PLAAS is an Independent Research Institute situated within the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. The Director, Prof Andries du Toit, reports directly to the Dean of the EMS faculty, Prof Michelle Esau. Day-to-day management is done by a small Operational Management team comprised of the Director, the Deputy Director, and the Finance and Admin Manager. The research direction of PLAAS and its policy advice is jointly led by the professors who head up the different research areas at PLAAS. The accountability of the Director and his team is to the PLAAS Advisory Board, a structure chaired by Prof José Frantz, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), which sits once a year.
The PLAAS Advisory Board is comprised of the following members
- Prof José Frantz, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) (Chair)
- Prof Vivienne Lawack, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
- Prof Andries du Toit (PLAAS Director)
- Prof Michelle Esau, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
- Prof Burtram Fielding, Director of Research;
- Emeritus Prof Ben Cousins, PLAAS;
- Prof Alfred Nhema, Director of the School of Government at UWC;
- Prof Julian May, Director of the Centre of Excellence (Food Security) at UWC;
- Prof Maano Ramutsindela, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, UCT
- Prof Mandivamba Rukuni, Baref00t Education for Africa Trust.
- Teresa Yates, National Director of Pro Bono
- Nolundi Luwayo, Director of Land & Accountability Research Centre