Call for expressions of interest by municipalities willing to participate in a programme to support innovation and technology uptake

Viability and Validation of Innovations for Service Delivery Programme

Call for expressions of interest by municipalities willing to participate in a programme to support innovation and technology uptake

1.       INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the call is to invite expressions of interest from metropolitan, district and local municipalities interested in participating in the Viability and Validations of Innovations for Service Delivery Programme (VVISDP).

The VVISD is a programme implemented by the implemented by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), with funding from the European Union Sector Budget Support Programme and the National Treasury to help municipalities pilot technology and innovations that could assist in improving basic service delivery.

This call is aimed at municipalities willing to do the following:

• Participate in the piloting of technologies and innovations that can improve service delivery.
• Adopt innovative  ways  of  delivering  services  and  building  their  institutional capacity to manage and adopt technology-based options.
• Learn by doing and to do things differently.
• Increase their performance through innovation, to use science, technology and innovation (STI) to influence policy, and to create new models/options using technology for basic service delivery.
• Support government's effort to create an enabling environment for innovations and technology uptake in local government.

2.       BACKGROUND

Building a capable and developmental state is one of the six priorities outlined in the National Development Plan (Vision 2030).  The realisation of this priority requires that the public sector, in particular municipalities, adopts innovations and uses technology to improve service delivery. There are many problems with service delivery in municipalities, such as decaying basic service infrastructure for water, sanitation, waste management and public transport. Community-owned connectivity models are emerging, but have not been fully adopted.   Innovations can also contribute to addressing health, innovation and unemployment challenges.

The use of e-participation platforms to obtain the input of citizens in modelling public policies has not been fully exploited.

The 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation requires the creation of an enabling municipal/public sector policy environment for the adoption and scaling up of innovative technology solutions to improve the quality of basic services in government.  The White Paper further recognises the need for an appreciation of STI in all spheres of government, and the use of STI in municipal planning, delivery and operational processes.

3.       OBJECTIVES OF THE VVISDP

The VVISDP will select municipalities open to innovation to participate in the programme.  The selected municipalities will work with the programme's partner stakeholders (the DSI, SALGA and CoGTA, as well as universities and technology developers), to support a small number of innovations and technology pilot projects aimed at testing the viability of specific technologies or innovations developed using public funding.  The intention of the pilot projects is to look at the access, availability and acceptability of these technologies and innovations, and their adaptability for basic services and municipal operations.  The goal is to promote the uptake of innovations in municipalities and to scale up successful innovations to improve the socio-economic situation of all, in particular women and other vulnerable groups.

The pilots will do the following:

• Enhance the  ability  of  the  selected  municipalities  to  integrate  innovative technology solutions in their service delivery system.
• Use the lessons learnt and evidence gathered to contribute to improved evidence- based decision-making processes in municipalities.
• Assess the systemic requirements for the adoption and integration of technologies and innovation in the municipal environment.

The objectives of the VVISDP are as follows:

• To pilot the suitability and viability of a selection of potential technology-based options for delivering basic services in some of the district municipalities.
• To evaluate the success of the pilot.
• To build  a  stronger  partnership  and  policy  dialogue  between  communities, municipalities and technology partners (public and private) within the national system of innovation to facilitate technology transfer and to influence the work and priorities of municipalities in adopting technology and innovation to improve basic services.
• To support the development of a more enabling policy environment that facilitates the diffusion of good practices and the adoption and scaling-up of successful innovations, technology pilots in the five areas (each a separate project) below.

Project 1 – Innovative Technology Solutions for Basic Service Delivery

The objective is to pilot innovative technology solutions for improving access to quality basic services, namely, water resource management, waste management, green and renewable energy solutions, sanitation, human settlements and connectivity for communities.

NB: Please read the full project brief if your municipality is interested in participating in this project. Annexure 1.

Project 2 – Decision-support Tools

The objective is to introduce new decision-support tools to improve the functioning and performance of municipalities, and/or enhance existing decision-support interventions in the areas of energy, sanitation, procurement, spatial planning, human settlements, infrastructure, risk and disaster management, health, climate change and crime prevention.

NB: Please read the full project brief if your municipality is interested in participating in this project. Annexure 2.

Project 3 – Innovation Capacity, Capability and Measurement

The objective is to develop and strengthen innovation capacity for the delivery of basic services in municipalities by enhancing learning and building innovation capacity across the targeted municipalities in technology and innovation management; and enhancing the culture of innovation through the measurement of innovation maturity.

NB: Please read the full project brief if your municipality is interested in participating in this project. Annexure 3.

