Research that ‘changes the world’: reflections on policy engagement
Ben Cousins, Director

Applied social science researchers generally want to see their research have some influence on social policy and practice; those of a more activist bent seek to ‘change the world, not simply to interpret it’[1]. In its mission statement PLAAS envisages a strong connection between its research projects and processes of policy development and advocacy. Our attempts to make this connection are guided by a clear statement of values, and a commitment to ‘social change that empowers the poor, builds democracy and enhances sustainable development… gender equity is integral to these goals’.

It is relatively easy to reach agreement on a general statement of this kind, but how to apply and realise this vision is far from straight forward. The macro- and micro-politics of policy-making and programme implementation are messy, complicated and often highly contested. In addition, PLAAS researchers do not always agree with one other, either on the content of policy recommendations, or on strategies to engage with the world of policy and practice. They do, however, seek to learn from each other through discussion, debate and reflection on a rich and varied range of experiences.

The year 2003 saw PLAAS staff engaging with policy-making (or ‘policy-influencing’) processes in a wide variety of contexts, and in interaction with a range of actors and agencies. These included: participating in Western Cape provincial policy forums on poverty alleviation and food security strategies; preparing a report on poverty and policy for the President’s Office; making presentations to parliament on poverty and food security; forming part of a national task team to develop guidelines on implementation of CBNRM; invited presentations to senior government officials of research findings on the progress of land reform; participating in a high profile international forum on conservation policy (the World Parks Congress); a presentation to Human Rights Commission hearings on the fishing industry; facilitating submissions by community groupings and NGOs to parliamentary hearings on communal land rights legislation; submissions to a Land Tribunal organised by a civil society grouping; facilitating learning events for the Landless People’s Movement; providing inputs to the People’s Budget process; participating in the Western Cape Alliance for Land and Agrarian reform; and co-hosting workshops together with activist NGOs on a range of issues (ethical trade in the fruit and wine sectors, farm worker’s rights, land restitution, communal land rights).

The basis of PLAAS engagement in such processes should clearly be rigorous and high quality research on key policy issues and questions; this is the bedrock of effective applied social science. But a tension exists between engagement and clear-sighted research and analysis. PLAAS staff wrestle all the time with the need to balance a value-driven commitment to social justice (that informs our choice of research topics and methods), on the one hand, with the need for objectivity, rigour and critical distance from the interests of the social actors that often form the subject of our research, on the other. ‘Speaking truth to power’ is by no means a simple matter. The ranks of the powerless and oppressed often include aspirant elites seeking to climb the rungs of power and find their way into the ‘top storey’ of the house (the metaphor that the president has recently used for our deeply divided and unequal society). The divides are multiple, along lines of class, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, culture, and are crosscutting. Architectural blueprints for altering the house in order to overcome these divisions (or at least reduce their strong association with poverty and inequality) are not so easily drawn up; this means that independent research and analysis of the highest quality is essential to inform debates on policy and its effective implementation.

Effective dissemination of the findings of applied research is key to making a difference in the wider world, and this is why PLAAS publishes its own research reports, policy briefs and occasional papers. These are targeted at policy makers, implementers and civil society groupings that are unlikely to read academic journal articles or books. It is also why PLAAS researchers make regular use of the public media (mainly newspapers, but also radio and television interviews) to communicate research findings and discuss the wider policy implications. In 2003 PLAAS staff received more media coverage than ever before. Less visible outputs included commissioned reports for government departments or civil society initiatives. Academic publishing is also important, however, not least because it involves peer review of research outputs and thus encourages rigour, and PLAAS staff are beginning to increase their output of ‘accredited’ publications – details of these are provided elsewhere in this report.

Which forms of policy engagement are most appropriate and most effective for committed intellectuals in a new democracy such as South Africa’s – working in an advisory capacity for government, encouraging informed public debate through critiques of government policy, or advocacy and lobbying in partnership with activists? Which actors and agencies should PLAAS aim to develop close working relationships with government, civil society activists, community groupings, or other researchers?

Clearly, these are not ‘either/or’ options; a range of contexts, forms of engagement and partnerships are both possible and necessary in order to be effective. Which options and combinations of options are chosen depends on the specific circumstances within a given policy arena (eg. the degree of openness within a government department, or the strategic importance of civil society mobilisation on a given issue) and these are dynamic and changing, and in need of constant re-assessment. The preferences and choices of individual researchers are also a factor.

Although diversity and difference in relation to engagement strategies within PLAAS exist and are accepted, a more difficult situation arises when one form of engagement (eg. an adversarial relationship with a particular department) is perceived to be having potentially negative impacts on the general profile of the organisation, with possible spill-over effects on the engagement strategies of colleagues. This possibility means that internal debate and discussion amongst colleagues is vital, even when it is agreed that it is inappropriate for a research institution to try and reach agreement on a ‘line’, a particular policy stance or preferred form of engagement.

Research and policy engagement form only part of the PLAAS mission; equally important are our teaching and training activities. A highlight of 2003 was PLAAS receiving the Group Award from the university’s Division for Life-Long Learning, in recognition of an innovative approach to recognition of prior learning for entrants to our post-graduate programme. The award was received on behalf of PLAAS by Dr Edward Lahiff, who has done sterling work over the past four years in overseeing the growth and development of the teaching programme at PLAAS. In 2003 there were a total of 34 post-graduate students registered at PLAAS, including 5 PhD students. A total of 9 students were undertaking thesis research for an MPhil in Land and Agrarian Studies, the majority of whom will graduate in 2004. One PLAAS staff member, Lungisile Ntsebeza, graduated with a PhD in Sociology from Rhodes University, and highly complimentary comments from examiners.

Another highlight in 2003 was a five-week training course on social science perspectives on natural resource management, held in August and September 2003 in Cape Town. This was organised by Webster Whande and Rick de Satge of PLAAS, in collaboration with the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) of the University of Zimbabwe, and the regional office of the World Conservation Union (IUCN-ROSA). A total of 35 natural resource management practitioners from the SADC region participated, and highly positive evaluative feedback was received from them. The course included fieldwork in the Ocean View community near Kommetjie, which was facilitated by PLAAS staff member Moenieba Isaacs, whose family lives in Ocean View.

PLAAS depends in large part on support from donors and partner organisations, and has received generous core funding from Ford Foundation since its inception in 1995. Efforts to secure substantial support from the university bore fruit in 2003 when PLAAS was awarded a Senior Lecturer/Researcher post, for a five-year period. The year also saw us develop a ‘sustainability initiative’, aimed at securing the long-term viability of PLAAS. This will be implemented over the next two years. We hope that this will make us less dependent on donor support for our core functions, but of course donors and partnerships will continue to be the main source of research funds for PLAAS. To continue to secure these, we will have to demonstrate that our research is not purely academic, but does indeed ‘change the world’.


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[1] Karl Marx, ‘Theses on Feuerbach’, 1845.