GCRO annual report 08/09

Gauteng City-Region Observatory

Contents

Introduction by GCRO Board Chairperson 2

Introduction 4

Building GCRO 7 ...the Observatory brings Building GCRO 8 innovative and much needed capacity to bear on the task of understanding the cities and Building relationships 10 towns of this dynamic region...

Building indicators 11

Building data infrastructure 12 GCRO Annu a l Rep or t Research Activities 13

1 Introduction by GCRO Board Chairperson Prof , Deputy Vice-, 01 University of

September 2008 saw the launch of an exciting new initiative – the Gauteng City-Region Observatory. The initiative is exciting for two reasons. First, the Observatory represents a grand experiment: a jointly established research centre that stands between the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand, governed by a Board and jointly supported, financially and in kind, by the Gauteng Provincial Government and the two academies. We hope that this experiment will show a vista of other possibilities for collaboration across higher education institutions in our country, and other potential partnerships between government and the academy. GCRO Annu a l Rep or t

2 • As required, provide provincial and local government in the region with direct support on specific short-term research projects that help it come to grips with immediate challenges and opportunities.

• Unlock and help government to access the knowledge that resides in the two founding universities and other higher education institutions. Too often, cutting edge knowledge production with huge latent development potential does not impact practice because decision makers either do not know it is there, or cannot translate it into policy and strategy.

Second, the Gauteng City-Region Observatory brings innovative • Lead on longer-term and large-scale research that builds our base and much needed capacity to bear on the task of understanding the of understanding of spatial, social, economic, environmental and cities and towns of this dynamic region at the heart of . political trends in the region. Direct support to government is an This region, as the driver of the South African economy and the focus important mandate of the Observatory, but it has been proven of aspirations of millions of South Africans, shows enormous potential. again and again that over the longer-term the most important new But it also shows enormous challenges, of unemployment, poverty, knowledge is that from research driven by curiosity, not immediate social inequality and exclusion, crime and social tension, environmental policy needs. degradation, congestion and overcrowding. If the region is to see the hopes of millions realised, not frustrated, government and its partners As this annual report shows, 2008-2009 was a period of start-up for in business, organised civil society and communities, need to be armed the Observatory. A lot has been achieved in a very short period of time with information, analysis and interpretation of what is going on in – from the full establishment of new offices and hiring of new staff, Gauteng, and what is likely to happen in future. through to the initiation of some of the most important work that the Observatory will deliver in the next year, including an OECD Territorial The Observatory has been set up to: Review and a large Quality of Life Survey. As such, 2009-2010 will GCRO Annu a l Rep or t see the Observatory begin to deliver the information, analysis, data • Provide tools for tracking development progress. This is done in visualisations, and mapping Gauteng urgently needs, as well as grow a part through indicators and benchmarks that help decision makers more ambitious agenda of more in-depth research that will take it into understand how things are going compared to similar regions the future. We can be very confident of the base that has been laid this elsewhere; and in part through innovative mapping of trends and year, and we look forward to the interesting and useful results promised dynamics. If we are to better envisage the future of this core region, by this exciting initiative. we need more powerful ways to visualise it.

3 Introduction

The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) was launched in September 2008. However, the Observatory was only operational for 02 four months of the 2008/2009 financial year, once an Executive Director was appointed in December 2008. Although the financial year covered the entire 2008/2009 period, the activity period covered by this Annual Report is, therefore, unavoidably short, and the activities are primarily concerned with building an institution, recruiting staff and the like. Despite this, it is notable that GCRO also initiated (and in some cases completed) significant research initiatives during this time. GCRO Annu a l Rep or t

4  GCRO Launch: Ms Annette Griessel, Mr Dan Matshitisho, Prof Adam Habib, Prof , Mr Sam Shilowa, Prof Ihron Rensburg, Prof Belinda Bozzoli, Prof Peter Alexander and Mr Mogopodi Mokoena. .

