On the relevance of the research undertaken by the Water Research Commission (WRC), the Committee requested clarity on whether the research produced was benefiting anyone apart from the academics who researched and published the research. While there was acknowledgement that the WRC was conducting some work of very high importance to the water sector, the Committee was of the view the WRC needs to increasingly reflect on the overall value of all its research to the South African water sector and determine methods that measure the usefulness of its research outcomes, especially for Government at all levels.