Project 4 – Integration of Innovation in the Municipal Environment

The objective is to integrate innovation in the delivery of basic services across municipalities by creating an enabling policy environment.

NB: Please read the full project brief if your municipality is interested in participating in this project. Annexure 4.

Project 5 – E-participation and Policy Modelling

The objective is the development, testing and piloting of an e-participation and public policy modelling platform for local government to enable open collaboration in modelling public policies.

NB: Please read the full project brief if your municipality is interested in participating in this project. Annexure 5.

4.       APPLICATION PROCESS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE VVISDP

The DSI aims to involve interested municipalities in a programme to ensure technology experimentation and pilot various technology options to solve service delivery challenges through new knowledge and the use of innovation. These interventions are designed to open new economic opportunities, create jobs, develop skills, and improve local government capacity and decision making in implementing innovations.

Municipalities interested in participating in the VVISDP will be expected to do the following:

• Express their interest by responding to this call and by completing an expression of interest response template.
• Choose to participate in more than one innovation project described above, and described in detail in the annexures.
• Respond to each project brief using the response template provided.
• Provide a detailed description of challenges or service delivery challenges the municipality is currently experiencing in relation to the selected project of interest using the expression of interest response template provided.
• Attend and present their expression of interest highlighting municipal service delivery challenges related to their chosen project of interest at the VVISDP briefing workshop.
• Share and present the service delivery challenges related to their chosen project of interest to technology developers and innovators at a municipal/technology developer matchmaking workshop to be organised by the VVISDP partners, the dates and venue for which will be communicated to the successful municipalities at least two weeks before the workshop.
• Show some level of innovation readiness and capacity within the municipality. The municipality may be invited to participate in the innovation maturity assessment as part of the programme initiation.

5.       COMPLETION OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST RESPONSE TEMPLATE

           Municipalities hoping to participate in the VVISDP should complete the response template to submit their expression of interest.

          Municipalities may participate in more than one project if they can demonstrate that they have the capacity to do so.

6.       ASSESSMENT/SELECTION CRITERIA

       All expressions of interest will be assessed against the following:

• Due diligence: Municipality must comply with all relevant legislation and have the municipal manager's endorsement for participation in the programme.

• Relation to the core business of the municipality: The technology and selected project must be directly relevant to the municipality's strategies and integrated development plan. It should leverage the existing core operations of the municipality to develop, adapt, and test new ideas and models aimed at enhancing service delivery.

• Matched funding: Where possible, the municipalities who are able to share the risk and costs for their participation in the VVISDP municipal innovations/ technology pilot programme should do so. This could be achieved through co- funding or valid in-kind contribution.

• Explicit link to job creation: All municipalities applying to participate in the programme should clearly indicate how the chosen innovation project of interest will lead to job creation, how many jobs will be created, what benefit the project will have  on  communities,  especially  the  youth,  women  and  people  with disabilities,  and  how it  will  lead  to  the  creation of  an  enabling innovation environment and improve functioning of the municipality.

• Value  for   money   and   sustainability   beyond   project   funding:   The municipality should be able to demonstrate convincingly that they have the capacity to provide on-going support and sustainability to the chose innovation project of their interest beyond the three-year term of the DSI's funding to for the project.

• Capacity to implement: Municipalities as the applicant should clearly indicate their capacity to implement or assign human resources to the programme. Applicants should therefore demonstrate that they have the institutional and practical capacity to support the implementation or piloting of their chosen innovation project without relying on significant outside resources.

• Contribution to local economic development through "spillover effects": The extent to which the selected innovation project will unlock additional investment, economic activity and job creation, improve the municipal service delivery value chain(s) will be an important evaluation/assessment criteria.

7.       DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

         Expressions of interest must be submitted on the response template (Annexure 7) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before 16:00 on

*07 May 2021*. Late applications will not be considered.

8.        MUNICIPALITY BRIEFING WORKSHOP

 A briefing session / workshop will be held on the 21st of April 2021   https://forms.gle/1Vwaw4GvE3osjo34A. At the briefing workshop, municipalities will be briefed on the SBS Programme, the VVISDP terms and conditions, the process of matching municipalities with technology developers and   implementing entities, guidance on the completion of the expression of interest template and the contracting process.  The intended outcome of the workshop is a full understanding of the challenges identified by municipalities and how the DSI can partner with selected municipalities on innovation projects that could help to address these challenges.  Municipal representatives are encouraged to attend the briefing session. 

9.            ENQUIRIES

Tiyani Ngoveni

Deputy Director: S&T for Sustainable Human Settlements

Tel. 012 843 6398 or 079 503 6272

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or

Siphukuthula Kumalo

Technical Assistant

Tel. 065 354 4768

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