Project Report: Design and development of a South African Science Communication Skills Development Competency Model (SCSDCM)

This Science Communication Skills Development Competency Model (SCSDCM) provides a systemic professional development scaffold and gap-analysis tool to identify skill mismatches within a contextually appropriate and reflexive framework to guide policy implementation. The model therefore presents an opportunity to harness South Africa’s maturing SciCom ecosystem to address existing policy-practice gaps. Through defined skills and evidence-informed career progression pathways, the model highlights the elements required to meet South Africa’s SciCom policy ambitions. Key research questions include 1) identifying communication skill areas; 2) modelling the training needs of communicators; 3) assessing how these differ between scientists and SciCom intermediaries; and 4) understanding how the development of a SCSDCM could shift South Africa away from deficit-model approaches. The research informed six strategic recommendations to influence the SCSDCM implementation. The model should 1) be formally integrated into National SciCom policy and implementation frameworks; 2) be embedded into teaching environments to inform learning opportunities; 3) promote the establishment of a Science Communicators Network and CPD programmes to promote continued education among mid-career and senior communicators; 4) be supported by institutional funding mechanisms, 5) include incentivisation structures aligned to meaningfully reward SciCom activities; and 6) measurable indicators should be developed to track the SCSDCM impact and inform ongoing policy and model updates.