Our MISSION

"GQR" is deploying a multi-dimensional Auditor and "Governance Quality Rating" leveraging Artificial Intelligence/Big Data. By providing an independent and globally visible rating of entity governance and auditor quality, GQR will help to improve the accountability and trust environment in emerging and frontier markets. The innovative GQR rating approach is multi-dimensional and cross-border, providing:

• an entity-level assessment for Private Companies, Not-For-Profits/Non-Governmental Organisations, State-Owned Enterprises, Public Institutions and/or their auditors;

• a mezzanine assessment of the effectiveness of industry/sectoral regulation as well as

• a 'whole of system' assessment of the governance environment in a country.

This innovation will encourage investment-friendly eco-system reforms at the entity, sectoral and national levels. GQR will stimulate the improvement of transparency, entity and sector competences and practices, social trust and investor confidence through its consistently credible and visible global standards of evaluation.

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Why We EXIST

Market, regulatory and information failures in auditor quality and related governance outcomes have led to a global crisis of confidence in the audit function and corporate governance that is acute in emerging and frontier markets. Yet, these markets are, often, underserved by quality assurance services. GQR seeks to fill that gap, powered by advanced competitiveness research and the technology of the 4th Internet Revolution.

Information and regulatory failures, the persistent fiduciary uncertainties in principal/agent relationships and market inefficiencies in corporate and institutional governance raise troubling questions in mature markets. In emerging and frontier markets, these questions assume dramatic proportions. Frequent auditor and governance failures raise perceived as well real transaction costs. They discourage investors and they may promote counterproductive behaviours among corporate leaders and their auditors.

These problems are difficult to address in isolation within individual countries, when faced with perilously weak institutions. GQR’s cross-border service, with a credible and visible brand, offers an opportunity to sustainably raise standards of auditor, corporate and institutional governance in emerging and frontier markets.

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Expected IMPACT

Potential clients are those responsible for corporate governance and internal & external audit activities in emerging and frontier markets. In Africa alone, these clients ultimately impact, directly or indirectly, the economic and social lives of over a billion people, too many of whom are currently living below US$5 PPP per capita per day. Improved audits, enhanced governance and increased transparency can improve the prospects for economic growth by encouraging the right economic decisions. Targeted impacts include SDG 8 – promoting decent work and economic growth and SDG 16 – promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

GQR is research evidence based and driven by "systems thinking". This has shown that elevated confidence and trust is best delivered by credible standards that are reliably policed. Within that ecosystem, GQR will deploy relevant standards, reinforce their global visibility and report on their implementation by clients.

GQR will establish public interest partnerships with relevant regulators and stakeholder state, non-state and international institutions. This will reinforce the eco-system effects of GQR’s services.

A company has been registered in the United Kingdom to deliver this social enterprise. The key governance frameworks have been established with preliminary appointments to a Board of Directors and an International Advisory Board. The service architecture has been designed, financial viability indicators confirmed and the primary technological delivery tools identified. The service is currently in its pilot phase which is anticipated for completion within 2020, subject to the challenges of the COVID 19 pandemic.

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