The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) does research into the constraints to effective governance, underlining the importance of institutions and institution-building.
PARI generates high quality academic research to better understand the drivers of institutional performance, and present informed and realistic solutions based on our research, in the form of publications, media content, seminars, workshops, conferences and academic curricula.
PARI works with change agents across the public service and civil society to improve the implementation of policies provides unique insights into the effectiveness of service delivery, infrastructure, state performance and state society relations. The institute studies the state and the relation between the state and society in order to advocate for improved institutional design and performance for better policy implementation to benefit impoverished and marginalised people i.e., those who need the state the most.
PARI works inside departments and agencies across government, and collaborations with other organisations in the country and the global South provide unique insights into state performance and state-society relations.
PARI’s work is currently focused in the following programmes: Land Governance, State Reform, Local Government, Energy and Society, and Compact – municipal planning, participation and accountability
PARI was founded in May 2010 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.