Building capacity for evidence-informed decision making: an example from South Africa

Abstract: To maximise the potential impact and acceptability of EIDM capacity building, there is a need for programmes to coordinate their remits within existing systems, playing both ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ roles. Through a review of the South African evidence-policy landscape and analysis of a stakeholder event that brought together EIDM role players, this paper illustrates how one capacity-building programme navigated its position within the national evidence-policy interface. It identifies strategies for improving the acceptability and potential effectiveness of donor-funded EIDM capacity-building activities: understanding the evidence-policy interface, incorporating programmes into the decision-making infrastructure (being an ‘insider’), whilst retaining an element of neutrality (being an ‘outsider’)

A gendered critique of the ABC prevention policy of the South African government concerning HIV/Aids: a case study of Northern KwaZulu-Natal.

M.A.This dissertation will focus on the notions of masculinity in Northern KwaZulu-Natal and the impact of that on the effectiveness of HIV/Aids prevention strategies employed by the South African government. It first examines gender and gender roles in society and then questions what it means to be a man and describes the concept masculinity as a socially constructed aspect of patriarchy with reference to a particular area of South Africa today. Masculinity is extended to the relations (both sexual and social) that men have with women as well as with other men. Notions of masculinity make men vulnerable because they lead to risk-taking behaviour that may result in HIV infection. I was drawn to this field after realising that most HIV/Aids prevention programmes do not take notions of masculinity into account. This specific geographical area was chosen for its proximity as well as the very high levels of HIV prevalence. During my research I realised that the realities of manhood and masculinity in the South African context are not addressed in the HIV/Aids prevention strategies of the South African government. This gap created by the absence of gender sensitivity with regards to men enhances the vulnerability of men and women in South Africa to be infected with HIV. My research in Northern KwaZulu-Natal included semi-structured interviews with five respondents, a focus group, questionnaires as well as in-depth literature study.Ms. C. van Rooye

Reflections on mentoring experiences for evidence-informed decision-making in South Africa and Malawi

Abstract: This article is based on the consensus that the availability and utilisation of research enhances policy discussions. The article reflects on the experiences within one approach: capacity building through mentoring. The UJ-BCURE programme aimed to increase the capacity of decisionmakers to use evidence in decision-making via mentoring models. Mentoring is described as an interactive, facilitated process that promotes learning. The features of the models that have contributed to the programme’s success are orientation workshops with mentees combined with participatory, needs-led, and flexible approaches. UJBCURE experiences are relevant to the field of evidence-informed decision-making in an African government context