The GCRO was publicly launched on 11 September 2008. A the Wits campus. During the period under review, the GCRO made partnership between the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG), significant investments in data infrastructure. This is in preparation University of Johannesburg (UJ) and University of the Witwatersrand, for its future role as a repository and generator of data of the highest Johannesburg (Wits); and with representation from the local sphere on quality and integrity. its Board, GCRO is a highly innovative response to the socio-economic, GCRO Annu a l Rep or t Although launched in September 2008 at Melrose Arch, the Executive cultural, governance, political, growth and other challenges related to Director only began work on the 1st of December 2008, while the Indicator the cluster of cities that makes up the Gauteng city-region (GCR), the Director chose not to take up the position offered to him. As such, economic engine of South and southern Africa. the GCRO office currently (and for the foreseeable short-term future) A generous grant from the GPG has ensured that the GCRO has an comprises an Executive Director, and there is real urgency to secure both attractive and well-equipped set of offices in University Corner on administrative staff to keep the office running, as well as senior research

5 6 GCRO Annual Report indicator area. Core activities thus include developing a set of indicators capacity Specifically, air quality, propertyprices,localbusinesses,etc.. waterquality,population, as such GCRO, the by provided information this accessible making and work; academic best the with associated rigour the with tested been have and standards academic highest the meet that day the of challenges key the on universities both of resources intellectual the bear to bringing with tasked is It centre. research university-based The GCRO is funded by the provincial government but is an independent, for theappointmentofaseniorsystemsmanager. provide policy support to the GPG as required. A similar urgency exists n rsacesaaeis o eeo a ut o plc otos for options policy of government suite a develop to researchers/academics and or confounding the observatories what urban other with working and Third, are. factors supporting does it way the scores GCR the why national units on any of a wide range of indicators. Second, researching sub- of ranking continental) (and world the in stands GCR the where The benefit fromthework oftheGCRO. which government data-sharing agreements. We hope that our analysis will be as useful to legal of framework the within provided be will access but it, requests who anyone to available made be will collate or generate we data The liaison, to GCRO entails the commissioning to to benefit participate is the to as government committed three consider it GCRO is of to key government; citizens in is research if steps. indicator tasked to we officials, openness are who The with to to providing design fill may improve citizens first benchmarking identified and want of and transparency these and performance data to refinement, map knowledge others involves and the their using GCR who in in stakeholder ward measuring all gaps, a

methods globally, need specific we using and do. to to March2009period. 2008 December the in undertaken activities key the on report Wenow and crisis; economic global initiated various otherresearchprojects andprogrammes. the of impact the on colloquium a held GCR; the of survey sample large a commissioned GCR; the of Review Territorial a commissioned Observatory the review, under period the during Director Executive an had only Observatory the though Even Board. GCRO the by approved and Plans Strategic annual in outlined as research, own its conducts that centre research a also is GCRO The much afacilitatoras‘doer’. as is GCRO words, other In GCR. the for agenda research a elaborate will will this years, future In government. in counterparts their with together them put and departments, or people right the identify help to is role GCRO’sThe area. given their in researchers or research provincial academic best and local that portal a the sourcing in assistance for ask to order in governmentapproach can as acts furthermore GCRO The appropriate comparative contexts. for from researchers key with partnerships developing and methodologies measurement, appropriate developing GCR, the measuring for gather be other challenges... governance, political, growth and to the socio-economic, cultural, ...GCRO isahighly innovative response supported together by senior a Research academics Advisory and government Committee officials (RAC), to jointly which Building GCRO 03 GCRO Annu a l Rep or t

