Academic Advisors and Bureaucrats in the Policy Process: A Comparative Analysis of Covid-19 Policies in Kenya and South Africa

During the COVID-19 pandemic, both academic advisors and bureaucrats were involved in Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs) or Policy Advisory Systems (PASs) in Kenya and South Africa. Despite the involvement of stakeholders, including community members, interest groups, think tanks, donors, and development partners, the academic advisors and bureaucrats were central – to varying degrees – to the policy design in each country. This study analyzed the nature and scope of the interaction between academic advisors and bureaucrats in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the two countries. The comparative case analysis of Kenya and South Africa revealed significant bureaucratic control over the roles of SACs/PASs’, demonstrating that the extent of government control can greatly influence the nature and scope of engagement between academic advisors and bureaucrats in research, policy analysis, consultancy, and as seconded experts in emergency situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, being internal to the government, bureaucrats dominated the policy processes and invited academic advisors as needed, largely based on an authoritative form of PAS management. There is still much ground to cover regarding the role of academic advisors in the transitional democracies policy process.