Concepts & Functions of NGOs

Not always will NGOs be involved in working with the downtrodden or underprivileged. Some are very highly trained and offering specialized services. Some may be working on more professional services providing health or eaucational services, economic uplifiment through small loans and other entrepreneuri~l cc1;vities. But, what is an NGO? An NGO or a non-governmental organization is a private institution and as its name suggests it is independent of the government. NGOs essentially are non-profit making and purely service-oriented organizations committed tu the development and welfare of the community. Some NGOs may be a group of volunieers helping to sustain individuals or families, while others may emphasize the empowerment of communities to bring about societal transformation or change. There are other terms such as Community Based Organizations (CBO), Non-profit organizations (NPO) or Voiuntary organizations (VO) which are frequently used to describe such organizations. In fact, these terms describe their functions more directly than "non-government." For instance, from these names you can see that they take up co~nlnunity projects, they are voluntary and hence do not work for profit. The NGO community is quite a creative community! You will therefore see plenty of creativity in the names used. Take for instance DONG0 or GONGO. : DONG0 is Donor Organized Non-governmental Organization and GONGO: Government Organized Non-Governmental Organization. In this course we will utilize the word Non-Government Organization as this has become widely used in India. Whatever names you give to these organizations there are some elements that are common to their goal. One main element is that i n principle they are not working for profit in a commercial sense nor are they necessarily working for high salaries or selfish agendas (most times!). Also, NGOs will not be working for the benefit of a single individual, family or a small group of individuals. They are normally concerned for the benefit of the whole community. That is why we see the words "community", "non-profit" and "voluntary" in the terms used to describe such organizatiohs.

1.3 DEFINITION
You are now ready to define an NGO and so let us make a start by looking at some definitions: The World Bank, defines NGOs as.. . "private organizations that pursue activities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor, protect the environment, provide basic social services, or undertake community development".

UN definition:
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level. Task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest, NGOs perfor111a variety of service and humanitarian functions, bring citizen concerns to Governments, advocate and monitor policies and encourage of information. Some are organized around specific political participation through provisio~~ issues, such as human rights, environment or health. They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early warning mechanisms and help monitor and implement international

agreements. Their relationship with offices and agencies of the United Nations system differs depending on their goals, their venue and the mandate of a particular institution. In India, the voluntary sector or non-profit sector is an all-embracing term that can include organisations, societies, associations, trusts and companies registered under various acts such as the Societies Registration Act and the Indian Trusts Act. The new Government of India Planning Commission policy (2007) defines them as

NGOs :An Introduction

The policy specifies that NGOs should have the following characteristics: They are private, i.e., separate from government They do not return profits generated to their owners or directors They are self-governing, i.e., not controlled by government They are registered organisations or informal groups, with clearly defined aims and Therefore, you can now identify an NGO as a non-governmental organization (NGO) which is independent from government, non-profit, voluntary agency which is organized on a lgcal, national or international level and undertaking a wide variety of services and humanitarian interventions for the benefit of citizens and their communities.
Activity 1

There are various features that you may include in your definition, or you may want to be more specific with reference to some activities that your own organization is conducting. Write your own definition of an NSO:

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According to Voluntary Action Network 1ndia (VANI), an apex body of Indian NGOs, the total number of NGOs in India is 1.2 million. Of these 53% is rural based, and the remaining 47% is urban based. Interestingly 49.8% ofthe total are unregistered organisations. Also, only 6.6% work in the health sector.
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1.4

DOES THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZE

While we use the term "non-Government3'-wedo not imply that there is no relationship whatsoever. For instance, to start with, an NGO must be a registered body registered through the right Government agencies in a particular state. They will be therefore under some restrictions from the government and you will read more about this in the other Units of this Course. In order tafully understand the relationship of the NGO and the government some historical background will be'helpful. Although voluntary organisations have been working for centuries, the phrase "non-governmental organization" only came into popular use with the establishment ofthe United Nations Organization in 1945. Soon Governments began

