Establishment
of the National Commission for Science and Technology
Evidence shows clearly that the economic development of a nation is directly related to the level of development in science and technology. The natural resource endowment of a nation is no longer a strong factor in determining the economic development of the nation as the case was before. Consequently, it is essential for Malawi to elevate the role of science and technology in her socio-economic development. To this end a National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) will be established as a key strategy for enhancing both the development and application of science and technology in socio-economic development endeavours of Malawi.
The Commission will be a Government body established by a Science and Technology Act. It shall derive its authority from the Office of the President and Cabinet to ensure that it reaches out to the highest levels and all sectors of economic and social development of the Government.
The general and specific functions of the Commission will be as outlined below.
The Commission shall be the
principal body providing S&T
advice to the Government and other stakeholders on all science and technology
matters in order to achieve a Science and Technology-Led Development Strategy.
2. Specific Functions
Create science and technology
awareness at the political and other levels of society and thereby obtain
their commitment towards the value
of science and technology as integral parts of national development strategies;
Establish
mechanisms to solicit support from the executive and legislative branches
of Government, policy-makers and the private sector in order to
promote the formulation and revision of policies, strategies, laws
and regulations for science and technology and the monitoring of
the implementation
of science
and technology development activities;
Source funding
from within and outside Malawi to finance the national research
and development effort
and allocate the funds to research institutions
based on set priorities;
Chart
out national direction and establish national priorities
in science and technology development in
relation to socio-economic development
needs;
Appraise,
review, monitor and evaluate priority research and
development
programmes, plans and projects of research and development
institutions and undertake independently or in collaboration
with any appropriate
person, body or institution surveys and research investigations
considered necessary;
Promote and advocate for
the development of science and technology human resources by building
capacity in science and technology education
and training programmes and providing assistance in the development
of appropriate science and technology curricula for the various levels
of
the education system;
Create a conducive working
environment for science and technology personnel in order to retain them
and attract those outside Malawi to return
through, inter-alia, providing appropriate science and technology
infrastructures and facilities,
Encourage the use of
local expertise in science and technology matters through use of professional
standards, ethics and guidelines and support
professional science and technology associations;
Encourage
the establishment of research institutions that undertake research
and
development activities,
which promote national socio-economic development and
other specialized research, and development activities in a manner
that
enhances cooperation
and collaboration among national and international
science and technology personnel and institutions;
Organize national science
and technology fairs and open-days so as to promote science and technology
awareness and culture; document, consolidate
and disseminate relevant science and technology information
and promote the role of information and communication technologies;
Promote the transfer of
technology through various methods and training, purchase and licence
agreements and joint venture agreements with foreign
partners, establish and maintain national capacity for
negotiating, monitoring and regulating technology transfer agreements;
Promote and encourage the
patenting and commercialization of research results to enhance economic
diversification, competitiveness and employment
generation;
Promote sustainable socio-economic
development through the generation and application of environmentally
friendly technologies in order to protect
and conserve natural resources;
Develop and synthesize science
and technology indicators covering such aspects as research and development
statistics, bibliometrics, technology
balance of payments statistics, patent data, human
resources and innovation data using internationally accepted procedures
and standards;
Conduct an inquiry into
any matter being investigated by the Commission;
Sponsor such national
and international scientific conferences as it may consider appropriate;
Promote
and maintain cooperation in science
and technology with similar bodies
in other countries and with international bodies connected with
science and technology;
Prepare, every two years,
a State of Science and Technology Report for presentation to the National
Assembly; and
Perform any other function
or activity related to science and technology.
Commissioners, appointed in
accordance with the Science and Technology Act, shall form the body that
will exercise management
and control
of the Commission in a manner that is in common practice in Malawi. The President
of the Republic of Malawi shall appoint a competent and high-level personality
to be the Chairperson of the Commission. The composition of the Commission
shall be broad-based and multi-disciplinary in nature covering the strategic
sectors of the economy. It shall comprise eight members from industry, academia,
R&D institutions or individuals prominent in S&T issues and members of the
civil society.
2. Parliamentary Committee responsible for Science and Technology
There should be a Parliamentary
Committee responsible for Science and Technology whose functions would
be to provide a voice for S&T matters in the National Assembly. The Committee shall ensure that S&T is integrated into the national budget by the time it is approved by Parliament and that S&T is applied in socio-economic development processes of Malawi. The Committee shall also consider the biennial "State of Science and Technology" report
before it is presented to Parliament.
3. Cabinet Committee responsible for Science and Technology
There should be a Cabinet
Committee responsible for Science and Technology whose overall function would
be to monitor the development and application
of science and technology in national development processes. The Committee
shall also preview the "State of Science and Technology" report before it
is sent to Parliament.
4. Director General
A Director General who shall be the Chief Executive and serve as Science and Technology Advisor to the Minister shall head the Commission. In order to ensure that the Director General performs to the high expectations of both the scientific community and the general public, he/she shall be a competent person of high standing in a science and technology field with good management skills and appointed through competitive interviews on a renewable contract of five years based on an agreed set of performance indicators.
5. Secretariat
There shall be a Commission Secretariat which will be headed by the Director General. The Secretariat shall be responsible for implementing the programmes of the Commission and shall perform the following specific functions:
Provide technical and administrative backup
services to the meetings and other functions of the National Commission
for
Science and Technology
and the Sectoral Committees;
Prepare and present to the Commission S&T
programmes for their approval in accordance with the policy provisions
of the Science and Technology Act;
Manage and coordinate S&T funds in accordance
with general and specific directions of the Commission;
Maintain liaison with national and international
agencies that provide financial and technical support for the implementation
of the S&T
policy;
Coordinate all science and technology related
issues in the country;
Prepare annual reports on the progress
made for consideration by the Commission; and
Perform such other
functions assigned by
the Commission from time to time
6. Sectoral Committees
There shall be Sectoral Committees
which shall have direct reporting responsibilities to the Commission through
the
Director General.
The Sectoral Committees shall, among other members, comprise of Science and
Technology Directors who shall be appointed in each relevant Ministry as a
link between the sectoral Ministry and the Commission. The Science and Technology
Directors shall have the overall responsibility of coordinating S&T issues
in their respective Ministries.