Presentation Paper Contribution to the Facilitated Workshop on “Framework for Best Practices” WANGO Conference, Accra, Ghana (April 24-26, 2008) By Desmond C. Appiah Sustainable Ghana Ltd. www.sustainableghana.com Title: “The Peer Review Concept: An Important Tool in Assuring NGO Effectiveness” This paper should contribute to the achievement of the general theme of the conference: “NGOs as Agents of Positive Change”
Abstract The role of NGO’s has grown tremendously in the last few decades both in stature and significance especially in the delivery of essential services in the developing world and in disaster areas. They have become synonymous with offering lifesaving services under extremely difficult circumstances. In most instances, they are the last vestige of hope for victims of disasters and primary source of assistance for addressing root causes of poverty. With growing influence and power, comes great responsibility. Concerns about NGO accountability and effectiveness are growing and the need for ensuring the integrity of this sector is more pressing now than ever, especially in Africa. This presenter proposes to present, and briefly assess the suitability of the Peer Review Concept as a tool for enhancing NGO accountability and effectiveness. The paper would consist broadly of the following parts: 1. A brief review of the growing importance of the role of NGOs in a rapidly changing world 2. Growing challenges NGOs face as their role and expectations continually change 3. Peer Review Concept and its application to NGO’s 4. Conclusion
1. A Brief Review of the growing importance of the role of NGOs in a rapidly changing world. The world has changed. Our world has changed. These may sound as an overly simplistic statement of the obvious but in all dimensions and from all perceptions, we are literally witnessing a rapidly changing world around us. From the climate change debate, globalization and its impacts, terrorism and its new definitions, to advances in medicine and disease management as well as the actualization of the global village, we are now in the melting pot of great societal changes. Primarily, due to improvements in communications: internet, mobile phones, transportation, etc, technological advancement in the second half of the last century has made global changes around us more rapid and ourselves more conscious of the change. These ongoing changes in the world offer tremendous opportunities for improving both the quality of life and standards of living of people. It has also highlighted the huge gaps that exist between the haves and the have-nots in our societies. The North and the South. The developed and developing worlds. The East and the West. NGO’s have since the end of the Cold War expanded the scope of their activities from issues of human rights violations including press and religious freedom, HIV/AIDS awareness and control, through advocacy in environmental activism to enhancing stability in nation-states by empowering civil society, women and oppressed groups all around the world. Indeed the role of NGO’s have risen significantly because governments have inadequately dealt with global problems and NGOs have proven time and again that they can mobilize and expand support for causes across borders, a need which has become even more evident as the challenges faced by society has evolved along with the world. In countries like South Africa, NGOs work with communities to negotiate optimal labor contracts, increase access to credit and in Bangladesh they have worked to provide microfinance facilities to people who otherwise could not have had access to capital. In Zambia, NGO’s are working to promote girl-child education whilst in Ghana they are promoting health, literacy and renewing communities. These are just a sample of the works of NGO’s all across the world and especially in Africa. In 2004 and 2005, the world witnessed two of the most devastating natural disasters ever televised in the Asian Tsumani and Hurricane Katrina. Many thousands of lives were lost but it also highlighted the compassionate spirit in humankind through the responses to these disasters. NGO’s played and
continue to play significant roles in the immediate aftermath of these disasters and in the ongoing reconstruction efforts. In other instances, like Rwanda in the 1990’s or Darfur, Sudan now, where the larger world community has been either slow or reluctant to act, NGO’s have been the last vestige of hope for the people. These are some of the stories of the great work being carried out across the world by NGO’s. The number of non governmental organizations have also rapidly increased over the last fifteen (15) years, international NGO’s (INGOs) have been estimated to be about forty thousand (40,000) while national numbers are even higher. Russia has over four hundred thousand (400,000) India has between 1 and 2 million and Tanzania has over 8500. Donor countries and partners have increasingly channeled development aid through non governmental organizations, rather than through government budgets with contributions of over $7 billion in aid to developing countries now through INGOs, according to the 2002 UNDP Human Development Report. This has given NGOs capacity to dispense services that governments should usually provide. Furthermore a growing number of NGO’s have operating budgets running into millions of dollars. It is worth noting that more than 1,500 INGOs are registered observers of the United Nations, a phenomenon that has grown since the mid-1990s, a sure sign of the growing influence of NGOs. NGO’s are making some great progress and achieving great successes but can we do more? Does the maxim “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” hold true here? 2. Growing challenges NGOs face as their role and expectations change With great power and influence, comes great responsibility. NGO’s in this century face greater challenges on two main fronts: first, from donors and partners and second, from the beneficiaries. Trust has become a major point of discussion amongst stakeholders in this sector and rooted deeply in issues of trustworthiness, are questions about the use of NGO’s as vehicles for personal gain and aggrandizement. Again the ability to remain neutral and non-partisan in the constantly changing and charged political environment in which they operate often demands a great deal of effort. These are by no means the only challenges that are affecting NGO effectiveness. Others include weak institutional structures that should support accountability and build integrity and a recognized
framework for what best practice of NGO operations are, especially in Africa. The potential benefits which comes with having a framework that encourages strategic thinking and planning, prudent financial management, enhances focus, builds capacity and ensures NGO’s operate in the spirit of their missions and values, could go a long way in capturing some of the positive achievements that technological innovations can and have brought to many parts of the world. These conditions are preventing NGO’s from contributing fully to improving the quality of lives and standards of living of our peoples. Challenges however abound in every enterprise, from governments to businesses to non-profits and even, as individuals. The issue therefore is not about the presence of challenges, it is about how to address and overcome them. Private sector profit-making organizations are facing challenges brought about by the rapidly changing world and globalization. A cursory look at the list of top 100 companies in the world today, reveals almost the same firms on the list as it was 10 years ago. Is it a question of these organizations being immune to the challenges presented in this century? Or is it something else? They must actually be doing something right to be able to withstand all the enormous competition and pressures of today’s world. The question therefore is: what are successful private sector firms doing that we can adopt in the pursuit of our missions? Our objectives may differ, but the tools for achieving effectiveness in the pursuit of our objectives should not necessarily differ. 3. Peer Review Concept and its application to NGO’s Many self-regulatory models have been proposed and tried by different NGO’s around the world to address some of the challenges enumerated above. They include but are not limited to: Enforcement and Incentive models (award, domestic self-regulatory measures, grievance mechanisms), Public Information, Self-Regulatory Charity Registers and Standards Setting and Performance Measurements (Sectoral Codes, Self-Certification, Peer Review, Organization Evaluation/Watchdog Mechanisms and Accreditation by external agencies. For the purposes of this workshop, I will focus on The Peer Review Concept. This is subjecting one’s organizational processes and procedures to scrutiny by colleagues and experts in the same field. Simply put, it is opening up your books to your peers. This practice has been on-going in academia and publishing, and in private sector businesses and some non-profits. It has been used for grant-making and in instances where the ideas are novel and substantial and offers
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