Thina Sinako Programme

The Thina Sinako Local Economic Development (LED) Programme – a two phase initiative – amounting to close to €30 million, commenced operations in 2005 and was the third of the European Union’s LED support programmes in South Africa - the first having been in Limpopo and the second in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Its overall objective is to support the Eastern Cape Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP) targets for 2014 'to significantly reduce the number of households living below the poverty line' noticeably through the empowerment of previously disadvantaged individuals, including women through the creation of jobs.

The Programme was designed and implemented in a collaborative way under the strong leadership of the Provincial Government, thus ensuring that it has been able to respond to the priorities and needs of the region. Thina Sinako has made considerable progress in bringing together the key LED actors in the Province through the various learning and networking activities. Its successes are largely due to strong leadership and management of the Programme by all the key actors in particular the Provincial Government. The programme has evolved as the local situation has evolved and this may be one of the reasons for its emerging success. We hope that the positive experiences gained through Thina Sinako will pave the way for intensified support for LED in the Province.

The Programme has in part drawn upon Europe's own experience of tackling home-grown development problems – notably under the EU’s solidarity-based regional programmes that are designed to raise standards of living and promote jobs in the poorer parts of Europe. In particular the demand-driven grant funding approach, used in Europe, has been adapted to the situation in South Africa. By combining this approach with hands-on support, Thina Sinako has been able to mobilise unexploited potential, harness local creativity, promote partnerships, and through all of this create growth and jobs. It is this sharing of experience on tackling similar development problems, and the adaptation to local circumstances, that is at the heart of the mature partnership between South Africa and Europe.

The long term sustainability of this Programme constitutes a critical component of this intervention. As the Programme approaches its end of implementation period in December 2011, the key challenge concerns the successful handover of the Programme to the Provincial government.

Thina Sinako has to date been instrumental in supporting key LED departments and local government in the Province to systematically support LED work across the Province. This work includes the establishment of District Support Teams, which were conceived to ensure that a technical capability is systematically built in the public sector to sustain effective support to LED long beyond the EU-funded phase has passed.

These three elements – partnership and local leadership in preparation and implementation; sharing of experience in design; and ensuring sustainability – are key elements explaining the success on the programme to date, and suggest how it can be sustained in the future.[1]

Eastern Cape Local Economic Development (LED) Education Consortium

Overall Objective:

The overall objective of this action, in line with recommendations of the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP) as well as the National Framework for Local Economic Development in South Africa (LED) (DPLG, 2006), is to mobilise institutions of higher learning in the Eastern Cape (geographical target area) to develop and coordinate their LED research and training activities in such a way that it will contribute significantly to increased levels of economic activity, employment creation and a greater understanding of the benefits of LED in general. This action will address the main problem relevant to this study, namely the absence of coordination amongst universities in the Eastern Cape with regard to accredited LED training and research programmes which contributes to a growing number of public officials who lack the necessary qualifications with regard to LED.

Specific Objective:

The specific objective which will contribute to the mobilisation of universities in the Eastern Cape in playing a more active and dynamic role in LED training is the creation of a collaborative mechanism and environment in which the four universities in the province can jointly develop and implement fully accredited LED short courses and academic programmes in order to address the need for a coordinated approach to LED training. The achievement of this objective will also address the secondary problem of a lack of capacity building and training programmes supportive of effective LED service delivery and initiatives in the province. This objective can only be achieved through the establishment of the proposed Eastern Cape (LED) Education Consortium. It is anticipated that the creation of the Eastern Cape (LED) Education Consortium will make a vital contribution to the collaborative development of LED short courses (that articulates into full accredited qualifications) relevant to the improvement of LED capacity on the side of local municipalities.

Expected Results:

The creation (action step) of a collaborative mechanism (EC LED Education Consortium) will create a permanent vehicle (LED Secretariat) at the Nelson Mandela University (Lead Agent) through which LED educational programmes can be developed into coordinated and credible LED-related educational programmes. More specifically it will achieve the following outputs:

1. Create and Institutionalise a Permanent Secretariat which will direct and coordinate LED research and evaluation in order to meet training and capacity-buildinq requirements amongst potential beneficiaries while developing sources of income which will guarantee the long-term sustainability of the Consortium.

2. Establish an LED Education Forum which engages partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries in LED issues such as Local Municipalities (Eastern Cape), the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in order to determine a the LED training and education needs to be addressed.

3. Develop accredited LED short courses (to be offered by the participating universities) which will be accredited in terms of the SAQA standards and which will meet the LED training requirements of local authorities.

4. Develop accredited LED degree qualifications (to be offered by the participating universities) which will be accredited in terms of the SAQA standards and which will meet the LED education requirements of local authorities and individuals.

5. Establish LED Academic Departments within the academic structures of the four institutions linked to the Secretariat.