whythawk ratings: measuring effective development

1. Killing the Golden Goose, a lesson in Economic Freedom
(Analysis/Analysis)

...mies are poorer than the poorest people in the most liberal economies. How does South Africa stand in the ratings? Over the past five years our overall score has remained virtually unchanged but our...

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

...els collapsed in anarchy and civil war; when they didn't involve their neighbours as well. A Whythawk Ratings analyst recently spent time in Zimbabwe and can offer insight on what prevents this i...

3. Getting Home in Zimbabwe: The impossibility of public transport
(Analysis/Analysis)

...ted to rise to 1.5 million % by the end of the year, the current fuel price is mere speculation. Whythawk Ratings, which investigates regional development needs as well as emerging market business op...

4. Start your business in Johannesburg but hire your advisor in Cape Town
(Analysis/Analysis)

...n Cape. "This is despite greater opportunities in Gauteng," says Hermann Jeuschenak, Director of Ratings at Whythawk. Gauteng entrepreneurs secure significantly less finance (R 42 000 per bu...

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

... world) people stand by the side of the road waiting for you to park. Then they guard your car. Whythawk Ratings is busy researching the car-guarding industry. Working entirely for tips (the vague ...

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

...you.” Just like jobs, how do you gain experience if no-one will hire you? Banks make use of credit ratings to evaluate your ability to repay them.  The credit history is maintained by var...

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

...B Client Finance Solutions: A Client Investment and Survival Rates: B Link to overview of ratings and scorecard definitions Profile Contact Details Contact Name:  Some Name ...

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

... Client Finance Solutions: BBB Client Investment and Survival Rates: A Link to overview of ratings and scorecard definitions Profile Contact Details Contact Name: Some Name Con...

9. Demonstration Table of Ratings
(Ratings Demonstration/Demonstration)

... grade are advised to do so with caution. Each organisation's specific report, informing their overall ratings, is linked to their names. Where such a link is absent then we are still preparing th...

10. Development organisations need to engage with ratings agencies
(Analysis/Analysis)

...tiny – for development organisations (commercial organisations have been used to this for decades) - ratings. In ordinary commercial operations investors protect themselves and ensure that mana...

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

The Whythawk team is going through an exciting period of growth; rolling out enterprise development ratings in Gauteng, and developing a new model for rating HIV/AIDS organisations, is pushing us hard

12. Lies, damned lies, and curriculum vitae; or why ratings may be the future of education
(Analysis/Analysis)

...ystems are incapable of recognising the learned and acquired abilities of the self-taught. It may be that ratings are the future of trust relationships.  You are far more likely to experiment wi...

13. The best bridge out of poverty is over the future of cash
(Analysis/Analysis)

...with their wealth until systems are in place to track that investment. In this they will be cheered on by ratings agencies such as Whythawk.  Transparency allows for direct and meaningful analys...

14. Mama Jackie - the "Angel of Soweto" - assaults a journalist
(Analysis/Analysis)

... has received numerous letters from NGOs and charities threatening us with legal action for conducting our ratings.  As Maarohanye indicates, charities do not always act in the best interests of ...

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

...not mentioned, subscribers may assume "stable") caution - various factors discovered during the ratings process indicate that the issued rating may be affected; please contact us directly f...

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

Whythawk Ratings (white-hawk), the South African NGO rating firm, has just released their review of the performance of enterprise and small business development consultants in the Western Cape, South

17. Bringing Capital to Small Enterprise
(Analysis/Ideas and Challenges)

...ise development consultants for mentoring the SMMEs – such consultants having been rated by Whythawk Ratings. Again, all CLN holders pay and all SMMEs and CLN holders stand to gain. The approach...

18. How do we prepare nonprofit organisations for the long term?
(Analysis/Analysis)

...hose that demonstrate the capacity and will to deliver on social needs – a process to which Whythawk Ratings aims to contribute through our ratings. The second process is to ensure that skills a...

19. So how exactly do you invest in the Fortune At The Bottom Of The Pyramid?
(Analysis/Analysis)

... starts with research.  Any private company wishing to invest has a plethora of data to call on, from ratings reports on similar companies, to statistical reports on market trends, to specially h...

20. NOW UP: Western Cape Enterprise Development Ratings
(Events/Events)

It is with some pride that the Whythawk team announces the completion of phase 1 of our ratings roll-out.  Six months ago we started development of our first development ratings procedures. 

21. Government rewards the worst schools for poor performance
(Analysis/Analysis)

... education ((vouchers)) directly to learners, rate every school in terms of their performance, issue these ratings to the public and then allow learners to choose their own place of education. If tha...

22. Rating Copyright and Terms of Use
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

Copyright © 2007 by Whythawk Ratings, P.O. Box 551, Sea Point, 8060 Reproduction or retransmission in whole or in part is prohibited except by permission. All rights reserved. All of the informa

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

...not mentioned, subscribers may assume "stable") caution - various factors discovered during the ratings process indicate that the issued rating may be affected; please contact us directly f...

24. A revitalised UN may improve development in Africa
(Analysis/Analysis)

...;1 Note that the Cape Argus articles linked on the conference page were written by Gavin Chait of Whythawk Ratings 2 Whythawk has not rated Kamitei and so expresses no opinion on the effectiveness of ...