7 8 GCRO Annual Report and GCRO the aligning required which Wits, at located is GCRO The like. the and addresses postal lines, fax and connectivity,telephone was as needed, were systems but place, in was infrastructure the – institution Building GCRO Manager, Administrativeand Financial a has GCRO side, administrative the On addition, there are two Senior Researchers, while a third is still needed. and generating analytic outputs – maps, statistical tables and the like. In warehousing,and management data functions, GIS our for responsible is who Manager Systems Senior a and work; related and research all The GCRO has an Executive Director, a Research Director who manages Structure The significant by considerable indicator experience, it was agreed that a senior position senior a that agreed was it experience, has indicator considerable Director Executive incumbent the and indicators, with working and Director Executive an have to was GCRO design, initial the In Board. the by proposed initially multiple that from changed and has structure The task-sharing inputs. on rely do we everything virtually since teamwork, good very on heavily relies and small is organisation The Resource Centre,managedbytheadministrative staff. will notbeelaboratedoninanygreatdetail. the

Wits’ an period Research Indicator

systems and computing under a receptionist/junior Director. Director, (such review power, as Given procurement, but began managed this that with administrator. latter the by the hiring entire the position basics Systems staff research The has of and Manager; office setting been so staff on). replaced includes will up These and an be a  GCRO Organogram filled and advertised was post The preferable. was purview broader a with Annual Report.

Administrative Administrative Administrator Receptionist/ Financial/ Manager in Junior Junior mid-2008, and will be Executive Executive Systems Systems Director Analyst Senior Senior discussed in Researcher 1 Researcher more Senior Senior detail Research Research Director in next Researcher 2 Researcher year’s Senior Senior Staffing Governance

During the period under review, GCRO advertised and (in some cases) The GCRO is overseen by a Board, made up of two representatives interviewed applicants for the following positions: from the University of Johannesburg – Prof Adam Habib, Deputy Vice Chancellor and GCRO Chair, and Professor Peter Alexander; • Finance Manager two representatives from the University of the Witwatersrand, Prof • Senior researchers Belinda Bozzoli, Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research, and deputy chair • Senior Systems Manager of the GCRO Board, and Prof Rob Moore, Deputy Vice Chancellor: • Receptionist/junior administrator Advancement and Partnerships. From the Office of the Premier (OP), Gauteng Provincial Government, Annette Griessel, Deputy Director Over 250 applications were received for these positions, all of which General is joined by Ms Matsie Seritsane; and Mr Dan Matshitisho, were considered, ranked and processed. Ms Haydey Motani provided Municipal Manager: Mogale City, represents the local sphere. invaluable assistance in sorting applications, preparing for interviews, The Board meets up to four times a year. It receives and considers a doing blind tests of receptionist applicants, gathering references, setting Strategic Plan and budget at the beginning of each year, which sets out up interview panels, and making the entire process run smoothly. The the work of the Observatory for the forthcoming 12 months. These in successful applicants took up their positions between April and May turn are guided by an over-arching three-year Strategic Plan. Progress 2009, beyond the period under review. Profiles will appear in the and financial reports are submitted on a quarterly basis. All Strategic 2009/2010 Annual Report. Plans will be available on the GCRO website. The Board also approves senior staff appointments, and all expenditure in excess of R500 000; Web and cell-based analysis items below that ceiling (but above R200 000) require approval of the chair, deputy chair and OP representative. GCRO aims to offer as much of its data and analysis as possible via an interactive website. Citizens should be able to generate maps and The Board and Executive Director are developing governance rules as data about their suburb or ward, using our site. This sounds easy but is the Observatory takes shape, but as a Wits-based Centre governed by GCRO Annu a l Rep or t a complex and expensive task. During the period under review initial a Board, GCRO automatically adheres to all the rules of the University. discussions were held in this regard, and a basic web design went live These cover staff appointment processes, procurement, discipline and in 2009. Our goal is to use both web and cell-phone based technologies grievance procedures, and all the normal human resource, finance, to communicate with and provide services to as many citizens as industrial relations, legal and other functions of this large host institution. possible. This has been a great help: GCRO has not had to invent new rules, but has inherited robust systems.

