whythawk ratings: measuring effective development

1.
(Comments)

... we\'re actually busy with a survey in both Johannesburg and Cape Town on precisely these issues. Previous experience is that there is no line between car guarding and trading. What seems to happe...

2. Zimbabwe's Hope Deterred
(Analysis/Analysis)

As America celebrates the Audacity of Hope, Zimbabweans experience is more one of hopelessness. Gerald Mashiri considers Zimbabwe's experiences months after a unity government should have been instal

3. After Conceit: Recovering from the Credit Crunch
(Analysis/Analysis)

...the world people continue to protest and die for the right to self-determination and self-expression. Even an experience of imperfect democracies, as in much of Africa, does not seem to put people off...

4. The Revenge of the Markets
(Analysis/Analysis)

...n right at the most inopportune moment. A recent study by Carmen and Vincent Reinhart analyses the economic experiences of 181 countries from 1980 to 2007. They find that high capital inflows are a...

5. South Ossetia: Russia and Georgia's dangerous game
(Analysis/Analysis)

...ncreasingly dictatorial leader, went on the offensive: "Those who are trying to belittle this invaluable experience, those who desecrate monuments to the heroes of the war, are insulting their ow...

6. Everything gets tested but political ideas, they become policy
(Analysis/Analysis)

...and proof. Yet, there is no debate over policy proposals. Once the ANC decides, it is as good as over. The experiences of those attempting to reduce the scope for damage in both the current health ...

7. Xenophobia and the end of the African Renaissance
(Analysis/Analysis)

...urope and the US. One of the best adverts for choosing one country's investors over another's is the experiences that your friends and relatives have there. Right now, a large number of Sout...

8. Higher food prices mean downgrading that Turkey to a Chicken
(Analysis/Analysis)

... electricity given to all is another reason that energy demand has outstripped supply. The result, as we all experience, is regular shortages. ...

9. Simba the Saviour?
(Analysis/Analysis)

...r of a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Lords in the UK, Dr Makoni is a highly educated man, with rich experience in the field of economics and business consulting. His work experience has been...

10. Searching for objective measures of value
(Analysis/Analysis)

...key gold markets of Greater China, India, the Middle East and Turkey." These are all nations that have experienced long periods of economic growth and their citizens are putting their money in...

11. Black Diamonds and the trouble with statistics
(Analysis/Analysis)

...corrected. Turned out the economy was doing much better than they claimed.  The high interest rates we experienced probably lasted a year longer than they needed to because of these mistakes. ...

12. Ending poverty means abandoning charity and accepting reality
(Analysis/Analysis)

...g that gives wealthy nations and governments legitimacy. Charity used to go directly to aid agencies. After experiences of duplication and astonishing corruption, along with outright incompetence, m...

13. Atlas Shrugged at 50
(Analysis/Analysis)

...is it moral to serve the happiness of others, but not your own? If enjoyment is a value, why is it moral when experienced by others, but immoral when experienced by you? If the sensation of eating a c...

14. The war of informal markets against central states; a bellwether of support
(Analysis/Analysis)

...d at their real value on the informal market further undermining his state. Failed states are less likely to experience catastrophic collapse if they have a large diaspora sending lots of money home....

15. The Trouble with Paradise, or why Pakistan Sucks
(Analysis/Analysis)

...skin to the casual xenophobia which occasionally greets the weary traveller. Most tourists have trouble-free experiences, meeting people grateful for their presence and aware that their daily bread (...

16. "Be sure, we will be watching you," the other GB and the pursuit of social justice
(Analysis/Analysis)

.... And the press, by exposing the stories, resulted in censorship and attack against newspapers. This is the experience of journalists in every country that speak truth to power and embarrass them. ...

17. Suburbanise! How aid and trade obliterate unique cultures
(Analysis/Analysis)

...ty world are being laid right now and the pity is that it is not likely to look very different from the world experienced by suburban Americans and Europeans. Suburbia. Soccer moms, endless commutes,...

18. The efficiency of markets and how protectionism leaves the poor behind
(Analysis/Analysis)

...choice). In both cases, though, the quality of life and working environment improve to a degree never before experienced, except for the super-rich. The sadness is that, instead of feeling satisfied...

19. Do you hate the poor enough to be charitable?
(Analysis/Analysis)

...er wages? Only one solution: they must have more skills. Suddenly the people being hired must have minimum experience and references must be checked. Not only is the absolute number of people empl...

20. Lawrence Lessig, take note: Digital freedom still needs digital responsibility
(Analysis/Analysis)

...  This is disgraceful and shameful.  And Lessig sprang into action.  He lost. South Africa has experienced similar cultural protectionism when the EU refused to trade with us until we r...

21. Jacob's ANC Ladder: the power of the state, the power of the party
(Analysis/Analysis)

...lf to the party. African politics is - like most developing country politics - completely different from that experienced in the developed world.  Liberation politics prevail.  The political...

22. Unlearning helplessness: how donors reinforce poverty and dependency
(Analysis/Analysis)

...39;t. They're poor." There is a condition known as learned helplessness in which a person, through experiences beyond their control, is sensitised to the belief that they can do nothing to ...

23. What market is worth R 100 billion a year and is growing at 10.9%?
(Analysis/Analysis)

...your value-chain be so stark Try and imagine a 25-year-old business graduate having to learn from the 25-year experience of a township trader in order to develop a new market; now imagine ... how will...

24. Leveraging your good name; the power of a positive credit rating
(Analysis/Analysis)

...on you make where you borrow money in advance allows you to develop a credit history.  No doubt you have experienced the frustration of going to a bank and being told, “You have no credit h...

25. Demonstration Enterprise Development Consultant B
(Ratings Demonstration/Demonstration)

...ver, their reliance on these projects to fund their activities necessitates this action. Staff are adequately experienced but the office is under resourced to offer much support for consulting.  ...

