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Development.Submitted by Komal Singh on October 11, 2007 - 8:08am.
Should an NGO think about sustaining itself, by using the tools of the world or work for a cause they believe in/they should believe in and rebel against the system? Absolutely! An organisation may start with a vision and a cause they believe in but later in order to sustain themselves (for funds), may deviate from their core values and succumb to mediocrity. Can you give an example of this? Usually by definition the funding that an organization will seek out with be funds that are earmarked specifically for the work that is complimentary to their mission statement. If you're saying that an NGO might have to compromise with the donor on what projects they actually want to accomplish then you are most definitely right. Aaron Sure Aaron, i'll state a hypothetical situation to explain what i'm saying. Say xyz NGO starts with Microfinance as their core issue in a cluster of villages and after a couple of years, a lot of money (funding) starts pouring in, that's when they need to spread it around and get proposals from new villages to use up these funds. They use the same stratergies everwhere without considering any space for creativity any more. On the other hand, the donor agency send in a representative to check on the way their funds have been utilized. My point is that its not that the NGO isn't using up the money for a purpose but that purpose is pre-defined and the need is sidelined. There's always some inertia to bureaucracy, but assessment, monitoring and evaluation systems are nearly always built into programmes to detect and minimise this. I'm all for innovation. But I'm also for the bureaucracy that ensures accurate record-keeping, accountability and ongoing monitoring. Those systems must be structured. When organizations stifle creativity, it's usually has more to do with poor leadership, IMO. And leadership *can* be changed -- by ongoing calls from those being served or those holding the purse strings. <><><><> Some thoughts and comments: 1. If NGOs are funded partly/mainly by governments then how are they/can they be really independent? Why would a government fund objectives which do not meet what they see as their interests? Why is this? A number of reasons but perhaps a key one is that NGOs are simply not accountable to the people that they are supposed to serve. Accountability is nearly always upwards. Of course, there are exceptions to this…. I have been desperately wanting to get back to you and pass on my comments about what you've written but i've been occupied with work. By the way, i work for an NGO myself. Anwers/My views to what you've written. of the existing system, how would we crack it if we end up following them, what happened to the rebels. I am struggling with my limited understanding of how this world works and doing my small bit to try and bring about a change in the lives of a handful. I really appreciate your comments, they've been extremely clear and well-put. Thanks. |
Are you saying that organisational sustainability and fulfilment of the organisation's cause are actually opposites?