The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Development
Non-governmental organizations are abundant on the development scene. To be successful, NGOs need several things, but first and foremost, they need agency. Agency can be defined as “the ability…to exert its influence over others” (Michael 2004). In combination with resources, agency and power allow a NGO to function in a way that involves local populations and creates long lasting impacts. Resources alone are not enough for an NGO to be successful.
NGOs serve a variety of purposes and run under an array of frameworks. However, NGOs have a common goal of alleviating poverty or societal ills in some way (Dicklitch 1998). Following backlash against governmental aid programs, NGOs enjoyed a surge in donations and support during the 1990s that has since waned in the past decade (Igoe et al. 2005). Nonetheless, NGOs continue to play a prominent role in developing countries, including Uganda.
Types of NGOs
NGOs come in a variety of forms, from local to international and oriented around health, environmental or economics issues. In Dicklitch’s framework, NGOs are either gap-fillers, people’s organizations or voluntary organizations (Dicklitch 1998). Gap-filler organizations, such as those that provide medical support during a health or humanitarian crisis, are merely fulfilling a short-term need. They are not intended to be long-term, sustainable options. Voluntary organizations do not require active participation, making them less likely to succeed. Of these models, the people’s organizations are most likely to be successful in affecting sustainable change. Because people’s organizations are controlled by local individuals, they are able to respond to grassroots interests and needs. St. Jude, the organization I interned at, would be classified as a people’s organization. The founder and director of the organization was a local who had lived in the community long before her family farm evolved into a NGO. Josephine was in touch with the needs of locals because she was a local herself.
Local vs. International
Some NGOs are local, while others have international roots. Criticisms can be made about both. Local organizations can be written off as ineffective; critics of international NGOs assert that international NGOs function only as gap fillers, as they are out of touch with local interests and values (Dicklitch 1998; Igoe et al. 2012). Again, St. Jude had several advantages over international organizations because of its local origins. The St. Jude name, and Josephine’s name, was well known in the region. This lent St. Jude credibility that international NGOs would need years, if not decades, to build.
Environmental NGOs
Environmental NGOs are yet another subset of the non-governmental organizations in Uganda. Environmental NGOs work toward a variety of goals including training farmers to use improved practices, introducing appropriate technology and promoting coordination between groups (Achieng et al. 1993). Many studies have evaluated the degree of success experienced by environmental NGOs, where success is defined by the impact and sustainability of the impact that is achieved. The most successful NGOs were ones that established long-term programs that were integrated into the community and those that were connected with government ministries (Kaluli 1993). While St. Jude certainly has established long-term programs, its partnerships are mainly with community groups, schools and prisons. Other organizations around Uganda and in neighboring countries have also had positive results when linking with other governmental and non-governmental organizations, perhaps indicating an area of growth for St. Jude.
The environmental sector is problematic in several ways. Insufficient partnering with locals, tensions between the needs of the citizens and the desire to preserve and collective responsibility (the tragedy of the commons) have all been barrier for environmental NGOs (Salih 1998). Based on my experiences, I believe the largest challenge is from the tension between conservation and the needs of landowners. You cannot tell individuals—particularly individuals with hungry children—that they should invest more into fewer crops rather than farming intensively, albeit unsustainably. The needs of present day lives must be valued over the lives of future generations, but if this conflict plays out too often, there may not be any future generations.
Recommendations
To truly affect change, NGOs—particularly environmental NGOs—must overcome a variety of barriers. However, experience and research have created a framework that emerging NGOs should attempt to emulate. If possible, the NGO should be local. This helps the organization follow the needs of the community and earns the group some community buy-in. The best environmental NGOs will be people’s organizations, built by the local communities. There can still be international involvement (including funding and support), but operations should be managed by locals. For example, the project I worked on, I used a solar drier design from USAID, but the driers were built by Ugandans. Additionally, St. Jude receives funding from international organizations, such as Quaker Service Australia. These are both examples of international involvement, yet the NGO is locally controlled and operated.
Furthermore, environmental NGOs should focus on the correct demographic of people. Programs that target the middle class or commercial farmers have experienced limited success in sub-Saharan Africa (Alinyo et al. 2012). Instead, the lowest classes should be targeted in an attempt to mitigate any tension between individual needs and sustainable use. In the region, NGOs that have focused on land tenure for the poorest farmers, active participation, women’s activities and crop diversity have had the most sustainable impact (Alinyo et al. 2012). Future NGOs that may emerge in the area, or current NGOs that are struggling, should follow the lead of secure and sustainable environmental NGOs, but be careful to stay true to the needs, wishes and resources of their immediate community. There is no one magic formula for NGOs.