25. Investor Orientation for Development Ratings
(Events/Events)

...ing viewpoint in rendering this opinion is that of the investor.  Whythawk’s goal is to provide ratings that embody high-quality and impartial delivery analysis.  No ‘index&rsquo...

26. Investor Orientation
(Events/News)

... opinion on a development organisation's future performance.  Whythawk’s goal is to provide ratings that embody high-quality and impartial delivery analysis. Whythawk evaluates weakness...

27. 12 I want to get ratings information, what must I do?
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

Please have a look at the subscription offer currently available and we will do our utmost to meet your needs.

28. 10 My organisation isn't rated, how do I apply?
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

...ith the details of your organisation. If we are currently rating your sector and region we will send you a ratings guideline and arrange for an appointment to conduct a site visit. If we are not yet r...

29. 9 Why do you need my financials and client list?
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

There are two components to the work of Whythawk. The first is the individual ratings, but the second is the overall structure and trends within the development sector. Financials are used to calculat

30. 8 What should I expect during the ratings process?
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

We have a comprehensive document that will take you through the process. However, we will need the following in addition to the interview: curriculum vitae for all staff (and members of any external b

31. 7 What are all the uses of ratings?
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

... government departments looking for objective data as to the measurable impact of initiatives can find it. Ratings provide a 'real time' and evolving indication of the level, capacity and abil...

32. 3 How does the Whythawk approach differ from other organisations?
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

...t region and sector and investigate them against a standard and objective set of measurements. In this way ratings are against a definite measure of improvement. Our focus is less on the internal work...

33. 1 Why are development ratings necessary?
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

...people wish to offer their time and money to help. The question for all these people is less "why are ratings necessary" than "who will make the best possible use of what I have to offe...

34. 2 What is the difference between 'accreditation' and 'ratings'?
(FAQs/Rating FAQs)

...39;d slow down and be more cautious. The driver in front of you has a habit of causing accidents. Whythawk ratings work in a similar way. Accreditations are 'in' or 'out'. Either you m...

35. Research Reports, eBooks and Ideas
(Static Content)

Whythawk does not only perform ratings. Analysts regularly work on ideas that help to enhance the informal sector and grow investment. The best of these are collated and published here for general dis

36. Unlock the Value in Emerging Markets
(Static Content)

... they emerge into the developed world these companies have significant competitive advantages. Whythawk Ratings offers companies, government programs and donor foundations the unique opportunity to...

37. Get Rated
(Static Content)

...and pushed into areas not their central focus, while other organisations languish in obscurity. Whythawk Ratings offers informal market organisations and companies the unique opportunity to dramatic...

38. Our Analysts
(Static Content)

...rld in which economic development enables all people.  Our most recent product is that of development ratings; begun in June 2006. Gavin Chait - principle analyst Gavin Chait specialises in econo...

39. Terms of Use
(Static Content)

... site, including but not limited to artwork, photographs, graphics, data collections, methods of analysis, ratings, text and trademarks, are the sole property of Whythawk or its licensors. The exclusi...

40. Why Use Whythawk
(Static Content)

...irations, allowing investors greater information in order to make financial decisions.   Whythawk Ratings (white-hawk) advises investors and companies on understanding the informal economy, d...

41. Ratings Subscriptions
(Static Content)

...report outside any of the reviewed sectors (no subscription required):  R 6 475 each for four or more ratings Each sector subscription for each region includes: All ratings reports for all rated...

42. Ratings Methodology
(Static Content)

The rating of individual organisations is based on responses Whythawk Ratings receives from information gathered during an extensive on-site interview as well as from three separate questionnaires des

43. Research Reports, eBooks and Ideas
(Static Content)

Whythawk does not only perform ratings. Analysts regularly work on ideas that help to enhance the informal sector and grow investment. The best of these are collated and published here for general dis

44. Unlock the Value in Emerging Markets
(Static Content)

... they emerge into the developed world these companies have significant competitive advantages. Whythawk Ratings offers companies, government programs and donor foundations the unique opportunity to...

45. Get Rated
(Static Content)

...and pushed into areas not their central focus, while other organisations languish in obscurity. Whythawk Ratings offers informal market organisations and companies the unique opportunity to dramatic...

46. Our Analysts
(Static Content)

...rld in which economic development enables all people.  Our most recent product is that of development ratings; begun in June 2006. Gavin Chait - principle analyst Gavin Chait specialises in econo...

47. Terms of Use
(Static Content)

... site, including but not limited to artwork, photographs, graphics, data collections, methods of analysis, ratings, text and trademarks, are the sole property of Whythawk or its licensors. The exclusi...

48. Why Use Whythawk
(Static Content)

...irations, allowing investors greater information in order to make financial decisions.   Whythawk Ratings (white-hawk) advises investors and companies on understanding the informal economy, d...

49. Ratings Subscriptions
(Static Content)

...report outside any of the reviewed sectors (no subscription required):  R 6 475 each for four or more ratings Each sector subscription for each region includes: All ratings reports for all rated...

50. Ratings Methodology
(Static Content)

The rating of individual organisations is based on responses Whythawk Ratings receives from information gathered during an extensive on-site interview as well as from three separate questionnaires des