Annual Reports

This fifth annual report of the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) provides details of an extensive range of activities during 2018/19. Highlights for the year include:

• The fourth annual GTAC Winter School event, drawing young graduates and professionals together for a week-long engagement with international and local experts on the challenges facing public policy decision-making;
• The Transaction Advisory Services and PPP unit’s assistance to the Department of Public Works to develop the Salvokop development master plan for implementation, management framework and prescinct guidelines;
• The Capital Projects Appraisal unit continued to support the implementation of the Budget Facility for Infrastructure;
• The Technical Consulting business supported 83 projects in the area of economic and social development, including an options report for the City of Johannesburg and Johannesburg Development Agency to incentivise the private supply of affordable rental accommodation in the Johannesburg inner city; and
• The Public Expenditure and Policy Analysis unit conducted provincial training on the Baseline Assessment and Costing of New Policies with an emphasis on the links between policy development and implementation to understand the institutional landscape, cost and budgetary implications of policy choices.

• The third annual GTAC Winter School event, drawing young graduates and professionals together for a week-long engagement with international and local experts on the challenges facing public policy decision-making;
• The PPP unit’s assistance to the Gautrain Management Agency to procure 48 additional passenger couches and the extension of the Rapid Rail system;
• The Capital Projects unit assisted the National Treasury to conceptualise a Budget Facility for Infrastructure;
• The Technical Consulting Services unit supported 80 projects, including the development of a business case for the Port of Saldanha Bay and support to the Depertment of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to create an Aquaculture Development Fund.
• The Public Expenditure and Policy Analysis unit conducted a series of provincial expenditure reviews, providing a platform for testing the methodology beyond the national sphere of government.

• The inaugural Public Economics Winter School, and a new competitive bursary programme for master’s students in economics
• Several projects in the education sector, notably supporting the Department of Higher Education and Training to establish a skills planning unit, and assisting that department to assess the potential for acquiring student accommodation through PPPs
• Conclusive research that there is an economic case for developing a market for compressed natural gas as an alternative transport fuel.

• Completion of the fifth call for proposals of the Jobs Fund, focused on agricultural projects; hosting of another successful Jobs Fund learning forum; and reaching a total of 95 projects in implementation.
• Registration of 14 new transaction support or public- private partnership (PPP) projects, and hosting of six PPP training initiatives under the Public and Municipal Finance Management Acts.
• Assessment of the Moloto Rail feasibility study and the feasibility of imported natural gas for the production of electricity and synthetic fuels.
• Technical and advisory support for 91 projects during the year, and completion of 44 projects.
• Technical and facilitation support for the Mining Industry and Basic Education Phakisa processes.
• Hosting of the annual conference of the Economies of Regions Learning Network and eleven other events of the network.