Gaining access to vulnerable populations is frequently difficult. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) face many circumstances where they are unable to gain access to vulnerable populations, as well as fierce criticism when they fail in their relief efforts. As with much of aid and development, the story isn’t wholly negative and there have been significant technical innovations recently that have facilitated improved access for NGOs. NGOs continue to operate in remote, unpopular and hostile environments and the challenges they face should not be overlooked. This paper’s aim is not to criticise what is already widely regarded as a flawed sector within the aid industry; rather it is to constructively contribute to the debate on access.
It distinguishes two main thematic areas under which NGOs are unable to gain access to vulnerable populations, namely: technicalities and hostile conflict zones. It also explores the idea that these circumstances mask deeper factors in providing relief; strategic interest and convenience. These influences are indicative of a shift in aid policy which is discussed in an analysis on the implications of ‘access’ on aid policy in terms of conceptual, political and practical implications.
Author: Hannah Taylor
Under what circumstances are NGOs unable to gain access to vulnerable populations? What are the implications for aid policy? (3)
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Under what circumstances are NGOs unable to gain access to vulnerable populations? What are the implications for aid policy?
Inter-Organisational Cooperation of Haitian NGOs in Education – A Haitian Perspective
In Haiti, around 90% of the schools are operated by non-public providers. Many NGOs are active in the domain of education. Coordination and cooperation is a big challenge, especially in the transition phase from humanitarian relief to development, one year after the devastating earthquake in January 2010.
In this project report submitted in part of an MSc in Development Management the author – after an exploration of the problem from a theoretical perspective – the outcomes of semi-structured interviews with NGO directors and education coordinators in Haiti provides an insight into six different inter-organisational cooperation trajectories with NGOs.
The reasons why organisations enter and participate in inter-organisational cooperation trajectories include objectives in the following domains: improved coordination, increased effectiveness, more technical capacity and shared curriculum development, shared policy development, stronger advocacy and increased chances for fundraising.
However this report highlights the fact that the most important condition for inter-organisational cooperation is the development of a shared vision.
Report Author: Marike de Kloe
Inter-Organisational Cooperation of Haitian NGOs in Education – A Haitian Perspective (54)
How can NGOs practice ‘doing good’ and minimise ‘doing harm’? What are the dilemmas and challenges present?
Promoting human rights, driving the cause against climate change, and at the forefront of disaster relief; non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have an essential role in addressing the issues of global poverty and injustice. Despite good intentions, harmful conduct can arise at any time without an NGO even being aware.
This Paper by Carly Garonne contributes to the growing body of research on ‘doing good’ and minimising ‘doing harm’ by arguing that harm can be reduced by deeply understanding the context of each programme, taking a rights-based approach and conducting participatory work. Additionally, one of the most important means, albeit controversial, is to record failure.
Due to the complexities of this debate, this paper specifically concentrates on the role of international NGOs (INGOs) in order to channel the research. The content is structured into three parts beginning with an overview of INGOs in a modern context to show that growing pressure is being placed on NGOs to increase effectiveness and be accountable for their actions. The dilemmas facing INGOs will be analysed in part two, through the provision of numerous examples and case studies to highlight existing challenges. To finish, general principles that all INGOs can adopt to increase effectiveness will be presented.
Author: Carly Garonne
How can NGOs practice ‘doing good’ and minimise ‘doing harm’? What are the dilemmas and challenges present? (117)
Understanding organizational development within community-based organizations
Community-based organizations (CBOs) play a central role in absorbing the impact of the orphans and vulnerable children crisis resulting from the HIV/AIDS pandemic and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and donors engage with and support CBOs through organizational development and financial assistance. This article critically examines skills training-based approaches to capacity building that focus on differentiation and formalization, and offers a different approach. CBOs, regardless of size and type, can be supported in a more genuine manner through the appreciation of CBOs’ existing strengths such as resourcefulness, flexibility and community responsiveness, and through the facilitation of a more flexible, process-oriented organizational development approach. Here, power asymmetries through financial power are discussed, and an acknowledgement of inter-dependencies encouraged, both of which require the development of language and relational capabilities on both sides: for CBOs as well as for NGOs and donors that want to engage with CBOs.
Authors: Jennifer Lentfer & Schirin Yachkaschi
The Glass Half Full? Understanding organizational development within community based organizations (680)
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The Learn Africa Project: Public Health, Applied Learning and Research Internship
Trevor Mattos is a Pike Scholar at Gordon College, Massachusetts. Earlier this year he and a colleague Miranda MacKinnon travelled to Togo, West Africa to direct a Development and Public Health project that had been planned since the previous year.