NGOs serve a variety of purposes and run under an array of frameworks. However, NGOs have a common goal of alleviating poverty or societal ills in some way (Dicklitch 1998). Following backlash against governmental aid programs, NGOs enjoyed a surge in donations and support during the 1990s that has since waned in the past decade (Igoe et al. 2005). Nonetheless, NGOs continue to play a prominent role in developing countries, including Uganda.
Types of NGOs
NGOs come in a variety of forms, from local to international and oriented around health, environmental or economics issues. In Dicklitch’s framework, NGOs are either gap-fillers, people’s organizations or voluntary organizations (Dicklitch 1998). Gap-filler organizations, such as those that provide medical support during a health or humanitarian crisis, are merely fulfilling a short-term need. They are not intended to be long-term, sustainable options. Voluntary organizations do not require active participation, making them less likely to succeed. Of these models, the people’s organizations are most likely to be successful in affecting sustainable change. Because people’s organizations are controlled by local individuals, they are able to respond to grassroots interests and needs. St. Jude, the organization I interned at, would be classified as a people’s organization. The founder and director of the organization was a local who had lived in the community long before her family farm evolved into a NGO. Josephine was in touch with the needs of locals because she was a local herself.
Local vs. International
Some NGOs are local, while others have international roots. Criticisms can be made about both. Local organizations can be written off as ineffective; critics of international NGOs assert that international NGOs function only as gap fillers, as they are out of touch with local interests and values (Dicklitch 1998; Igoe et al. 2012). Again, St. Jude had several advantages over international organizations because of its local origins. The St. Jude name, and Josephine’s name, was well known in the region. This lent St. Jude credibility that international NGOs would need years, if not decades, to build.
Environmental NGOs
Environmental NGOs are yet another subset of the non-governmental organizations in Uganda. Environmental NGOs work toward a variety of goals including training farmers to use improved practices, introducing appropriate technology and promoting coordination between groups (Achieng et al. 1993). Many studies have evaluated the degree of success experienced by environmental NGOs, where success is defined by the impact and sustainability of the impact that is achieved. The most successful NGOs were ones that established long-term programs that were integrated into the community and those that were connected with government ministries (Kaluli 1993). While St. Jude certainly has established long-term programs, its partnerships are mainly with community groups, schools and prisons. Other organizations around Uganda and in neighboring countries have also had positive results when linking with other governmental and non-governmental organizations, perhaps indicating an area of growth for St. Jude.
The environmental sector is problematic in several ways. Insufficient partnering with locals, tensions between the needs of the citizens and the desire to preserve and collective responsibility (the tragedy of the commons) have all been barrier for environmental NGOs (Salih 1998). Based on my experiences, I believe the largest challenge is from the tension between conservation and the needs of landowners. You cannot tell individuals—particularly individuals with hungry children—that they should invest more into fewer crops rather than farming intensively, albeit unsustainably. The needs of present day lives must be valued over the lives of future generations, but if this conflict plays out too often, there may not be any future generations.
Recommendations
To truly affect change, NGOs—particularly environmental NGOs—must overcome a variety of barriers. However, experience and research have created a framework that emerging NGOs should attempt to emulate. If possible, the NGO should be local. This helps the organization follow the needs of the community and earns the group some community buy-in. The best environmental NGOs will be people’s organizations, built by the local communities. There can still be international involvement (including funding and support), but operations should be managed by locals. For example, the project I worked on, I used a solar drier design from USAID, but the driers were built by Ugandans. Additionally, St. Jude receives funding from international organizations, such as Quaker Service Australia. These are both examples of international involvement, yet the NGO is locally controlled and operated.
Furthermore, environmental NGOs should focus on the correct demographic of people. Programs that target the middle class or commercial farmers have experienced limited success in sub-Saharan Africa (Alinyo et al. 2012). Instead, the lowest classes should be targeted in an attempt to mitigate any tension between individual needs and sustainable use. In the region, NGOs that have focused on land tenure for the poorest farmers, active participation, women’s activities and crop diversity have had the most sustainable impact (Alinyo et al. 2012). Future NGOs that may emerge in the area, or current NGOs that are struggling, should follow the lead of secure and sustainable environmental NGOs, but be careful to stay true to the needs, wishes and resources of their immediate community. There is no one magic formula for NGOs.