NGOs: Meaning, History, and Significance

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NGOs Meaning, History, and Significance

• 09/03/2003

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Class Outline

• The meaning of NGOs Nongovernmental
  organizations
• NGO characteristics
• Different types of NGOs
• History of NGOs
• Reasons for the current growth of NGOs
• NGO and globalization
• Challenges and responses

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Meaning of NGO

• Formal institutionalized
• Private nongovernmental
• Self-governing
• Exhibition of altruistic value and ideologically
  driven
• Nonprofit distributing
• Development oriented

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Different Types of NGOs

• By location
• I. Northern NGOs or international NGOs
• - western industrialized countries
• - national, multinational, fully multinational
• II. Southern NGOs or local, indigenous NGOs
• low income, aid recipient countries
• less developed areas

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SNGOs

• National NGOs or GRSOs
• intermediary organizations
• Professionally staff, nationally based, educated
  middle class
• Bureaucratic org
• Externally funded

• GROs
• known as CBOs or Pos
• Membership orgs
• Community oriented
• Small self-help orgs
• Run by volunteers
• Locally based

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By NGO Purpose

• Supply-Side NGOs
• Welfare oriented NGOs
• Provide services directly to local community
• Rely on volunteers and staff
• CARE, Plan International, MSF

• Demand-Side NGOs
• Advocacy/lobbying work
• Advance beliefs and ideologies
• Seek to influence public policy
• the Interaction and Steering Committee for
  Humanitarian Response (SCHR)

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Evolution of NGOs

• Lindenberg Bryant
• NNGOs
• Based on org structure, production of services,
  and governance
• National NGOs MSF France
• Multinational NGOs Mercy Corps
• Fully multinational NGOs CARE, SCF, Plan

• David Korten
• Four-Generation NGOs
• First generation welfare oriented
• Second generation sustainable, self-help orgs
• Third generation advocacy, structural change
• Fourth social movement

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History of INGOs

• I. Emergence 1775-1918
• National issues slave trade, peace movement,
  labour rights
• Humanitarian relief for war victims and refugees
• II. Engagement 1920 to 1940
• raising awareness of international issues
• Interacting with governments

• III. Disengagement 1941-1944
• Humanitarian and emergency for war victims
• Growing hostility
• Inhibited NGO participation
• IV. Formalization 1945-late 1960s
• recognition by international agencies
• No real cooperation

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NGO History

• V Late 1960s-1970s Quite Growth
• Gov as recipient of international aid
• Gov as the engine of development
• Prevalence of TNCs
• Mutual mistrust
• NGO presence was tolerated

• VI 1980s Limited contribution of NGOs
• Reagan and Thatcher era
• Market as the engine of growth
• Dominance of institutional donors
• Donor-led development
• Development of NGO cooperation with official aid
  system

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NGO History

• VII 1990s Favored Child
• alternative model of development (people-centered
  model)
• NGOs as the preferred mechanism of development
• Failure of past efforts
• Evidence of NGO growth
• Gained access to policymakers

• VIII 2000-current Self-examination
• critical path of NGOs
• Welfare providers for official aid system or
  advocacy organizations
• Fundamental values and roles of NGOs in
  development

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NGO-Growth Factors

• Fiscal crisis budget cut, slow economy, economic
  recession
• The End of Cold War
• The Third Wave of Democratic Opening
• An increasing use of public bilateral and
  multilateral resources
• Privatization
• Change in ideology The New Policy Agenda
• Growing demand

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Globalization Challenges

• 2. New Form of Global Poverty
• 3. Declining capacity of national governments
• 4. Weak and outmoded global institutions
• 5. New pressure for accountability and efficiency
• 6. New pressures to respond globally
• 7. Recreating purpose and mystique

• 3 aspects of globalization
• Social globalization
• Economic globalization
• Political globalization
• NGO Challenges
• 1.New Waves of Complex Emergencies

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Internal Response Needed

• Reexamine our values
• Create a new vision and mission
• Design new relief and development programs
• Transform organizational culture
• Increases accountability
• Build global networks for services, fundraising,
  and advocacy
• Restore meaning in organizational work

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Variables in Managing Change

• Stakeholder review
• Staff morale and issues
• Partnership choices
• Program review problems/possibilities
• Financial/base/options for change
• Donors roles and relationships
• A learning organization

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Progress and Bumps in the Road

• Progress
• Mission and values
• Relief and development programming
• Service and Support systems
• National Boards and global family governance
• Partnership beyond the family

• Bumps
• Middle managers
• Structure of NGO families
• Donor pressure
• Unpredictable external environment
• Staff motivation and organizational culture