
Dr Helen McDonald, a Lecturer in the Political Science Department at Stellenbosch University, presented the case of Kenya. She emphasized that the Policy and Research Services branch within the Presidency (of the South African Government) should continue to develop strong relationships with external policy research institutions, similar to how the Kenyan government relies on the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) for evidence-based policy advice. She also reiterated the need to develop AI capabilities within the government.
The case of Brazil was presented by Dr Schalk van de Merwe, who is a Senior Lecturer at the Africa Open Institute. He highlighted that Brazil’s digital developments were largely insulated from political developments because all political parties involved consider it vital to transforming the economy. He recommended a collaboration between the government, private sector, and civil society in developing a thriving digital economy, as shown in the case of Brazil. He also advised that regulatory frameworks should be designed to remain adaptable to rapidly evolving technologies such as AI, while ensuring that public rights are safeguarded.
Prof. Pregala Pillay, the Director of the Anti-corruption Centre for Education and Research at Stellenbosch University (ACCERUS), and Prof. Ram Kumar Mishra, the Former Director and Senior Professor at the Institute of Public Enterprise, examined the case of India. The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) championed the creation of the National Data and Analytics Platform, which is a repository for evidence-based policy. South Africa could adopt this model to use digital tools and machine learning to assess the impact of policies.
The findings of the South African case were discussed by Dr Ubanesia Adams, from the Department of Political Science at Stellenbosch University. She recommended that the Policy and Research Services branch become a sourcing agent for policy advice and policy-related data. This can be accomplished by creating a networked policy advisory system both inside and outside of government and fostering partnerships with policy advice structures in the wider government.
Reflecting on the roundtable, Dr Itai Makone from the Lab said, “It’s encouraging to learn from the best practices of the different case studies to draw out practical and actionable recommendations to improve South Africa’s policy advice system.”
The Lab is grateful to the Albert Luthuli Leadership Institute, University of Pretoria, for providing a venue for the roundtable discussions.