C o n c e ~ b Functions of NGOs

to recognize the role played by such bodies in fulfilling the tasks that they were not able to accomplish. India has a rich tradition of social service and voluntary agencies. After our country's independence Mahamata Gandhi was known for his service activities and even called for dissolving the Indian National Congress (the political party which came into power upon Independence), and transforming it into a Lok Sevak Sangh (Public Service Organization). Although this was rejected, many Gandhians established voluntary agencies to work closely with the governmental programs on social and economical issues. These agencies orga~iized handicrafts and village industries, rural development programs, credit cooperatives, educational institutions, etc. It was only around 1980that the Indian Govern~nent began to define the role of voluntary agencies and to recognize their importance.The Sixth Five Year Plan (1980-1985), identified new areas in which NGOs as new actors could participate in development. These areas included: Optimal utilization and development of renewable source of energy, including forestry through the formation of renewable energy association at the block level Family welfare, health and nutrition, education and relevant community programs in the field Health for all programs Water management and soil conservation Social welfare programs for weaker sections Implementation of minimum needs program Disaster preparedness and management (i.e. for floods, cyclones, etc)
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furthermori, 726 NGOs are unregistered but under the prior per~nissioncategory. One problem hith NGOs in ~ l ~ d ias a , with NGOs anywhere else in the world, has been the fi111d.s or donations from external (foreign) donors Increasing dependency on goverrl~nental like the World Bank. This dependent relationship has resulted in a lack of flexibility on the Inally are expected to perform part ofNGOs to pick their missions and objectives si~ice certain tasks in return for funding. But, further still, it has also created structures that and, hence, less effective in development. have become more bureaucratic in ~iature Nevertheless, NGOs are here to stay and will continue to work in India on political. economical or social issues, the task before them is how they will manage to produce documentation. change will keep track for gover~l~nental Almost all Government ministries will have cgrtai11funds allocated for NGOs de~nonstrati~lg their acceptance as well as dependence on N G 0 s to fillfill common missions. NGOs are encouraged with fairly substantial grants for their activities. Council for Advancement of People's Actio11 and Rural Technology - CAPART' is an autonomous body within the ministry of kural development. It is the ringle largest govern~hent agency ,upportiilg voluntary sector work for rural develup~nent.Several fieilt depart~nents allocate funds for NGO projects. central and state g o ~ t ~ r ~ i ~ ~tlirii~triesatld - for instance of you are dealing with You can visit the reievdnt offices of these ~ni~listries health programmes go to the Ministry of Health, or visit their websites for further

NGOs : An Introduction

information.

1.5

KINDS OF NGOs FUNCTlONING IN INDIA

There are various kinds of NGOs and it is difficult to categorize the1119ybtematically. Some are concerned with special servlcss BLICII as education or health; others offer special services sllch a's hdvoddcy or cunsultancy, while most operate on grassroots levels meeting to opel*atewltl~in. various nceds in the comnlunities they c l i o c , ~ There are various ways in which 4011 t \ 171 li~id NGOS categorized, but liere below arc kinds ofNGOs and their filnctions:

Grussroots Orgrmisrrtions
Many small NGOs work directly with tile comirrutllty on the grassroots levels. These could be dealing with edUErition, health, mother and child issues ntc#There are many Mahila Mandals, Balwadis etc that will 6Fyorking in a small way and receiving funds other charities. Such organizatio~ls from thcis activities from government sources & ti~roligh do not necessarily need to be operating in villages or slums, as same will be working in ~niddle class housing communities.

Hetrltll rtttcl Eclucation

We will club these together as most NGOs working ill such fields of service will have areas of overlap. An educational NGO may be working in literacy, adult education or even at1 entire school for the poor. They will have a wide range of activities but will pri~l~arily be concerned to educate the masses to develop better attitudes and therefore better conditions for living. A health agency may be working in a rural area, but will use plenty of educatio~lal~nodelsto communicate basic health issues. Both education and health organisations are taking up AlDS and HIV projects as AIDS is not just a health problem; it is a social disease.

