NGOs and development Flashcards
what are 4 characteristics of NGOs?
- non-state actors
- non-profit goals
- vision of dev or identity
- part of civil society
what are the presumed advantages of using NGOs for development?
- close to the people and participatory (vs. top down)
- small scale
- innovative and flexible (vs. UN bureaucracy)
- efficient and low cost (comparative adv = can reach poorest)
what are different type of NGOs?
- community-based or grassroot orgs (CBO, GRO)
- intermediary orgs
- Southern vs Northern NGOs (SNGO/NNGO)
what are community-based and grassroot NGOs (CBO, GRO)?
- for people with common goal
- membership based
- operational in the field
what are intermediary NGOs?
- NGOs funding CBO projects
- relations with CBO and NGOs
Where do NGOs source their funding from?
- voluntary contributions (general public)
- from Northern govs’ budgets (taxes)
- > North gov -> North NGO -> South NGO (indirect)
- > North gov -> South NGO (direct) (via embassies)
What is the effect of the aid chain?
- the relations in chains of organizations affect the policies that are produced in the end
- policies and funds flow through chains of organizations -> each have own policies and procedures -> changes and distorts the policies
what is the accountability trap of NGOs?
Southern NGOs and CBOs receive funds -> should be accountable to members but in practice accountable to donors
do NGOs have downward or upwards accountability?
both
what are the implications of financial dependence of NGOs?
- scaling up delivery service ??
- compromises advocacy role
- weakens legitimacy as independent civil society actors
- distorts accountability
what are solutions to the financial dependence of NGOs?
- diversify funding source and promote local funding
- measures to enhance downward accountability (social audits, participatory monitoring, evaluation)
- invest in more research, monitoring and evaluation
what are the implications of NGOs funding development rather than the local govs?
- weak state institutions remain
- deprived state institutions resources
- vicious cycle: state weakness + low legitimacy -> NGO substitute
- dilemma: apolitical NGOs vs development as empowerment (criticizing gov weakness)
How have Southern govs reacted to NGOs funding development?
- govs regulate NGO work: establish registration rules and limit activities
- govs sometimes criticize NGO legitimacy due to foreign funders
What are the roles of NGOs
combo of service delivery (edu, health..) + lobby/advocacy
- combo leads to tension because they indirectly aid gov legitimacy but then criticize
what is the resource trap paradigm? (Malhotra)
- NGOs caught in resource trap paradigm
- NGOs = channels to fund dev (donor and recipients)
- > sub-contractors of state for social services
- > limits NGO autonomy
- > now instrument for stable social order (vs. watchdog)
- implication: accountable to both gov and donors
- diminished aid since 1990s - can escape resource transfer paradigm and become watchdogs again
