Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC) African Training Workshop

3 – 6th February 2020, Durban Botanic Gardens, Durban, South Africa

The EPIC Network | www.epicn.org

Trainers:Sean O’Donoghue EThekwini Municipality and University of KwaZulu-NatalGilbert Siame University of ZambiaEdna Odhiambo University of Nairobi

Mentors:Marc Schlossberg EPIC-N University Mentor, University of Oregon Jessica Barlow EPIC-N University Mentor, San Diego State University Courtney Griesel EPIC-N Community Mentor, Springfield Oregon

EPIC-A Training Workshop Outline: 3 – 6th Feb

Mon, 3rd: Introductions and focusEPIC commitmentSite visitUS Consulate General’s reception

Tue and Wed, 4-5th: EPIC training and ‘just start’Training workshop close

Thu, 6th: EPIC-N and EPIC-A strategic discussions

EPIC-A Training Workshop Outline - Monday 3rd Feb:

Morning session: 09h00: Welcome and introductions09h20: Introduction to the concept10h00: EPIC Africa Journey10h40: Initial Questions11h00: Tea

Midday session: 11h30 EPIC basics13h00 Lunch13h30 Transport to site visit

Afternoon session: 14h30 EPIC Durban Pilot site visit16h30 Transport to Reception19h00 Day close and transport to hotel

● START International: For funding the event, logistics and (hopefully) future collaboration with EPIC-N.

● US Consulate General: Ms Sherry Sykes for hosting us at tonight’s reception and Ms Nombuso Ndumo for support.

● EPIC-N: For supporting the African network, mentoring the trainers, and a massive thank you to Marshall

● Dr Tony Socci (USEPA): For supporting EPIC-N and EPIC-A strategic discussions

● UKZN: For taking a risk on our EPIC Pilot● Climate Protection Branch: particularly Smiso Bhengu for driving

our EPIC pilot and organizing our site visit today, and Lindeka James for her support.

● Our political leaders for their support

Thanks and acknowledgments:

Introducing the EPIC Model and the EPIC Network

Linking Knowledge to Practice

CitiesLimited capacity

Limited access to new knowledge and best practices

Risk averse

UniversitiesExcess capacity

Unlimited access to new knowledge and best practices

Innovation-seeking

Linking Knowledge to Practice

CitiesAged or lack of infrastructure

Changing needs

Risk of innovation

Complex systems

Constrained budgets and shrinking resources

Workforce & brain drain

UniversitiesConnection to communities

Multi-disciplinary projects

Multi-disciplinary collaborations

Real world curriculum

Local context of:

● Community issues

● Local politics

What if we could connect existing university courses to a single city over an academic year to work on critical and vexing projects identified by city staff and do so at a scale that magnifies value for all?

The EPIC Question

Massive scale

No new curricula

Community-identified projects

Inter- and multi-disciplinary

Opt-in by faculty

Fee-based: partner has “skin in the game”

How EPIC is Different

All based on university resources

that already exist

EPIC Disciplines (partial list)- Planning- Architecture- Public Policy- Landscape Arch- Interior Arch- Journalism- Digital Arts

- Product Design- Business- Law- Engineering- Economics- Public Health- Geography

Not Linked to University City

Types of Projects- Economic development- Street retrofits for active transportation- Cost benefit analysis- Community outreach and engagement- Redevelopment analysis and design- Wayfinding analysis and design- Air quality hot spot analysis- Policy and code analysis- Disaster resiliency- And a lot more!

Benefits of the EPIC Model

Benefits to Public Sector

Increase capacity

Get projects ‘unstuck’

Educate future client

Groundwork for projects

Engage community

Test approaches

Connect with university

Benefits to Students

Real world experience / workforce development

Engagement with local government

Sense of purpose

Empower education (skills)

Energy and focus

‘Hard’ and ‘soft’ skills

Benefits to Faculty

Platform for research/outreach

Easier project management

Connect with other disciplines and practitioners

Benefits to Universities

Putting the public in public universities

Building external relationships

University image/visibility

Not Challenges- Faculty Involvement / Interest - Student Buy-in with ‘Real-World’ Issues- Community Buy-In- Cross Disciplinary Interest (from faculty and students)

- Creating Value Add Work (low hanging fruit)