Advocacy
Advocacy is a term used to describe any organized activity on the behalfof an individual or the community especially the task of pleading or arguing for rights and privileges ofthe exploited or underprivileged. Such NGOs will speak out on issues of concern and may

Concepts & Functions of NCOs

even conduct an intensive campaign to change laws or policies. The NGOs who work on advocacy or calnpaigning on issues or causes do not normally directly implement programmes. They are a group of experts in their areas along with legal and communicatio~~ skills.

Consultnncy / Research ~rganisations

With the increasing challenges being faced by NGOs through globalization on the one side and increasing local socio-political factors there is need for advice from experts. Research & consultalicy organisations will assist NGOs right from the setting up to the implementation levels and then offer assistance in evaluation. Some NGOs like to alialyze their results using latest tools and these are useful in getting a picture of where we are in our progress.

Training/Capacity Building Organisations In the NGO Sector, training is frequently being referred to as Capacity Build~ng. But capacity building is much more than training and includes human resource development, organizational development, the streamlining of management structures, processes and procedures for better result-oriented perforlnances etc. For an NGO, in its broadest interpretation, capacity buiIding looks at human resource development (HRD) as an essential part of development. Such functions are best performed by experts and some NGO organisations are offering such expertise. Religious NGOs
I11 India some of tlie earliest NGOs in the broad sense of the word were set LIP by Christian missionaries in the 1800s. They primarily took up educational and health projects such as scl~ools and hospitals but also had some religious elelnelits within their range of activities. Today Hindu and Musliln organisations are doi~?g the same and many functioning successfully in amelioration of poverty and developing ofco~nmunities. Large percentage of NGO funding from outside India goes to religious based organisations. While some look positively at religion or faith based orgar?isations,others 11kethe Bill Gates Foundation will not give money to ally organization having a religious basis. A large number of NGOs in India have religious connections and opcrating effectivcly and eficicntly.

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Here is tlie profi!. ofa typical NGO. Note how clearly they articulate ti_.::; l.lission and their activi.' ,L ; I;crping with this mission. After carefully readill: t:,;,;, you <:anbegin to 6 :scr : .vor;i-own organization in a similar way.
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" ' proq '9s education among underprivileged children, aimingto ce these cliil~:*.~.~i r --linstream in a sustained manner, facilitate thcm to lcrge as prodilp" ns:.c*ls, and setting the foundation for nation building.

.ilc Fount!:

I C sile is conccrncd about welfare of children, their education, and their holistic
child health becolnes an integral part and health development. Undc~g,{andably, awareness forms ail i i n p o ~ i *component ~~lt of child education. Acknowletiging the value of a healthy child, therefore, Smile's silpport extends on children. For the purpose, Smile's strategy over health carc intcrvcntionsfoci~sed , for support is two pronged: Provision of health services, on regular basis, through static clinics as add-on to the education project. Camp approach, on regular basis, in virgin areas (where there is no Smile-supported education project).

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NGOS : An Introduction , "

The various health care services/activities supported by Smile on children's health cover the following: Health and hygiene awareness. Health check-up including dental health. Curative treatment including referral. Immunization Adolescent health education and counseling. Pediatric and surgery camps. As we have attempted to define NGOs and identify some of the types of NGOs, you are now able to underline some characteristic features of NGOs. One of the most common goals of NGOs will be their commitment helping people and benefiting society. In all they provide services that include community mobilization for health, education and environmental services, support services of various kinds and even small-scale financial intermediation for the economic upliftment.

1.6 WORKING OF NGOs

NGOs Demonstrate a Sense of Commitment
Most NGOs Have started by commitment of an individual or a group concerned to demonstrate this in action. Many times they are not experts but have a heart for helping. For instance CRY was founded by a 25 year airline purser and his seven friends with only Rs.50 and a dining table. They chose not to be a grassroots-level implementingorganization working directly with children. Instead, CRY became a link between individuals who could provide resources on the one hand, and the fieldworkers who were struggling to function for lack of funding. They identify people with similar commitment and strengthen their hands to accomplish tasks. You will see a commitment here that starts small and will soon find all else that is required to function effectively.

