Evaluation of the Southern and Eastern Africa Regional Centre for ...

− The dissertations and the research shows some solutions are there for mostAfrican countries. The Centre should identify most of the findings that couldbe used within the countries. Perhaps the Board could be more involved toknow how such work has been helping or otherwise.− The Centre should enrol more men as men tend to be gate keepers− A name change to reflect gender rather than women’s law− The Centre could use alumnae to put issues on agenda- linking research toalumnae− Better coordination of research to take this into policy and advocacy− Not enough interaction with civil society- to generate new theory− Not enough interaction with government− More staff would enable more write up and public platforms− Need audit of laws− ‘If Centre has more time it can be more strategic’− Students themselves could push the Alumnae networks, but we could put therelevant students together-if for instance, with Ministry of Justice- we couldplay a more active role in facilitating that process (Amy Tsang, Centre).− The Centre could monitor and look at for instance, the police or whathappened in the courts and reflect on this.− Opportunities - how do we make use of the data that we have?− We have not addressed the issue of dissemination a lot in the board/colloquia(Regional Advisory Board - see later).Whether these are realistic suggestions must be gauged in the context of the existingfunding structure, and indeed, that the Centre’s activities having been conceptualisedand operationalized for over 20 years first and foremost as an academic course. TheCentre also drew attention –given current staffing and funding- to an inevitable tradeoff that would occur between enhanced outreach and the academic quality it hasachieved. The Centre also cautions that a more proactive role may also undermineacademic independence. These are all very valid concerns. Nonetheless, there may beissues and areas that are feasible for a greater role for Centre involvement.3.6.2 Strategy, communication and informationIn adjudicating such calls for a more strategic focus for the Centre as a whole, onedoes need to bear in mind resource constraints. Nonetheless, it would appear highlyappropriate to ask how the Centre responds to such challenges through its strategicplanning and communication. The Centre has no separate strategy document apartfrom the project document that it submits to the RNE before each new fundingperiod. There does not appear to be an information or communication strategy. Inresponse to questions about how the Centre priorities its ‘outreach’ functions, theDirector suggested that the staff always talk together. Though this may well be thecase, there is no strategic decision making document regarding what types ofinvolvement the staff should prioritise; they tend to react as issues come up. Withthree teaching staff, this may be deemed adequate and a natural response. However,39