South African – EU Dialogue workshop

The main outcome of the SA-EU Dialogue is a SA Open Science Cloud (SAOSC) Framework that will lead to the establishment of a SAOSC focused on research, development, and innovation. The Framework should be aligned with the envisaged Open Science Policy (currently under development) led by the DSI; cognisant of the Data and Cloud Policy of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT).
The SAOSC Framework will include a set of policy-based recommendations for the implementation of the South African Open Science Cloud (SAOSC) as part of an Open Science enabling environment. Guidelines and principles on critical aspects such as governance and management, resourcing, policies, monitoring and evaluation, and technologies enabling Open Science will be addressed in this dialogue.
The successful development of the Framework will require broad-based consultations and inputs from stakeholders across the entire National System of Innovation, government departments and the private sector. To facilitate this broad-based consultation, a town-hall stakeholder (including international participants) workshop is planned for 3 February 2022.

The workshop format is envisaged as a one day hybrid workshop comprising an introductory plenary of dignitaries; the DSI context; an EOSC keynote address; and overview presentations on four thematic area by a leading authority in that area.
Simultaneous breakaways will follow, co-ordinated by a facilitator to allow for specialised discussions in each area, with a mix of SA and international presenters, and with a moderator/rapporteur to report back to the final plenary. The breakaway sessions will be structured by a high-level speaker who will be invited to share the current thinking in the international discussion on each thematic area; allowing local lead services to respond to start the debate.

THEMATIC AREAS:

The set of thematic areas that is recommended to focus the discussion at the Workshop are:

(A) GOVERNANCE

• Policy and Legal Frameworks
• Governance model
• Global and local partnership and participation
• Researcher engagement and adoption

(B) TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION

• Platforms and services
• Identity management
• Research software
• Organizational structure

(C) DATA QUALITY

• FAIR metrics
• PID adoption
• Data stewardship

(D) SUSTAINABILITY

• Funding models
• Capacity building and career development