This project report details the establishment of the ‘The Learn Africa Project’ and highlights some of the challenges and planning required in establishing a community development and public health project from the base up in a Developing Country. It also highlights the principle research undertaken in preparation for the estabishment of the project.
Report Author: Trevor Mattos
Demographic Dimensions and their Implications on the Incidence of Street Begging in Urban Areas of Central Tanzania: The Case of Dodoma and Singida Municipalities
This study explores the implications of demographic dimensions on the incidence of street begging in urban areas of central Tanzania with Dodoma and Singida Municipalities as case studies. This study was conducted on different days at different streets and public spaces in Dodoma and Singida Municipalities to obtain data on incidence of street begging. A cross-sectional survey was employed and involved 130 street beggars. Structured questionnaires were administered on randomly selected beggars to obtain data on their demographic dimensions. Group discussions, key informant interview, and observations were also used to collect data relevant for the study.
Authors:Baltazar M.L. Namwata, Maseke R. Mgabo and Provident Dimoso
Demographic Dimensions and their Implications on the Incidence of Street Begging in Urban Areas of Central Tanzania (545)
Dadaab Refugee Camps, Kenya
With conflict and continuing uncertainty affecting the future of Somalia following the US backed Ethiopian invasion it is little wonder Somalis continue to flee their disintegrating country. Since the early 1990’s when large scale civil war broke out the Somali Diaspora has spread far and wide. Nearly a million have fled to already poor neighbouring countries and 400,000 of those headed south to Kenya. Though many have managed to return since there remains over 100,000 mostly Somali refugees in Northern and Eastern Kenya.
Featured Articles & Papers
Focus on Corruption: How to secure the aims of decentralization in Peru by improving good governance at the regional level
Decentralization holds out the promise of improving democratic participation and public service delivery, but this can be undermined where week institutions allow corruption to flourish. In this joint policy analysis paper, the authors create an econometric model of corruption at the regional level in Peru to inform policy recommendations aimed at the Peruvian National Council of Decentralization and the Office of the Public Defender. The paper was awarded Most Outstanding Policy Analysis in 2005 at the MPA/ID program at Harvard Kennedy School.
Authors: Aaron Ausland and Alfonso Tolmos
Focus on Corruption: How to secure the aims of decentralization in Peru by improving good governance at the regional level
‘Money does not always talk’ – Reassessing the Empowerment Potential of Women’s Employment
It has often been assumed that, as a result of access to financial resources, women’s employment would lead to their empowerment. However, this link is not as straightforward as examples from Kenya and Bangladesh show: Firstly, intra-household dynamics shape women’s control over income and secondly, even when they have control, it does not necessarily lead to a transformation of their subordinate status. This paper examines fundamental problems in defining and measuring empowerment and in this context depicts underlying normative Western ideas about agency, emancipation and modernity. The paper argues for the inclusion of the women concerned in policy-making in order to construct locally relevant indicators for empowerment.
Author:David Parduhn
‘Money does not always talk’ - Reassessing the Empowerment Potential of Women’s Employment (223)
Allah and Micro-Finance? Investigating Islamic Banking Principles in Indonesia’s Microfinance Sector, and its Potential for Economic Empowerment
Poverty is widely conceived to be the largest moral and economic challenge of this century, and thus it comes as no surprise that the first Millennium Development Goal attempts to tackle the issue of poverty eradication. One increasingly significant instrument of poverty alleviation and community development is that of microcredit and microsavings, popularized by Professor Muhammed Yunus and the Grameen Bank.
However in Indonesia alone over half of the national population live on -or under- a mere US 2% daily.The successful establishment of microfinance institutions in the Muslim world could prove to be a valuable asset in the fight against poverty. However, an additional obstacle is posed by Islamic shariah which challenges conventional banking principles, mandating and promoting its own Islamic banking principles instead.
In this paper, the main question that will be addressed is whether the application of Islamic banking principles to microfinance in Indonesia has been more beneficial in promoting economic growth among the Muslim poor than conventional microfinance practices. And further, what this application can imply for the rest of the Muslim world.
Author:Amina Samy
Allah and Micro-Finance? Investigating Islamic Banking Principles in Indonesia's Microfinance Sector, and its Potential for Economic Empowerment (420)
