Beneficial Technologies projects and work done by the team
Nelson Mandela University: Hydrogen Knowledge Platform and engagement
Project thumbnail | The Nelson Mandela University (NMU) is building a platform for stakeholders and contributors to create, engage and share the information, knowledge and thinking needed to support the optimal development of a green hydrogen sector in the Eastern Cape and beyond. |
Partner/client | Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso and Femke Brandt |
Bentec team | Leila Wesso |
Bentec role | Create content for the development of the Nelson Mandela University Hydrogen Knowledge Platform, support with the organisation and facilitation of an (online) forum for engagement and thought leadership on green hydrogen key themes. |
Time period | April 2024 – ongoing |
Outcome | Content Hydrogen Knowledge Platform for NMU website |
Economic Development Partnership Western Cape: pilot Green Hydrogen Community Development Toolkit
Project thumbnail | Bentec is part of the EDP team of experts that supports project developers in the green hydrogen sector with using the green hydrogen community development toolkit in their community development work. |
Partner/client | Economic Development Partnership (EDP) |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso and Femke Brandt |
Bentec team | |
Bentec role | Provide project developers with training and guidance in the use of the Green Hydrogen Community Development Toolkit, design and conduct research to develop case studies for the toolkit, write an updated toolkit. |
Time period | January 2024 – ongoing |
Outcome | Updated Green Hydrogen Community Development Toolkit |
World Health Organization: design adult learning and engagement activities
Project thumbnail | Bentec provided advisory input on engagement methods for adult learning materials on citizen engagement in evidence-informed policy-making. For the WHO Global Evidence-to-Policy (E2P) Summit we supported with the design of online engagement activities |
Partner/client | World Health Organization – Evidence to policy and impact unit in the Research for Health Department/Science Division |
Bentec lead | Femke Brandt |
Bentec team | Femke Brandt, Dr. Carina van Rooyen |
Bentec role | Advisory input adult learning and engagement methods, develop learning activities, design online engagement activities |
Time period | March 2023 – ongoing |
Outcome | Guide | Citizen engagement in evidence-informed policy making: a guide to mini-publics. |
GIZ: Green Hydrogen community-development toolkit
Project thumbnail | Bentec has developed a green hydrogen community-development toolkit for private and public-sector use in South Africa. |
Partner/client | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) – H2.SA |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso |
Bentec team | Ronald Wesso, Femke Brandt, Ebrahim Takolia |
Bentec role | Research, writing, design community development tools |
Time period | November 2022 – August 2023 |
Outcome | Green Hydrogen Community Development Toolkit |
Stakeholder engagement plan for the SADC Climate Services Centre in Gaborone.
Project thumbnail | Bentec developed a Stakeholder Engagement Plan for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Climate Services Centre in Gaborone, Botswana. This project is part of the SADC Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Application (ClimSA) programme. |
Partner/client | WS Atkins Ltd. |
Bentec lead | Femke Brandt |
Bentec team | Femke Brandt |
Bentec role | Stakeholder engagement consultant |
Time period | August 2022 – ongoing |
Outcome | Stakeholder engagement plan, stakeholder database and management system. |
Just Associates (JASS): popular education and feminist movement building
Project thumbnail | Bentec provides support with the development of popular education materials and processes in support of feminist movement building in Southern Africa, Mesoamerica and SouthEast Asia. |
Partner/client | Just Associates (JASS) |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso |
Bentec team | Ronald Wesso |
Bentec role | Popular education consultant |
Time period | December 2021 – ongoing |
Outcome | Workshops and popular education events |
Case Study booklet Putting People in People’s Parliament: Scaling up inclusive participation in South African Legislatures to enhance democratic oversight (PPiPP)
Project thumbnail | Bentec provided a write up of the project ‘Putting People in People’s Parliament: Scaling up inclusive participation in South African Legislatures to enhance democratic oversight’ (PPiPP) as a case study to test methods for increasing public access to and engagement with legislatures for social justice. |
Partner/client | Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape (UWC) |
Bentec lead | Dr. Femke Brandt |
Bentec team | Ronald Wesso, Sithandiwe Yeni |
Bentec role | Document analysis and writing a popular booklet, online survey, stakeholder interviews. Collaborating with the 5 project partners: Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape (DOI) (coordinator); Heinrich Boell Foundation Southern Africa (HBF); Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG); Public Service Accountability Monitor, RU (PSAM); and Public and Environmental Economic Research Centre, UJ (PEERC) |
Time period | August – November 2021 |
Outcome | Case Study report: A Wedge in Parliaments Door: Putting the ‘People’ in People’s Parliament and guidelines for Civil Society Organisations and legislatures. |
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF): Union Building along the Silk Road
Project thumbnail | Bentec provided research-based knowledge to the ITF to have a better understanding of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and its impact on transport workers and trade unions. The report present findings on Chinese investments in 6 case-study countries; Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Kenya, Thailand and Austria. |
