Government Market Research in South Africa

Government Market Research

Government clients need evidence that holds up under parliamentary scrutiny, media interrogation, and civil society challenge — not slide decks that repeat the minister's talking points. Meraki Research supports national departments, provincial administrations, and statutory bodies across South Africa with research that withstands PFMA audit trails and Auditor-General review. We translate policy questions into measurable outcomes, then build the evidence base that lets officials defend decisions publicly.

Why Government Research Matters

• Departments commissioning research under SCM Regulation 32 need documented methodology, provenance, and independence — our files are built for AGSA sampling from day one
• Policy proposals that reach Cabinet Memoranda require socio-economic impact assessments (SEIAS) grounded in data, not assumption, and we structure findings to slot directly into the SEIAS template
• Treasury's shift to performance-based budgeting means every programme must evidence outcomes — generic dashboards will not satisfy the Estimates of National Expenditure process
• Constitutional Court and Public Protector precedent has raised the bar for rationality review, so administrative decisions need a documented evidentiary record
• Public participation under Section 195 is not optional, and research designs must build in representative engagement from the outset

Our Government Research Services

Socio-economic impact assessments

SEIAS Phase 1 and 2 studies that meet DPME guidelines, covering options analysis, cost-benefit modelling, and unintended consequence mapping for draft Bills, regulations, and White Papers.

Programme evaluation under DPME framework

Implementation, outcome, and economic evaluations aligned to the National Evaluation Policy Framework, with theory of change workshops and evaluation plans cleared by departmental evaluation units.

Policy research and green paper development

Comparative jurisdictional scans, stakeholder consultation, and options papers that give directors-general defensible grounds for recommending a policy position to the Minister.

Public opinion and citizen satisfaction research

Nationally representative surveys on service delivery, trust in institutions, and perceptions of reform — weighted to Stats SA census benchmarks and disaggregated by province and quintile.

Regulatory impact analysis

RIA studies that quantify compliance costs, administrative burden, and competition effects, compliant with the Presidency's Guidelines for the Implementation of the SEIAS System.

Ministerial briefing packs and research notes

Short-form, high-density briefings on emerging issues, drafted to the cadence of parliamentary portfolio committees and departmental media engagements.

How We Approach Research in This Sector

Government engagements begin with a scoping note that locks down the decision the research must inform, the statutory instrument it will feed, and the officials who will defend the findings. We design for independence — fieldwork teams, analysts, and authorship lines are disclosed upfront — and we version-control every draft so that AGSA or Public Protector queries can be answered without reconstruction. Draft findings are workshopped with departmental evaluation units before Cabinet-level circulation.

Why Choose Meraki Research for Government?

• Johannesburg base with working relationships across DPME, National Treasury GTAC, and provincial policy units
• Senior researchers with public-service backgrounds who understand the difference between a Cabinet Memorandum and a portfolio committee submission
• Methodology notes written to withstand AGSA performance audit sampling and Public Protector document requests
• Turnaround aligned to the parliamentary calendar, SONA cycle, and MTEF budget windows — not a generic consulting clock

What We Deliver