Services SETA Discretionary Grants – South Africa

The purpose of these grants is to fulfil the research requirements of the Services SETA, which are based on the National Development Plan (NSDP 2030), the White Paper for Post-School Education and Training, and the Strategy & Planning Department’s research agenda.

Research Topics

• Topic emanating from the Research Agenda earmarked for this DG Window include:
  • Services SETA Impact Evaluation Approaches and Outcomes: To Evaluate Strategies adopted by SETAs to reflect on their performance.
    • High-Level Aim/Objectives:
      • To identify and suggest strategies and approaches to evaluate impact.
      • To evaluate strategies adopted by SETAs to reflect on their performance.
      • To identify areas that require improvements.
      • Recommend appropriate and customized monitoring and evaluation approaches.
  • SETAs approaches to create value for, attract and retain employer members and critical stakeholders: To develop a framework for SETA to effectively and meaningfully engage employers and other key stakeholders.
    • High-Level Aim/Objectives:
      • To identify and recommend strategies to create stakeholder value.
      • To evaluate strategies SETA, apply to attract and retain stakeholders.
      • To determine suitable strategies for SETA to attract and retain stakeholders.
      • Compile a comprehensive stakeholder mapping for the Services SETA.
      • To develop a framework for SETA to effectively and meaningfully engage employers.
  • Alignment of SSP Frameworks with the industry’s future skills needs in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR): To investigate the extent to which the framework assists alignment of SSP to industry skills needs and the impact measurement.
    • High-Level Aim/Objectives:
      • To investigate the extent to which the framework assists alignment of SSP to industry skills needs and the impact measurement.
      • Determine the current alignment of the SSP framework to industry needs.
      • Recommend areas of improvement to strengthen alignment.
  • The size and economic contribution of cleaning, hiring and personal care informal sector and skills development interventions pertinent to the sector: To understand the size and economic contribution of cleaning, hiring and personal care subsectors.
    • High-Level Aim/Objectives:
      • To understand the size and economic contribution of cleaning, hiring and personal care subsectors.
      • Investigate working conditions of employers in these subsectors.
      • Recommend suitable interventions to support employers and employees to grow the SME sector in these industries.
      • Recommend appropriate skills development interventions to upskills low-level workers.

Who can apply?

• All private research providers and public HEIs with the requisite capacity and good standing legally may therefore apply for this discretionary grant funding.
• Requirements:
  • A proposal that includes the following minimum elements. Failure to comply may lead to disqualification:
    • Understanding of the research and the specifications (background to the research, rationale, purpose, objectives).
    • Approach, design and methodology for the research (e.g., literature and documentation review, data collection tools, sample, suggestions for elaboration or changes to scope and methodology as outlined in the project specifications, examples of research questions suggested, process elements).
    • Activity-based plan (including the number of person days per activity and time frame linked to activities).
    • Activity-based budget (in South African Rand, including VAT).
    • Competence (include a list of related projects undertaken of main contractor and subcontractors, making clear who did what, and contact people for references).
    • Team (team members, roles and level of effort of each person involved in the project).
    • Quality assurance plan (to ensure that the process and products are of good quality).
    • Research policy nexus (indicate how the research findings can be engaged with to promote utilisation.
    • Risk and quality assurance plan for the research study (to ensure that the process and products of this study are of good quality).

For more information, visit Services SETA.