About the IICD
The IICD is focused on the upliftment of communities, sustainable economic development, and inclusive well-being by promoting multi-sector co-responsibility and collaboration as a means to achieve real and lasting development.
The IICD adheres to the principals set out by the work of Prof. Deon Pretorius in the field of Morphogenetic Development. This work provides the structure through which the IICD views the structure of societies and how best sustainable development can be achieved, inequality eliminated, and inclusive well-being achieved.
The Morphogenetic Approach
Our guiding philosophy
The Morphogenetic Approach to Societal Development is an approach developed by Prof. Deon Pretorius for the purposes of promoting societal development on the context of developing societies like South Africa. It is based on the Morphogenetic Theory, an approach to analysing social systems, developed by the British Sociologist Margaret Archer.
Our Team
The talented team behind the IICD
Prof. Deon Pretorius
Managing Director
Deon Pretorius is the founder and managing director of the IICD. He is a respected expert in social development with a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Warwick in the UK.
Grant Hancock
Director
Grant Hancock is a co-founder and director of the IICD. Grant is development economist with over 10 years of experience working across Southern Africa. Grant has a B.Com. Hons. degree in Economics.
Theo Bezuidenhout
Director
Theo Bezuidenhout is a co-founder and director of the IICD. Theo has a Masters degree in Sociology and is an expert in social facilitation, conflict resolution, and working in challenging development environments.
Ongama Mtimka
Director
Ongama Mtimka has an extensive work experience in industrial development, local government, community and small business development, and higher education. He holds a bachelor of arts from Rhodes University and MPhil in SA Politics and Political Economy from Nelson Mandela University.
The origins of the IICD
The International Institute for Collaborative Development has emerged from the life work of Prof. Deon Pretorius in the field of Social Development.
Morphogenetic Approach to Development
Prof. Deon Pretorius completed his Phd. in Sociology under the tutelage of British Sociologist Prof. Margaret Archer, famous for her work on topic of Social Morphogenesis.
This was the starting point of Prof. Pretorius’s work looking at social change further investigating the interplay between structure, agency, and culture, and how the use of the Morphogenetic Approach could be applied in social & economic development, particularly in the context of the developing world.
International Experience
Prof Pretorius’ work has taken far afield, working in a diverse range of countries and contexts. These include time spent in Seattle working with foreign partners and first-Nation tribes to address social development in rural areas, and pioneering work in Sweden working with the City of Gothenburg to research social inequality and develop systems to monitor and address social development issues.
Recently, Prof Pretorius was appointed by the Swedish International Centre for Local Development (ICLD) as a mentor for their Local Governance development program in Southern Africa.
Founding of the IICD
The IICD was founded as a vehicle to carry forward the message of collaboration and the need multi-sector co-responsibility, to develop leadership skills and skills for collaborative development, and to more efficiently assist communities and organizations across the developing world to develop robust approaches to address structural inequality and achieve a state of inclusive well-being.
The IICD incorporates the lessons learned across the breadth of Prof. Pretorius’ career, including those learned in collaborative organizations such as the SRVC
Development Partners
Prof. Pretorius founded Development Partners, a consultancy firm providing a range of research and practical services aimed at building a better understanding of social and economic development issues, developing concrete strategies for development, and guiding public sector and private sector organizations on how best to undertake the task of social and economic development.
Collaborative Approach to Development
After a period of turmoil in the community of the Sundays River Valley Municipality in South Africa, Prof. Pretorius was invited to assist with conflict resolution and to establish a platform for constructive dialogue between the different sectors of society. What emerged was a community initiated organization, The Sundays River Valley Collaborative (SRVC); built on collaboration and the ideals of multi-sector co-responsibility in which the community collectively take responsibility for the undesirable status quo and work towards addressing social and economic inequality in a sustainable way.