NGOs Primarily Work with the Poor

There is wide recognition by governmentsand corporate bodies that NGOs have a significant role to play in working with the poor. With recent experiences they know that this is not just through giving aid but in assisting the poor to break out of their condition of poverty. The term "empowerment of the poor" is commonly utilized to describe the key to the . transformation of the livelihood of these groups. We will study this concept later.

NGOs are Able to Reach Remote Areas of Need

NGOs are often able to reach sections of rural populations that governments either neglect or do not target as a priority. Sadly, sometimes government agencies will claim to have conducted programmes in such remote areas but there is little to prove it. It is their commitment that takes them into remote rural areas to identify the poorest segments of communities, identifying those who face acute poverty.

NGOs Possess First Hand Knowledge of Local Conditions

Most NGOs, being grassroots level operations make efforts to know as much as possible about the local people and their conditions. This is not just the socio-economic and environmental conditions of the area but also the attitudes of the local people. They will also have som'e inside unwritten accounts of the experiences of the individuals, their fainilies and the whoie community. It is for this reason that the Jawaharlal Urban Renewal

Concepts NGOs

Functions of

Mission providing funds for state governmerlrs to engage in ~ I U I I Icleal.ances are advising the involvement ofNGOs as they know the local conditions. NGOs tiom the farget area can help provide baseline date and all kinds of information to help give a good start to a project and avoid any major obstacles to develop~nent.
NGOs are Recognized for their Innovative Initiatives

Most NGOs will take pride in the fact that they have innovative programmes to tackle development problems and issues. While tilost times this lnay not be completely true, NGOs liave provided many ~iovel ideas and models adapted in other setlings and situations, Unlike routine government procedures and processes, NGOs, with their fairly flexible organizational structure are able to experiment with new approaches that add value to projects. For instance, tlie integrated farming concept which started by an NGO in the Philippines has gradu~lly moved all over. Rather than having just a fish pond, the group designed an integrated approacll where vegetation, goats, ducks, fish etc were all gown and integrated with one another. Tlie greenery gave food to the goats, their dung provided manure, tlie goats freely roamed around and swam in tlie ponds. Their excreta provided feed for the fish and overall an innovative model was successfullq denionstrated.
NGOs Depend on Donors for their Funding
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Most NGOs will depend on donors unless they liave been set LIPby their own founders fi~ndprovisions. Some large companies are setting up their own NGO operations by channeling their Corporate Social Respo~~sibility funds. These are fi~nds that the company sets aside in a show of cotnmitment to the community. However, by and large, NGOs will seekvarious sources, including government grants to obtain their funding These could be individuals, groups, national and international service agencies, business houses, or charitable trusts specially set up to give donations.
Activity 2

Write a brief note on the features of an NGO, listing solsle of the feftures above and adding others from your own experience.

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Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the Characteristics of NGOs

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While developmental NGOs vary greatly in size and orientation, nlost share the common goal ofhelping people and benefitting society. International and national NGOs support larger scale activities ranging from social welfarc to environments\ and political advocacy. NGOs at the local level provide services that include community organization, health, education, welfare support, str~all-scale financial intermediation and environmental protection. NGOs also help improve people's lives through ski1Is training and other livelihood programs. NGOs prepare and implement development pro-jects and work to self-reliance.NGO strengthen local institutional capabilities and promote communi~v funding comes through donations, Gover~lment assistance and a variety of other soilrces. NGOs make significaut contributions to socioeco~~o~nic developmcnt. Often they enjoy advantages over Government and private sector institutions and can deliver in a more efficient, cost-effective'manner. services to hard-to-reach com~nunities

12

Much of the success of NGOs comes from dynamic leadership and committed staff. NGOs usually are more flexible and innovative and are affected less by bureaucratic constraints. NGOs also have limitations. Many NGOs are small in both size and scope of operations and their impact sometimes is limited. NGOs can suffer from fina~cial and technical constraints. Often focused on a specific concern or a specific location, NGOs may lack a broader economic and social perspective. Many smaller NGOs are loosely structured and may have limited accountability. Management and planning may be weak or too flexible.