9 10 GCRO Annual Report Professor that had raised the possibility of a Section 21, or a Trust, or some other form partners beganinDecember, andcontinuein2009. the of advisors legal the and Director Executive the between Meetings twothe across shared universityequally are credits partners. academic all that ensuring thereby GCRO’swork, over say equal partners three Finally, The office falling with representation from the local sphere. GCRO is also a Wits and ‘Centre’, GPG the universities, two the representing Board a by governed Currently,Board. the by agreed and upon is decided GCRO be to form Observatory,which the may take the of form of a status university centre, or legal a Trust, the or some resolving other is GCRO of Board The Legal status unit. (mentioned earlier), and all the normal peripherals needed by a research period, citizens aspossible... with and provide services toasmany phone basedtechnologies tocommunicate ...Our goal istouseboth web and cell- both under including the Belinda satisfied GCRO the Bozzoli. security the office office legalities was of Discussions systems, the equipped of Deputy being significant prior and housed Vice to made the hardware Chancellor: at launch ready Wits of and investments during the Research, gave GCRO this all in Gauteng,andvarious academics fromWits andUJ. Cape departments provincial of the Observatory,range Presidency,Urban a the Enerkey, with meetings held and Academy, Skills Region City- Gauteng the by convened conference a addressed also Director process the of initiated Gauteng the and with (GEDA), meetings Agency of Development series Economic a had also GCRO on. so and discussing with from of functions and roles GCRO the and explore where the Observatory can explain spent add value. These ranged to campuses Director both on Executive academics the review, under considerable period the During necessary a not is output inallinstances. this but partnerships, formal become may these relies on building strong relationships with key partners. In some cases this of all generally,and more urbanisation and GCR the in interested entity any for partner and manager research preferred the be to wants Building relationships datasets, existing analyse) and over (take access to able being on relies GCRO of of city-regions; but also to serve the needs and improve the performance GCRO has been put in place to advance our knowledge and understanding as government the drafting

other attending GCR and possible

observatories borders a time offer MoU in the different meeting value partnership drift that launch into will added at spheres key of a Free govern South the arrangements government to State, those Cape and African our potentially Mpumalanga who Urban relationship. officials Cities with provide Observatory, the multiple Network

as and Enerkey the The well data. North provinces, Executive as function, meeting project, GCRO senior West. public entities and projects (Enerkey, climate change strategy team, etc.); and those commissioned from consultants for the GCR (the CUBES report, a recent report commissioned by GEDA, the G2055 process, and Building indicators so on.). Indicators need to tell us where we want to go and so also have At the heart of GCRO’s work lies our data. This will include statistical, to reflect work that is happening on the ground, whether it has existing GIS and other datasets and types. During the year under review GCRO indicators or not. installed a 15 terabyte data server and we will be responsible for warehousing data that we collect and generate. GCRO will be responsible For indicators to be effective they need to be well designed. Moreover, for accessing data (i.e. proactively seeking it), cleaning, integrating they need to be consensus-based. In other words, a developmental different datasets, GIS mapping, running the statistical package (using process is needed to devise and refine the indicators so that all spheres of SPSS provided as part of the in-kind support from the University of government, partners and stakeholders feel that they own the indicators, Johannesburg) and providing data solutions. We will find, clean, and will in turn take seriously analysis of those indicators once the data merge, run and map data; ensure its integrity; and ensure it remains have been gathered. This is why relationship-building is so critical to clean over time as new data layers are identified, accessed and added. the work of the GCRO. This process side of the indicator work will only There is some value in simply performing this warehousing function, occur once the research staff are on board, in 2009/2010. but we are focused on high-level policy-oriented analysis, and our data and analysis should feed into policy processes in all departments of the GPG and the local sphere.

A core task for 2009 is to build a set of GCR-wide indicators. At one level, this will be an iterative and on-going process, where we gather all existing indicators, see which are best suited to GCR-wide analysis, and ...At the heart of GCRO’s work then explore the availability and quality of data for measuring those lies our data. This will include indicators. These will change – for example, the general election victory statistical, GIS and other of the African National Congress brought new policy priorities to the datasets and types... GCRO Annu a l Rep or t province, including the urban/rural nexus, the need to measure ‘decent work’, and so on.

