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Debating NGO AccountabilitySubmitted by jcravens42 on January 19, 2007 - 7:38pm.
The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) Concerns about the role and accountability of NGOs have been voiced from different quarters in recent years. Some donors, governments, corporations, and international agencies raise important questions about the effectiveness of NGO work and the legitimacy of their advocacy. Some NGOs have also recognized the need to ensure good practice in the wider voluntary sector. For this emerging agenda to lead to positive development outcomes, we need to ask what initiatives will improve the accountability of all institutions to the people whose lives they shape, and what initiatives could serve merely to undermine NGOs useful and largely accepted role in holding business and government accountable for their actions. With this in mind, the new Development Dossierfrom NGLS, "Debating NGO Accountability" by Dr. Jem Bendell, puts democracy and human rights firmly at the centre of the debate about NGO accountability. It is our hope that this publication sheds light on and adds value to today's important discussion of NGO accountability and contributes towards a better understanding of the issues at stake for democratic societies and democratic governance. This new publication is available for free download on the UN-NGLS web site. You're exactly right, Ramesh -- "NGOs should maintains transparency in their works. Every one can able to see their reports, works, budgeting etc. as a right to information act." Things like budgets, a list of paid staff, a list of projects, etc., are all things they should have already, updated within the last four months, and if they don't, then one has to question the credibility and ethics of such an organization. And saying "We're small and don't have enough staff to put this information together" is NEVER an excuse! But I do think that most organizations in the developing world who don't put this information together have not been shown how to do so. I hope more funders will fund programs to build the capacities and knowledge of even the smallest grassroots organizations to put together basic fiscal and governance-related documents. <><><><> small is beautiful is a proverb. The small NGO organization having zeal to implement the projects for the welfare of the needy it is not difficult to them to maintain proper records and to maintain transperant in their deeds. If they tell like that it is nothing but lame execuses. The organization dedicates to serve the needy they can be answerable to the donors also and there is no scope to escape like that. Interesting, Considering most NGOs are started by individuals, it is usually that the charity is accountable to the founder first. Having worked overseas and in the UK as a trustee you can see that many charities (not all) are extensions of personalities known as founder syndrome. Service users can often be last in the chain of giving feedback. Besides donors, trustees and service users should involved in decisions the NGO makes. The donors in India did not know accurately what the NGO was doing, the just asked. The NGO could be claiming to do XYZ but actually be doing ABC. Donors do not have the ability to distinguish between the two. All NGOs have a common purpose to serve their end users, but how many actually involve those users in evaluating their services? It is down to the roles of the trustees to ensure the organisation is meeting its objectives and not being used for personal gain. A business will be accountable to shareholders, a government to citizens, an NGO to who? "Experience is not what happens to a man, its what a man does with what happens to him" Aldous Huxley "many charities (not all) are extensions of personalities known as founder syndrome." Indeed, this is true. And it's why I find myself much more excited by NGOs where the founder has moved on, because they usually demonstrate a level of maturity and sustainability. It's wonderful that so many driven individuals start worthwhile nonprofits, but it's in their post-founder life (if they find such), when ownership moves into the hands of many, that I find them more interesting and worthwhile to support. "The NGO could be claiming to do XYZ but actually be doing ABC. Donors do not have the ability to distinguish between the two." That is true of some donors, but not all. When I'm in the position of donor, I do a lot of reference checks. But, true, many donors don't make this effort. "All NGOs have a common purpose to serve their end users, but how many actually involve those users in evaluating their services? " Not enough, but they *are* out there. Unfortunately, many times, the press will play up what volunteers and users identify as short-comings in a program instead of lauding the NGO for being so open to scrutiny in the first place. "A business will be accountable to shareholders, a government to citizens, an NGO to who?" Supposedly, it's board of directors, funders, volunteers and users. For me, an NGO that doesn't involve volunteers in program discussions and and evaluation is suspicious. <><><><> Hi, Well my experience of working in India showed various founders who are still going, 15 to 20 years after the NGO has been set up! The issue is during the time of founder syndrome a great deal of damage is done to the staff, the organisation and reputation. The issue is how to prevent that from happening. I agree charities are far more interesting post founder, but I believe the majority of charities in that state are Western. The majority of small non-western charities do not get the questions asked of them that larger charities do by donors. Founder syndrome exists in large firms such as Nike, the president there used to be the CEO and founder and his first replacement left after a year citing differences. But Nike would pay in profits for poor leadership decisions. Increasingly NGOs are being asked to provide service delivery functions of governments in many areas, particularly health and education. My concern is accountability, if private/government partnerships are a headache, then NGO/government ones are a migrane! I do think there are good NGOs and donors out there, the question is to replicate the model to more NGOs. Maybe if donors interviewed staff as part of the review model such issues could be aired. "Experience is not what happens to a man, its what a man does with what happens to him" Aldous Huxley A very recent example of 'founders' syndrome' is what is happening to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. One of the original founders, Bernard Kouchner, has just been made foreign minister of France, and immediately went on a spree of pronouncements on issues that are intricately involved with humanitarian aid, and have been damaging to MSF. Kouchner has left MSF a long time ago to found Doctors of the World/Médecins du Monde, an organisation which he subsequently left as well (anybody seeing a theme here), but the media still link him to MSF as a matter of course. Something similar happened to MSF's Dutch chapter when one of its founding fathers, Jaques de Milliano, became a figurehead for the christian democratic party, but luckily he left politics within a very short period, and before too much damage had been done. So what can you do about this sort of thing? Of course you can take out big ads telling the public that what your former president or whatever is doing now has nothing to do with you, but: Cheers, Further comments on this can be found on: http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/1265/2007/05/8-151423-1.htm Boston Vapes offers herb, heat gun, silver surfer and tobacco vaporizers in reasonable prices. We provide vaporizers, parts, grinders, pollen presses and cleaning solutions with utmost quality. |
To serve the needy the NGOs goals to be setting to solve those problems. Most of the NGOs prefer to quest for donors. The system adopted by some NGOs highly encouraged but many not be appreciated. The lack of transparency in their activities gives space for comments. To over come this problem the NGOs should maintains transparency in their works. Every one can able to see their reports, works, budgeting etc. as a right to information act. The involvement of needy along with their family can give strength. Especially the capacity building steps enhances the strength of the organization.