Assessment Criteria
Criteria 4: The strategic importance of the role performed by the
individual/team
The project was conceptualised (click here for proposal), designed and led by Professor Paul Webb. He presented the
project proposal (click here for PowerPoint) to the DG Murray Trust in Cape Town in 2009 (click here for acceptance
letter) negotiated with the representative of the Hermann Ohlthaver Trust to focus their support on IT activities in the
participating schools. He facilitated the donation of 120 computers from the Dell Foundation for six schools during an
earlier project. Five of these schools were provided with line of sight Internet connectivity during 2011. A total of over
R4 million was raised for the intervention over three years. Professor Webb promoted the PhD studies and three of
the four master’s studies undertaken. He takes final responsibility for the project.
Vernon Naidoo was the CERTI Project Manager and took responsibility for the administrative and logistical of the
intervention. He was the ‘face’ of the project in schools and the Department of Education. He facilitated all
workshops, meetings, ceremonies, strategic planning sessions, etc., and placed order, booked venues, and made
travel arrangements. He initiated secondary contracts for academic staff members, screened and submitted invoices
from consultants, ensured that all claims were accurate and that payments were made, and collected and collated the
required quarterly reports from all participants.
Viv England was the assistant project manager in terms of the academic side of the intervention. He planned and
executed the general literacy aspects of the programme, managed the mentoring aspects of the action research
activities, and planned and led the strategic planning sessions.
Professor Lesley Wood conceptualised and led the action research aspect of the project. She worked directly with the
teachers and principals and facilitated the action research seminars and feedback sessions. She supervised the
master’s degree study on action research.
Dr André du Plessis trained the teachers in internet and IT use in schools and was the leader in terms of facilitating
line of sight connectivity from NMMU to the participating schools (see newspaper report). The teacher training
programme used emanated from his PhD study on IT in schools that was undertaken during the engagement activities
using the Dell donated computers that preceded this particular project. He has written a number of papers on his
findings (click here), has submitted a number of papers awaiting for feedback (click here) and is the supervisor of a
Uitenhage DoE district office official’s M study on use of laptop computers in schools (2011-2012), another research
project which emanated as a result of his engagement in the project.
Renita Affat of the NMMU Trust has facilitated contact with appropriate donors, chased up payments, monitored the
effects of the programme, and has been a source of encouragement and strength throughout the project.
The partnerships that have developed from this project are primarily with the DoE and other research and
development agencies. Our relationship with the Uitenhage Office of the DoE is particularly gratifying, and the
relationship with the Port Elizabeth district office is solid. International research initiatives have been developed
using our findings (Gothenburg and Uppsala universities in Sweden - scientific literacy and general literacy) and are
being pursued by researchers at Oldenburg University, Germany (scientific literacy and education for sustainable
development). Consultants have been drawn from ex-NMMU academic staff and personnel in schools in Port
Elizabeth. Part of our contract with the DG Murray Trust requires us to disseminate the findings of the project to
departments of education in other provinces in South Africa (which will be done in 2012).