Okhantu's Transparency Scores help you evaluate government entities before investing time in their tenders. The scores synthesize public data on procurement practices, deviations, payment behavior, and audit outcomes to give you a quick read on how an entity operates.
Who This Is For
- SMEs evaluating whether to bid on a tender
- Businesses performing due diligence on buyers
- Researchers analyzing procurement patterns
- Civil society monitoring government accountability
What Are Transparency Scores?
Transparency scores are numerical ratings (0-100) that summarize an entity's procurement practices based on publicly available data. They answer the question: "How likely is this entity to follow the rules and pay on time?"
Scores are calculated for:
- National departments
- Provincial departments
- Municipalities (metros, local, district)
- State-owned enterprises
- Constitutional institutions
How Scores Are Calculated
Transparency scores are based on publicly available data sources:
- Auditor-General reports: Audit outcomes and findings
- Treasury deviation reports: Deviation frequency and approvals
- Treasury in-year monitoring: Payment performance
- Annual reports: SCM disclosures
- Court records: Procurement litigation
Score Components
The overall score is composed of weighted sub-scores:
| Component | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Outcome | 25% | AG audit opinion (clean, unqualified, qualified, adverse) |
| Deviation Rate | 20% | Percentage of procurement via deviations |
| Payment Performance | 25% | Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days |
| Irregular Expenditure | 15% | Amount of irregular expenditure flagged |
| Tender Compliance | 15% | Compliance with tender advertising requirements |
Interpreting the Scores
Here's what different score ranges typically indicate:
High Scores (70-100)
- Generally follows procurement rules
- Usually pays on time
- Low deviation rate
- Clean or unqualified audit opinions
Bidding implication: Lower risk. Worth investing time in their tenders.
Medium Scores (40-69)
- Some compliance issues but not systemic
- Payment may occasionally be delayed
- Moderate deviation rate
- Qualified audit opinions or findings
Bidding implication: Moderate risk. Proceed with eyes open. Build in payment contingencies.
Low Scores (0-39)
- Significant compliance problems
- Payment delays are common
- High deviation rate or repeated deviations
- Adverse or disclaimed audit opinions
Bidding implication: High risk. Consider whether the opportunity is worth the risk. Factor potential delays and disputes into your pricing.
Using Scores for Due Diligence
Bid/No-Bid Decisions
Use transparency scores as one factor in deciding whether to bid:
- Check the entity's transparency score
- Review the underlying data (deviations, payment, audits)
- Consider the contract value vs. your bid preparation costs
- Assess your ability to absorb payment delays
- Decide whether the opportunity justifies the risk
Risk Assessment
For entities with lower scores, consider:
- Payment terms: Request advance payment or milestone payments
- Pricing: Factor in financing costs for delayed payment
- Documentation: Keep meticulous records
- Relationships: Build rapport with finance department
Limitations of Scores
Transparency scores are useful but have limitations:
- Historical data: Based on past performance, not predictions
- Lag: AG audits are published months after year-end
- Context: Scores don't capture recent changes in leadership
- Granularity: Entity-level scores may not reflect specific units
- Incomplete data: Some entities don't publish all required data
Accessing the Dashboard
View transparency scores in Okhantu's Transparency Dashboard:
- Navigate to Intelligence → Transparency
- Search for an entity by name or select from the list
- View overall score and component breakdown
- Explore underlying data (deviations, audits, etc.)
- Compare entities in your sector or region
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are scores updated?
Scores are updated as new data becomes available. Treasury payment data is quarterly; AG audits are annual. We aim to update within 2 weeks of new data publication.
Can an entity challenge its score?
Yes. Entities can contact us with corrections or additional context. We review all feedback and update scores if warranted by evidence.
Should I never bid on low-score entities?
Not necessarily. Some of the largest contracts are from lower-scoring entities. Use the score for risk assessment, not as a binary decision rule.
Where does the data come from?
All data is from official public sources: National Treasury, Auditor-General, entity annual reports, and government publications. We aggregate and analyze publicly available information.
Next Steps
Explore transparency tools:
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