The GCRO began gathering and analysing municipal/metro/province- wide indicators, as well as the national development indicators used by the Presidency; those used by other institutions (CSIR, DBSA, etc.),

11 12 GCRO Annual Report open-source companies. environment; Wits existing the in operate to has GCRO that fact the by tempered be to has it But onwards. architecture data the from institutions two our across compatibility ensure and try to us allow Observatory.will This Urban Cape the with agreement in are we this On possible. wherever GCRO and meaningfuloutputs. useful into this of all turn to capacity research recruited and data; the infrastructure Building data software data; integrate and clean receive, to capacity with power processing or generated. GCRO, during the period under review, put in place large morph narrative reports, policy options and the like. This is likely to grow and analytic outputs for uptake. This includes GIS maps, statistical datasets, data around agreed indicators, and fed provides is robust that policy system and number-crunching academic large a is GCRO of heart the At to using open source software...... GCRO iscommitted, in the long-term,

over is to committed, map time, is and lagging the as that technology data; in in some the some performed long-term, considerable applications, changes multivariate to and way using such new behind datasets open as statistical mapping private source are analysis identified software, software software of GCRO where possible. collaboration foster rather and universities the between competition or Wits. In this way, GCRO would act as honest broker and try to avoid research City andthe two universities, andshepherding theprocessintobeing. for GEDA over a MoU that would allow GCRO to act as a dedicated portal with discussions into entered review,GCRO under period the During operational untillate2009. the RAC of was approved in the period composition under review, but broad the RAC will not be and function shape, The agenda. research to identify appropriate partners to take forward key components of the GCRO will undertake part of the work, but also use our portal function was Although the outputs fall into the 2009/2010 year, at the workshop GCRO Johannesburg, to reinvigorate its research partnership with UJ and Wits. is proposal a which for RAC the be will partnerships developingA for vehicle key work with. Building partnerships a itself an is GCRO institutions. key to with partnerships building in parallel exercise run will earlier mentioned relationship-building The partnership, a

GEDA, committee asked was agenda was to whenever also facilitate submitted and of for senior asked that the the the ethos academics to to GCR, latter process and attend is working approved reflected require of a and workshop, drafting researchers with research by in how the government a GCRO new called we inputs who work MoU Board. by from will officials. and between the map The either who City out RAC The the we UJ of a Research Activities 04 This aspect of GCRO’s work will primarily fall after the end-March cut- off date for the report, but the points below are intended to illustrate the way we see this occurring over time (more detail will be provided in the January strategic plan for 2009/2010). Key activities that did occur in the four months are outlined below. All will help feed into the first of a series of reports analysing ‘The State of the Gauteng city-region’, which will appear in subsequent years. GCRO Annu a l Rep or t

13 14 GCRO Annual Report f h GR y h Ognsto fr cnmc ooeain and Co-operation Economic for Organisation Development the by GCR the of Review Territorial a of commissioning GCRO’s approved Board The OECD Territorial Review well as literature city-region general more include will This items. these all of database annotated an create and GCR, the to pertaining literature key together gather to Greenberg Stephen Mr commissioned GCRO Review ofGCRliterature and database ots eti dtie bcgon rsac – hc GR will GCRO which – undertake research background detailed entail months, of life. quality competitiveness, as and governance,such participation, public issues, of range wide very a to pertaining issues key on stakeholders areas. The missions allow the key OECD to engage with in local decision-makers and performance improving for recommendations provide will from other parts of the world. This work will culminate in a review that doing. be will GCRO the work the to backdrop critical a provide furthermore by as more city-regions and GCR the of review critical a produce will Greenberg a OECD rank framework as generally. GCR-specific the experts with GCR (OECD). a This will joint

as against well exist material. project UJ/Wits These as all before sector will other team The massive the be experts major material – beneficial staff feeding city-regions projects, join and will into the politicians to be the Observatory. a usually analysed, series in resource the and of world lasting missions officials and Centre It will and Mr 18 s e oe erir al f hs atvte ae oefl standalone powerful are activities projects, these of all earlier, noted we As our work. inputs a baseline dataset step by small step, the Review, while providing policy wide range of variables. Thus, rather than having to incrementally build very a covering dataset, baseline international robust, detailed, a with us provide will government, provincial the of priorities key the with report sequence.  ewe te eiw n te COs w poes f indicator of here process own GCRO’s development, the data collection and analysis is self-evident. and The key issues Review the between The Review will last until either late 2010 or early 2011. The relationship OECD Reviews Territorial Some existing

are for that but government, will the Territorial also feed also into Review, allows the us once ‘State to take tweaked of the a major Gauteng to ensure step city-region’ forward a close fit in

QoL Survey

GCR base OECD date territorial review

State of the GCR Report

  State of the GCR Sample map

The questionnaire, designed in collaboration with local and provincial Quality of Life survey government, and with representatives of both universities, will cover a wide range of issues such as values and attitudes, psycho-social issues, Also part of our data gathering phase – this being the beginning of poverty, demographics, employment status and decent work, health ‘baseline year’ for the GCRO, where we gather key datasets against status, transport patterns, carbon emissions, as well as access to and which the GCR will be measured over successive years - the GCRO Board opinions of a range of government services. In sum, it is a far broader approved the commissioning of a large sample survey to measure the survey than the working title ‘quality of life’ implies. The objectives are quality of life of citizens of the GCR. The sample, at almost 6 000, will to provide a wide-ranging baseline dataset; to allow for multivariate allow detailed analysis at municipal level, as well as analysis in larger analysis, where we commingle demographic with value data (looking,

wards as virtually every ward was sampled. In this way we will be able GCRO Annu a l Rep or t for example, at the impact of poverty or class on values and attitudes); to analyse and report data with measurable accuracy for provincial as to serve different faculties and departments at both Wits and UJ who well as all local municipalities in Gauteng. We will also be providing asked us to include questions of interest to them; to provide faculties, accurate localised analysis for the GCR ‘foot-print’ as it extends to academics and students with free access to a remarkable dataset for their Sasolburg, Rustenburg, Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp, Secunda and own analysis and work; and, finally, to provide a bottom-up analysis Witbank; and to the north-east, where there is little or no economic of the GCR that will naturally complement the top-down perspective activity but a very large population of displaced urban residents.

15 16 GCRO Annual Report Leon LouwoftheFreeMarketFoundation. Dr and Bank Merchant Rand of Gouws Rudolf COSATU, of Mngcina DevelopmentSouthern of Bank Turok,Ben Professor Africa, Simphiwe with speakers of range a with interacted audience ARensburg. large Ihron Professor 2009, still-emerging help organise a colloquium on the nature, causes and impact of the then to GEDA by approached was review,GCRO under period the During Colloquium on the financial crisis instrumental short-term a value. merely not value, academic substantial provide will that data time-series up build to hope we datasets, future available for on-going analysis. And, by commissioning (and gathering) publicly made be will which dataset, remarkable a together put have will GCRO 2010, late way,by this In Review. OECD the by provided which term instrumentalterm value... academic value, not merely ashort- data that will provide substantial ...we hopetobuild up time-series the just was Vice past including opened Chanellors the global end Professor by financial of the the of MEC 2008/2009 Wits, Alan crisis. for Professor Mabin, The Finance, financial event Loyiso Dr Mandla year. itself Neva Nongxa, At was Makgetla the Nkomfe, held colloquium, and in of of along April the UJ, Financial status Coopers (PWC),willbesubmittedasaseparatedocument. Waterhouse Price by audited 2008/2009, for report audited The

Gauteng City-Region Observatory

GCRO (Gauteng City-Region Observatory)

Tel +27 11 717 7280 Fax +27 11 717 7281 Email: [email protected]

Physical Address: Postal Address:

4th Floor University Corner GCRO 11 Jorissen St, Braamfontein, Private Bag 3 Johannesburg, Gauteng, Wits South Africa 2050