26. Demonstration Enterprise Development Consultant A
(Ratings Demonstration/Demonstration)

... subject to an annual audit. Their audit report is listed as "unqualified". Many of their most experienced staff have left however their external consultants have considerable experienc...

27. Demonstration Health HIV / AIDS Orphanage B
(Ratings Demonstration/Demonstration)

...isit the children anymore. Staff are demoralised and there is limited scope for improvement. Many of the most experienced staff have been recruited by the Gauteng Health Department. Doctors are volunt...

28. The US$ 5 trillion market at the bottom of the pyramid
(Analysis/Analysis)

...r who can afford world class products and services.  Even the poorest must be allowed to shape their own experiences, act as a producer and have access to global markets.” By allowing the ...

29. Climate Change: measurement, responsibility and risk
(Analysis/Analysis)

...ic (human) carbon emissions are responsible for global warming. This clash is comparable to Whythawk’s experiences in rating development organisations.  Too often the response has been, &l...

30. The Last King, the Centralised State, and Democracy
(Analysis/Analysis)

...obably be unwatchable, much as the events of the Rwandan genocide had to be softened through the focus on the experiences of one person in “Hotel Rwanda”. For generations youngsters have ...

31. Rating to create a market; questions and answers
(Analysis/Analysis)

...any good?  You can give anything away, but that doesn’t make it useful.  Charities themselves experience this when they go on donation drives.  Old clothes are donated that are so...

32. What happens when they hate you? The impact of charity.
(Analysis/Analysis)

...ution policies, and then expecting people to expend effort developing land that may be taken away before they experience the rewards of that labour; as Zimbabwe does.  It is no good refusing to p...

33. General Scorecard Overview and Summary
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

... Management and Infrastructure: this score aggregates ratings for the appropriateness of qualifications and experience of key staff, as well as suitability of infrastructure of the organisation to d...

34. "On your left is an Orc fighting a Troll" - travels in hyper-reality offer lessons for the poor
(Analysis/Analysis)

Synthravels offers travellers unique experiences by guiding them to destinations that many would never ordinarily visit.  As a business they don’t sound particularly remarkable.  What

35. Western Cape economic development support agencies lack the capacity to halve unemployment
(Analysis/Analysis)

...ns were interviewed and then their clients (the beneficiaries) were sampled to ascertain their views on their experiences. Consultants report a general dissatisfaction with the support they receive f...

36. We're from Mars and we want to help: four lessons in development
(Analysis/Analysis)

...rk their fees off at two years for every one of study in an industry that develops their country Know-how and experience: share the stories of how wealthy nations developed and what was important for ...

37. Enterprise Development and Employment: Experiences in South Africa and South Eastern Europe
(Analysis/Analysis)

...tives in South Africa are modelled on economically advanced nations, with very limited impact. If more of the experiences of regions like the SEE were analysed in South Africa there would be more rele...

38. The Martians Really Care: four points to govern development
(Analysis/Ideas and Challenges)

...atories and universities must have access to this knowledge to study and experiment on their own Know-how and experience: tell us your own stories of how you developed and what was important for that ...

39. The Tyranny of Red Lights
(Analysis/Analysis)

...he convenience of the many.  We limit our freedom to act in exchange for the stability of a safe traffic experience. Laws are like that.  They are intended to create convenience, stability ...

40. May I have the bill, please? A lesson in wilful ignorance ...
(Analysis/Analysis)

...inly there are those who despise their clients but most are genuinely shocked when you have had an unpleasant experience.  Their complaint is usually that they did not know. This is wilful ignor...

41. Africa falling ever further behind, says UN
(Analysis/Analysis)

...hile international inflation is under control, "exceptions include a few countries in Africa, which have experienced a sharp increase in inflation owing to food shortages, currency depreciation a...

42. Enterprise - Ratings and Scorecard overview
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

...e capabilities of the managerial staff; focusing on the individual’s formal education and relevant work experience, combining this score with that of other managerial staff to produce an average...

43. No matter how hard you try bad environments lead to bad results
(Analysis/Analysis)

... labour, low land prices and direct access to the EU.  The Irish diaspora also came home, bringing their experiences of more sophisticated climes with them. The real advantage that Ireland enjoy...

44. How much does a free education cost?
(Analysis/Analysis)

... that can be taught.  It is not a technical skill.  It is something that is earned through fire and experience. Education is not an outcome, it is a process.  The most important skill ...

45. The danger of wanting to believe in the power of good intentions
(Analysis/Analysis)

...and fuzzy but does little for the recipient, who is unlikely to invest it.  This may sound harsh but the experience of most professional development agencies is this: if the poor knew what to do ...

46. Guide To Volunteering
(Analysis/Donation Tips)

...charity achieve its mission? * What tasks am I unable or not willing to do? * What do I hope to gain from the experience?           o Do I want to develop ...

47. Responsibility Reputation Risk - a conference on corporate social investment
(Events/Events)

...ations of impropriety and ruthless exploitation for fear that this will effect business confidence.  The experiences of Nike and Starbucks (amongst many others) has highlighted the difficulties t...

48. Why Use Whythawk
(Static Content)

... the success of any new investment. Corporate social investments should also be seen as opportunities to gain experience in emerging markets and learn about new products and services aimed at the fort...

49. Ratings Methodology
(Static Content)

...d questionnaire assesses the human resource capacity, focusing on the level of education, skills and relevant experience the organisation has at hand. Finally, a random sampling of the organisation...

50. Why Use Whythawk
(Static Content)

... the success of any new investment. Corporate social investments should also be seen as opportunities to gain experience in emerging markets and learn about new products and services aimed at the fort...