In this opinion article, Bongani Mankewu explores the factors that could improve District Development Model outcomes. Policy is a product of science and politics. This structural definition borrows from the fundamental work of Francis Bacon (1974) and appreciates that while the utilization of science will be undermined by politics, a policy ought to regardless be driven mainly by science. Consequently, for the District Development Model (DDM) to be significant, it should fundamentally be driven by science.