EPIC Africa network and Durban pilot presentationDr Sean O’Donoghue, Senior Manager: Climate Protection Branch,

Mr Smiso Bhengu, Climate Protection Scientist, CPB

EThekwini Municipality (Durban)

EPIC A Training workshop, Durban, 3-6th Feb 2020

• Largest port and city on the east coast of

Africa – planned and managed by eThekwini

Municipality

• Municipal extent: 2 556 km2

• Population: 3.9 million (Highest % of people

living in poverty amongst major metros). 22%

unemployment

• High prevalence of HIV/Aids

• Housing backlog: 387 000 units

• Global biodiversity hotspot

Durban as a case study for Africa:

• Partnership between Municipality and local university – initiated in 2011.

• Implemented through several research programmes:

• Global Environmental Change: Phase 1 (2011-2014); Phase 2 (2016-2018) and Phase 3 (planning to

start 2019 –2021 – will assist with implementation of DCCS).

• Community Reforestation Research Programme: (2014-2017).

• The partnership provides a core inter- and transdisciplinary team through which further research funding

can be leveraged. This includes the NRF’s Community of Practice (2018-2019) and the Wellcome Trust’s

Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems programme (2018-2021). WIOMSA Miji Bora (2019-2021) will

focus on understanding the effectiveness of DAC Hub and Compact exchanges. BRICS Coastal

Adaptation Governance (2018 – 2020) understanding governance in Mnini traditional areas.

• UCCRN – Durban Knowledge Hub and EPIC-A

The Durban Research Action Partnership

EPIC-Africa Network Genesis:

• Bonn/ Cape Town training 2017 – network launched and core

partnerships initiated, web presence

• Nairobi, Durban and Lusaka projects implemented from 2017 –

2019

– Nairobi: 'Place Making Week’ in Luthuli Street

planned by students

– Lusaka: Implementation delayed by untimely passing

of their Mayor, but now the programme is in place

– Durban: pilot programme in the Quarry Road West

Informal Settlement

EPIC A Durban pilot- Implemented by Climate Protection Branch through UKZN under the School of Built

Environment and Development Studies

Achievements• EPIC A students drafted the Disaster Management Plan for one informal

settlement• EPIC A students assisted the community in looking at the impacts of recent floods

within the informal settlement using drone images• Capacity building for early career researchers in mentoring EPIC A students• Participation of other municipal departments, such as Disaster and Risk

Management, Coastal and Stormwater Management, etc.

Challenges• Just starting – difficult to introduce a new concept in both institutions• Organisational burden, but fortunate to get support from NRF• Admin associated with getting students into our City offices

Future Plans• Full EPIC A implementation city wide not in one settlement

EPIC Model in Nairobi (see presentation and video)

Durban EPIC Training Workshop – 03-06/02/2020

Edna Odhiambo

EPIC Model in Lusaka

Name of programme: Lusaka Urban Sustainability Program (LuSP)

Durban EPIC Training Workshop – 03-06/02/2020

Gilbert Siame

Presentation outline

• How we ‘Just Started’ – After training, what next?

• Partnership agreement

• Possible EPIC projects

• EPIC Projects in Lusaka – Wide range of topics

• Mapping Priorities, Power & Risk

• Attributes of EPIC Programme in Lusaka- values

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Lusaka Initiatives - how we 'Just Started’

• City official and academic trained in Epic Model in Bonn – May 2017

• Identification of ‘champions’ and working through institutionalisation processes

• Broader and strategic out reach- University and Municipality

• Restructure existing collaborations to become EPIC Model

• Started small and with the familiar

• Built on existing good will

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Partnership Agreement for Lusaka

• Municipal contribution of about K 250, 000 (US$ 20, 000) per year to support UNZA- LCC EPIC Partnership

• Fund part of annual budget from all departments – workplan to incorporates this

• Emphasis on mutual benefits- Community, local authority and University (Staff and students)

• Knowledge co-creation, co-exploring and innovating for solutions, co-ownership

• Emphasis on role of research and information

• Making good of a public University – Town Clerk is part of the University Council and particular about role of UNZA on Lusaka development

