The Statistics Act (No. 6 of 1999) requires of the Statistician General (SG) to coordinate statistical production beyond the confines of Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has fully supported this intent, producing on an annual basis the National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D Survey). As such, the DST has become a model for the type of functional and activity based relationship required to assist other partners of the National Statistics System (NSS) in contributing to the body of official statistics.