The operational plan encapsulates HESA's response to critical issues, opportunities and challenges that are presented by the operating environment. In summary, the critical issues for 2009 include the following:

• Responding to new policy challenges likely to arise as a result of the change in government, particularly after the April 2009 elections.

We anticipate a reversal of some of the current policy positions and an increasing interest on the part of government to have a greater say on institutional matters. The imperative is to protect institutional autonomy while demonstrating greater accountability and responsiveness to national development imperatives. The operational plan gives a strong focus on the advocacy role to positioning the sector through appropriate policy and stakeholder engagement.


• Advocating for effective funding and recapitalisation of the sector in terms of infrastructure development.

There has been over recent years greater government support in terms of additional funding earmarked for infrastructure and efficiency improvements. The block grant funding, the use of which is largely at the discretion of individual institutions, has on the other hand not grown sufficiently in real terms to meet the operational demands of most institutions. The HESA strategy aims influencing the allocation of additional ad hoc funding so that it is done more or less on terms and criteria that are beneficial to the sector as a whole. The operational plan also makes provision for a uniform sector approach to the setting of tuition fees and as well as for the improvement of the third stream income.


• Strengthening the academic capabilities of the sector in the areas of teaching, research and community engagement.

The operational plan makes provision for the implementation of the recommendation of the HESA Board workshop of 11 June 2008, the Funding Strategy Group, and the Research Strategy Group in the improvement of the efficiency of the sector in the areas of teaching, research and community engagement. The focus areas for 2009 are: developing the academic capabilities of institutions with respect to teaching-learning, pedagogy, curriculum and assessment; implementing a plan for development of a new generation of academics with special emphasis on improving the equity profile of the academic labour-force; and engaging relevant stakeholders to to ensure that on one hand the sector's needs and priorities are clearly communicated to the relevant stakeholders and decision makers and that, on the other hand, the sector has a better understanding of how the various stakeholders expect the sector to respond to their plans and expectations.


• Strengthening the HE interface with the schooling and the FET College sectors.

The imperative is the widen access and participation in higher education while responding to the challenges and opportunities presented by the introduction of the new National Senior Certificate as a school exit qualification and the restructuring of the FET College sector accompanied by the introduction of the National Senior Certificate Vocational. The resolution on the statutory locus of the minimum admission function will be very critical for an effective HESA response to this changing operational environment.


• Responding to the globalisation and internationalisation imperatives.

The priority for 2009 is strengthening the sectors engagement in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Academic Forum, the South Africa-Japan Universities (SAJU) Forum, and the continent of Africa.


• Developing a new 5-year Strategic Plan and a sustainable business model for HESA.

The current HESA "Strategic Plan" comes to an end in 2009. The operational environment and contexts have changed significantly since the formation of HESA. The operational plan makes provision for the review of HESA's vision, mission and its business model.