32

Matching priorities and project selection

33

• Generating data and proposals for improved land tenure

• Testing the feasibility of the Lusaka Slum Upgrading and Prevention

Strategy

Part of EPIC Class- 2018 Class, Lusaka

• Integrated solutions that

resonate with

expectations

• Climate / flood

resilience

• People-led Slum

upgrading

• Improvement of Social

services

• Strategic infrastructure

Focusing on what matters

Class of 2019 Project- Focusing on Urban Water Security

• EPIC Model and

the cost reduction effect

• Saving over US$ 100, 000

Civil Society Private

sector, Academia

Kanyama vision

Funding

Partnerships

Infrastructure & Public

amenities

Regulation

Social Procurement

Implementation &

Monitoring

Social Capital

Social Innovation

Advocacy

Monitoring

LED Initiatives

Community charter

Partnerships

Skills & Training

Social Health & Services

Financing

Research

LED

Social Programmes

Advocacy

Mapping priorities, interests, power, partnerships

for community transformation-

2019 Project- Mapping Priorities and Power

Attributes of EPIC Programme in Lusaka

• Self–Supporting

• Careful integration of theory and project courses – 10 courses in total

• Self-Sustaining and continuous improvement

• Leadership and implementation

• Sense of responsibility among partners

• Open lines of communication

• Continuously sharing experiences and learning

• Keeping managers/bosses in the know- University, community and Council

• Challenges exist- assessments, time, timelines and higher workloads for all

Questions/ Discussions

39

EPIC Basics

Project Match-MakingGenerated by both city and university

Iterative

Consider sequential and concurrent courses

Consider different levels of similar discipline

‘Pound the pavement’ / ‘Knock on doors’

Program manager as university/community coordinator

Project ‘Scope of Work’Created by city and university project leaders

Purpose of project/desired outcomes

Responsibilities

Stakeholders

Timelines

Budget

Signatures...

Recipe for SuccessBuy-in from city leadership office and above

Communication between city staff and council

Understanding of city’s needs and students’ capacity to deliver

City must have ‘skin in the game’

University support is key

Funding the Program

Funding models vary across EPIC programs and may vary year to year

Community partner must have ‘skin in the game’

University seed funds are key

Sample funding models

74%

25%

1%

San Diego State U: 2016-17

Partner University Donations

17%

27%55%

1%

San Diego State U: 2019-20

Partner Grant University Donations

Sample funding models

71%

9%

6%

14%

U Oregon

Partner University Donations Grants

20%

20%

17%

26%

17%

UW-Madison

Partner University Donations

Grants Other

Sample funding models

20%

20%

17%

26%

17%

UW-Madison

Partner University Donations

Grants Other

U KwaZulu-Natal

NRF City UKZN Community

The EPIC Model

1. Respects Existing administrative structures & incentives on both sides

2. A genuine Partnership3. Intentionally aims at high-road development4. Projects are Community-identified and -driven and

evaluated on contribution to community5. Multi-discipline and large Numbers (courses,

students, hours)

https://www.epicn.org/whos-in-the-network/

Who’s in the Network

EPIC-N ToolboxSlide For EPIC Africa Workshop

Not to be distributed beyond attendee pairs at the event.

THE EPIC-N TOOLKITTo access the full EPIC-N Toolbox with ALL of the resources available consider joining as a Member Program of EPIC-N. Learn more at www.portal.epicn

Use the link below to access the online EPIC-N Toolkit

http://bit.ly/EPIC-N-Toolkit-2020-SA

Questions and Discussion

Just Start!

Just Start Exercise

- Who?

- What?

- When?

- How?

Just Start!

1. Who?Who are the people (city, community, university) that you need to bring in?

2. What?Identify 3-5 projects (from the city) and 3-5 matching faculty and courses (from the university)

3. When?Propose a timeline for taking the next steps.

4. How?What are the potential opportunities and obstacles?

Asset Mapping• What are the existing programs and initiatives on your campus?

• Who are the key players that manage these initiatives?

• How can you connect with key faculty members and leaders to build buy-in?

• What are your existing relationships with community partners?

Finding key personnel• Who makes formal decisions in your university/community about

the use of funds?

• When the community celebrates, what organization is the first to bring people together?

• In an emergency, where does the community turn and who champions that effort?

• Who leads efforts in education and advocating for the community’s younger generation?

Closing Remarks

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