Partner/client | The International Transport Workers’ Federation |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso |
Bentec team | Leonard Gentle, Dr. Femke Brandt |
Bentec role | Context analysis and writing, desktop research, online survey, stakeholder interviews. Recommendations on strategic considerations for union building. |
Time period | August – October 2021 |
Outcome | Research report The Belt and Road Initiative: what are the implications for workers and unions? |
Urgent Action Fund Africa (UAF-A): Water justice for African women
Project thumbnail | Bentec provided Urgent Action Fund Africa with research-based knowledge on water justice struggles in Africa to inform a yearlong water justice campaign across the continent. |
Partner/client | Urgent Action Fund Africa (UAF-A) |
Bentec lead | Sithandiwe Yeni |
Bentec team | Dr. Koni Benson, Dr. Femke Brandt |
Bentec role | Providing a feminist analysis of water struggles in Africa, writing, desktop research, stakeholder interviews. |
Time period | February – April 2021 |
Outcome | Research report Womn and Water in Africa: an overview of Water Justice Struggles and concept note for fundraising to facilitate the implementation of the campaign on water justice for African women. The report is available online here. |
Tekano Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity in South Africa
Project thumbnail | Bentec provided Tekano and the wider Atlantic Fellows community with research-based knowledge on the impact of Covid-19 on health equity in South Africa. Drawing on the research report, Bentec engaged the Tekano staff and board members on strategic considerations around the fellowship’s mandate and programme. |
Partner/client | Tekano Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity in South Africa (AFHESA) |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso |
Bentec team | Dr. Anthea Lesch, Sithandiwe Yeni, Nerisha Baldevu, Dr. Femke Brandt |
Bentec role | Context analysis and writing, desktop research, online survey, stakeholder interviews. Recommendations on strategic considerations. |
Time period | July – October 2020 |
Outcome | Research report, presentation to Tekano staff and Board members, fellowship curriculum recommendations. |
Evaluation of the Eastern Cape Agricultural Economic Transformation Strategy
Project thumbnail | The provincial government of the Eastern Cape contracted a research team to evaluate the outcomes of their strategies to transform agriculture. The government had a particular focus on creating opportunities for black people and women to become commercial farmers. |
Partner/client | Eastern Cape Office of the Premier; Fort Hare Institute for Social and Economic Research |
Bentec lead | Femke Brandt |
Bentec role | General research, policy analysis. Specific focus on gender dynamics. Research presentation and policy recommendations. |
Time period | March – November 2019 |
Outcome | Report presentation to the Premier and members of the provincial executive. |
Research into water justice in South Africa
Project thumbnail | Writing a report of three Water Justice Roundtables that brought more than forty organisations together to develop a people’s plan for water justice. |
Partner/client | Blue Planet Project, Council of Canadians |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso |
Bentec role | Research and writing |
Time period | February – June 2020 |
Outcome | Report |
Training in verbal communication and public speaking for business and economics students
Project thumbnail | Providing a six week comprehensive course of in-person and on-line training in public speaking and verbal communication to business and economics graduate students. |
Partner/client | SUN Academy, University of Amsterdam |
Bentec lead | Femke Brandt |
Bentec role | Trainer |
Time period | On-going |
Outcome | Students develop skills for personal and professional communication. |
Documenting ten years of the Right to Agrarian Reform for Food Sovereignty Campaign
Project thumbnail | Writing a booklet documenting the struggles and campaigns of the Food Sovereignty Campaign. The booklet covered a ten year period from 2008 and a range of issues from land struggles, policy intervention, popular education, feminism and agro-ecology. |
Partner/client | Surplus People Project; Food Sovereignty Campaign |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso |
Bentec role | Research and writing |
Time period | January – May 2020 |
Outcome | Published booklet: Ten years of the Right to Agrarian Reform for Food Sovereignty Campaign |
Researching resistance and organising strategies of farm and labour broker workers
Project thumbnail | A long term, in-depth anthropological study of farm workers in rural areas and labour broker workers in urban areas. The study has a specific focus on the agency of workers as they cope with farm conversions to game farming, the externalisation and fragmentation of labour, securitisation of the workplace, hyper-patriarchy and the distancing of the mainstream trade unions from them. |
Partner/client | Vrije Universiteit; Centre for African Studies, UCT; University of Johannesburg; various academic journals; Brill Publishers |
Bentec lead | Femke Brandt |
Bentec role | Research and writing |
Time period | 2006 – on-going |
Outcome | Phd thesis; various journal articles; book chapters; an edited book |
Deepening knowledge regarding the funders and drivers behind extractive industries
Project thumbnail | Research into extractives industries in Honduras, Zimbabwe and Indonesia to inform and enable greater leverage for women human rights defenders. Developing publicity materials and popular education drawn from the research. |
Partner/client | Count Me In! Consortium |
Bentec lead | Ronald Wesso |
Bentec role | Popular education design consultant |
Time period | May – September 2020 |
Outcome | CMI! Toolkit. Behind the scenes of extractives: money, power and community resistance. |