NACI Resources Studies etc. Profile of Best Practices 2006

This document reports the results of an effort to identify international best
practice related to the management of National Systems of Innovation and
develop relevant recommendations for South Africa.

The report is divided into three main chapters. Chapter one “Best Practice in
Governance” identifies issues related to structures and organisational structures; priority setting; public funding of research and development (R&D) and management of science and technology (S&T) capacity development. Chapter two “Best Practice: Monitoring Science and Technology Systems” provides an overview of the approaches used internationally to monitor and assess the performance of the national system of innovations (NSI). In the chapter are discussed the approaches used by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the USA; the Science and Technology Agency in Japan; the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) indicators and the approach of the Trend Chart on Innovation by the European Commission. The third chapter “Best Practice: Public-Private
Linkages/ Technology Transfer in Science and Technology” identifies issues related to public-private linkages in science and technology in general and of technology transfer from universities in particular. Each chapter contains a relevant to South Africa discussion and a set of recommendations. The report ends with a “Summary of Recommendations” where all recommendations are presented together.