The Centre for Social Sciences Research (CSSR) and the  Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa  (IDCPPA) at the University of Cape Town invite you to join us for a lunchtime seminar on 9 June 2026 at 12:45pm. The seminar will be presented by Carly Katzef.

About the Seminar:

PhD Proposal: Implementing digital parenting support: Exploring caregiver engagement, healthcare provider promotion, and sustainable systems integration in South Africa

The proposed PhD research is nested within the SWIFT Study. The overarching aims are to a) understand the factors that influence parent and caregiver engagement with digital parenting interventions, and b) explore pathways of sustainable integration of these interventions into routine government practice. The research comprises four interconnected objectives that systematically trace the implementation pathway. 

Objective 1 will identify the individual, contextual, and service-related factors associated with caregivers' initiation of the ParentText programme. Objective 2 will examine the individual, contextual and programme-related factors associated with caregivers' engagement and sustained participation in ParentText.  Objective 3 will explore clinic staff perspectives on the feasibility, acceptability and sustainability of integrating the ParentText programme into routine health services delivery. Objective 4 will co-design a Theory of Change that provides a roadmap for sustainable implementation of digital parenting support at scale.

This PhD aims to tackle key gaps in the current literature, including limited MIC evidence on feasibility and impact, inconsistent focus on key digital engagement outcomes such as uptake and sustained participation, and underexplored processes for embedding interventions in under-resourced public health services.

Speakers

Carly Katzef is currently Research Project Manager and a Co-investigator on the SWIFT Study (Supporting Wellness through Integrated Family Training) which aims to integrate digital parenting support within routine service delivery in South Africa. She is a doctoral candidate at the Alan J. Flischer Centre for Public Mental Health, holding an MPhil in Public Policy & Honours in Psychology.

  9 June 2026
  12:45 - 14:00 SAST
  CSSR Seminar Room, 4.29, Robert Leslie Social Sciences Building, UCT

Hosted by the Centre for Social Science Research and the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa