Thought Leadership Archives - Page 11 of 14

Matric results: time to take a sustainable approach

At the beginning of each year, the country’s attention is directed towards the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results. Much of the discussion is typically about the success and/or failure of Government to provide quality education for our children. However, Government is not the only stakeholder that has a critical role to play. Private social investors can – and should – also contribute to this national priority in constructive ways.

A case for social impact bonds: critical learnings for potential stakeholders

In 2015/16, one of Tshikululu’s clients approved funding towards the establishment of a pay-for performance platform (or social impact bond) in partnership with a provincial Department of Health (DoH). The focus of this bond was funding home-visits to mothers and children in the first 1 000 days of the child’s life. This was to ensure pregnant women gave birth without complication and raise children that are well nourished, healthy and developmentally on track.

Establishing an Impact Measurement and Management culture

Impact Measurement and Management (IMM) is defined as the process whereby impact investors understand the effects of their investments on people and the planet, and set goals to adapt processes and improve outcomes. IMM has gained wide traction in the impact investing space, as the sector has grown in sophistication and experience. Establishing a strong IMM culture not only allows an investor to measure financial and social return on investment, but more importantly to do so in a responsible manner.

Top lessons learnt for social investors’ COVID-19 response

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE A SERIOUS SOCIAL INVESTOR

Unpacking the diverse yet vital social investment landscape in SA. Far more than being a ‘nice to have’, fulfilling a public relations exercise to increase positive brand awareness or ensuring compliance with certain legal requirements, social investment has come to embody so much more.

Celebrating the class of 2020

The impact of Covid-19 on the education sector will reverberate for years to come. A study from RESEP showed that learners lost between 25-57% of contact teaching due to the pandemic in 2020. Of course, the closure of schools during this period brought to the fore the levels of inequality within our schooling system as well. Well-resourced schools – private as well as quintiles 4 and 5 schools – were able to switch to online learning in one form or another, while the vast majority of schools – primarily those in quintiles 1 to 3 – simply shut down altogether. And the challenges of Covid-19 must be understood in the general issues within the system at the best of times.

Measuring metrics that matter

How do we know if progress is being made in social development interventions that we are implementing? How do we know if our education, health or livelihoods programme is making a change in the country? These questions are the critical ones when we want to measure impact.

Leveraging off Covid – is there a silver lining for Education?

2020 was a nightmare year for almost all sectors of the economy, and education was certainly not spared the onslaught. It is against this backdrop that we are allowing ourselves to consider if the Covid-19 cloud may have created a unique silver lining for the country.

Future of Social Investments: Livelihoods

Tshikululu Social Investments is dedicating time and resources to critically think about the Future of Social Investments. As part of this, it will be releasing a series of thought pieces for the rest of 2020 around the Future of Social Investing, with the express purpose of driving discussion in the space and to help inform our own strategies and work.

Incorrect PIRLS Finding Points to Urgent Areas for Support in Education

On Sunday, 25 October the Sunday Times reported that education economist Prof. Martin Gustafsson had uncovered a fundamental error in the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) data for South Africa. The PIRLS had initially found that there was no improvement in grade 4 reading levels in South Africa between 2011 and 2016. Gustafsson found this to be incorrect.

Top lessons learnt for social investors’ COVID-19 response

At the best of times, South Africa has massive need for impactful social investment and NPO delivery. The critical role they play in resolving the challenges and inequalities within society has been exponentially amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic.