Partnering Blog

Partnership Implementation Model (PIM) for the Just Energy Transition: A Strategy for Collective Impact 

Simon Mayson

At the heart of the Economic Development Partnership (EDP) lies a commitment to driving social and economic development in South Africa through effective partnerships: ‘partnering for impact. This mission involves working closely with government, the private sector, civil society, and development partners to prioritise sustainable transformation. A significant milestone in this journey was the creation of the Partnership Implementation Model (PIM) in 2023, spearheaded by Dr Notiswa Libala, Prof. Andrew Boraine, and Jessica Wilson. The PIM embodies a strategic approach to overcoming implementation challenges in South Africa, offering tools to enhance delivery processes, build trust, and achieve improved development outcomes. 

The PIM Approach: A Strategy for Implementation 

The essence of the PIM is captured in its threefold approach: initiating action, reaching consensus among stakeholders, and developing actionable plans for the near future. It’s designed to cultivate the necessary capabilities across various sectors—state, market, community, civil society, labour, science, and academia—to collaboratively address complex challenges. Unlike traditional implementation plans, the PIM serves as a strategy, focusing on the ‘who’ and ‘how’ of collaboration rather than the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ of traditional plan design. 

Key Features of the PIM 

  1. Systems Approach: Regular analyses of systems and stakeholders are integral to the PIM, fostering an understanding of how different parts of the system are connected. 
  2. Active Citizen Engagement: Moving beyond the “state-client” model, the PIM envisions citizens as planners and implementers, involved in their development. 
  3. Common Agenda for Joint Action: It emphasises a practical common agenda for joint action, helping stakeholders to work together despite differences. 
  4. Action-Oriented Approach: Trust and mutual accountability are best built through action, encouraging stakeholders to work together on agreed issues, rather than simply talk about them. 
  5. Focused Effort: Effective partnering targets specific needs and issues, avoiding the dilution of efforts across too broad a spectrum. 
  6. Place-Making Perspective: It promotes partnering for placemaking, at different scales – neighbourhood, village, town, city, region, etc. 
  7. Adaptive Programming and Delivery: It replaces rigid plans with adaptable approaches, focusing on collaboration, learning, and adaptation, or ‘learning by doing’. 
  8. Collaborative Intermediary Organisations (CIOs): CIOs and independent partnering platforms play a critical role in facilitating collaboration in low-trust, low-agreement settings. 
  9. Relationship Strengthening: A core focus is building strong, collaborative relationships across all levels of government, sectors, and institutions. 
  10. Implementation Strategy: The PIM integrates into the overarching strategy, detailing collaborative methods at the core of the Just Transition rather than outlining separate processes. 

The Social Employment Fund: A Model of Collaborative Impact in South Africa 

The Social Employment Fund (SEF), a Presidential employment initiative, serves as a compelling case study in employing the Partnership Implementation Model (PIM) principles for social and economic development in South Africa. Launched in 2022, the SEF aims to create public employment opportunities that deliver social value across communities, engaging 28 civil society organisations (Strategic Implementing Partners or SIPs) across all nine provinces. These organisations work in collaboration with grassroots and community-based partners to recruit and train unemployed individuals to deliver social value in various sectors such as education, environmental sustainability, and community safety. This initiative not only multiplies social value in communities by scaling delivery programmes but also exemplifies a successful collaborative partnership model. Through blending public sector funding with resources from SIPs, private donors, and community contributions, the SEF showcases how focussed, action-oriented approaches can effectively mobilise societal change and drive substantial impact in addressing unemployment and enhancing community resilience. 

PIM in Action: Driving the Just Energy Transition 

The Just Energy Transition stands as a prime example of the PIM’s application. Organisations such as Impact Catalyst, backed by Anglo American, the CSIR, Exxaro, and World Vision South Africa, utilise the PIM to foster public-private partnerships aimed at socio-economic development on a large scale. Despite successes, challenges remain, particularly in coordinating local efforts to involve communities in decision-making processes. Efforts in Komati, Nelson Mandela Bay, and eThekwini highlight the ongoing need for focused implementation of the PIM approach to ensure inclusive and effective transitions. 

The PIM’s strategic focus on collaboration, action, and adaptability provides a robust framework for tackling the multifaceted challenges of economic development and energy transition in South Africa. By prioritising relationships, engagement, and a shared agenda, the PIM sets the stage for a more cohesive and impactful approach to achieving sustainable development goals.