Managing Developmental Civil Society Organizations

When citizens band together in a civil society organization to effect change for the better, they can be a tremendous force for good. This book is about how to channel people's enthusiasm most effectively, so that pitfalls are avoided, and goals are attained. The book reviews the variety and different kinds of civil society organizations (CSOs) in operation, and what is within their powers to achieve. It follows the progress of enthusiasts through to professional development practitioners, setting out the processes of planning, resource mobilization, and developing links to governments, businesses and citizens, while still conserving the spark and fire that brings citizens to development work in the first place. It highlights the alternative vision that CSOs bring to their countries' problems and how this can inspire effective service provision and advocacy, as well as holding government accountable for what has been promised but not delivered. It helps with the periodic maintenance problems of CSOs and how they can keep up their standards. Finally it addresses three dangers of CSOs - foreign donor dependence, possible irrelevance in larger strategic thinking, and the loss of organizational strength. This book is essential reading for staff of national and international development organizations; fieldworkers; and all those wishing to create a people's organization to effect change.

Managing Developmental Civil Society Organizations highlights the alternative vision that CSOs bring to their countries' problems and how this can inspire effective service provision and advocacy, as well as holding government accountable for what has been promised but not delivered.

Non-Governmental Development Organizations have seen turbulent times over the decades; however, recent years have seen them grow to occupy high-profile positions in the fight against poverty. They are now seen as an important element of ‘civil society’, a concept that has been given increasing importance by global policy makers. This book has evolved during the course of that period to be a prime resource for those working (or wishing to work) with and for NGOs. The third edition of Non-Governmental Organizations, Management and Development is fully updated and thoroughly reorganized, covering key issues including, but not limited to, debates on the changing global context of international development and the changing concepts and practices used by NGOs. The interdisciplinary approach employed by David Lewis results in an impressive text that draws upon current research in non-profit management, development management, public management and management theory, exploring the activities, relationships and internal structure of the NGO. This book remains the first and only comprehensive and academically grounded guide to the issues facing international development NGOs as they operate in increasingly complex and challenging conditions around the world. It is the perfect resource for students undertaking studies of NGOs and the non-profit sector, in addition to being an excellent resource for development studies students more generally.

The book, as its title suggests, deals with management related policy-issues of NGOs. NGOs today have a great importance and carry huge responsibilities in the global society. Their role in sustainable development of society is crucial. Today good governance needs support of NGOs. Different NGOs have different mission and their management challenges need different kind of approach. Another issues of significance attached with functioning of NGOs is related to finances. Donors are funding agencies are liberal in their approach but policies need to focus on the fact that funds are channeled in the direction and their utilisation brings in the benefits to those for whom they are mentioned. All these issues from the nucleus of this work. The book is aimed at being useful to NGOs, policy-planners, social activist and others concerned with social work.

The first edition of this book was published in 2001 by Routledge and was the first academic text on the important new emerging field of NGO management. It sets out the field for researchers with a new and original conceptual framework, contains a comprehensive review of existing literature from a variety of disciplines (including management, development studies, and social policy) and provides wide-ranging examples from the author’s own practical and research experience. New to this edition: twelve new detailed case studies of NGO management issues and challenges new discussion points, lessons learned and questions for debate to guide the reader through each chapter definitions of key terms highlighted key ideas to illustrate each chapter. Revealing the distinctive organizational challenges faced by NGOs this second edition provides a fully updated and revised text that will prove invaluable to all those studying or working in NGOs, the voluntary sector or development studies. Visit the Companion website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/978-0-415-37093-6.

The task environment of NGOs is changing rapidly and significantly, making new demands on their management and leadership. This Companion discusses the complexities involved. It illustrates how NGOs can maintain performance and remain agile amidst increasing uncertainties. These factors include the position of NGOs in civil society, their involvement in governance and coping with the effects of the securitisation of international aid. Complementing The Earthscan Reader in NGO Management, selected contributions and specially commissioned pieces from NGO thought-leaders and practitioners, provide the reader with insights on the emerging thinking, competences and practices needed for success in managing and leading tomorrow's NGOs.

This book provides an insight into the historical changes and present-day circumstances that have influenced, and continue to influence, the development and future of civil society. Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a crucial role in international development, however their impact on policy and practice is limited by a range of shifts across their political, social and financial landscapes. Barriers to Effective Civil Society Organisations is divided into three parts addressing each of these shifts in turn, and places particular emphasis on civil society actors linked not only by political constraints, but also by ethnic and cultural diversities that are crucial markers of political and social identity. This book draws on case studies from across Latin America, Africa, MENA and Ireland to highlight how CSOs in these countries are shaped by, and react to, shifting challenges. Reflecting on solutions for the sector, the authors provide an understanding of the various ‘self-accommodation’ policies and techniques employed by CSOs in order to continue their services and increase their credibility across global contexts. Aimed at researchers, policy makers and CSO/NGO workers looking to better understand the current state and future of the sector from the perspective of emerging scholars working in these regions, and in the Global South in particular, this innovative book is a celebration of the important work of CSOs and a reaffirmation of their right to sit at the policy table.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are high profile actors in the field of international development, both as providers of services to vulnerable individuals and communities and as campaigning policy advocates. This book provides a critical introduction to the wide-ranging topic of NGOs and development. Written by two authors with more than twenty years experience of research and practice in the field, the book combines a critical overview of the main research literature with a set of up-to-date theoretical and practical insights drawn from experience in Asia, Europe, Africa and elsewhere. It highlights the importance of NGOs in development, but it also engages fully with the criticisms that the increased profile of NGOs in development now attracts. Non-Governmental Organizations and Development begins with a discussion of the wide diversity of NGOs and their roles, and locates their recent rise to prominence within broader histories of struggle as well as within the ideological context of neo-liberalism. It then moves on to analyze how interest in NGOs has both reflected and informed wider theoretical trends and debates within development studies, before analyzing NGOs and their practices, using a broad range of short case studies of successful and unsuccessful interventions. David Lewis and Nazneen Kanji then moves on to describe the ways in which NGOs are increasingly important in relation to ideas and debates about ‘civil society’, globalization and the changing ideas and practices of international aid. The book argues that NGOs are now central to development theory and practice and are likely to remain important actors in development in the years to come. In order to appreciate the issues raised by their increasing diversity and complexity, the authors conclude that it is necessary to deploy a historically and theoretically informed perspective. This critical overview will be useful to students of development studies at undergraduate and masters levels, as well as to more general readers and practitioners. The format of the book includes figures, photographs and case studies as well as reader material in the form of summary points and questions. Despite the growing importance of the topic, no single short, up-to-date book exists that sets out the main issues in the form of a clearly written, academically-informed text: until now.