NGOs and the Law of Detrimental Effects

Nico van Oudenhoven

In here we focus on some important dynamics and challenges that many, if not all, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) face as they strive to fulfill their missions, especially how their focus tends to shift from their original goal towards securing the entity’s survival. This phenomenon is here called ‘The Law of Detrimental Effects’. Some suggestions are presented as to escape from this Law.

Admirable Aspirations

Each NGO is created with a lofty goal in mind. This goal may have to do with such matters as the protection of nature, the preservation of monuments, assisting people with vision impairments, the protection of the white rhinoceros, the promotion of the arts, the safeguarding of children’s rights… The list of options of worthy causes is virtually limitless.

Usually, the initiators are profoundly motivated and enthusiastic about what they seek to achieve; in one way or another they hope to make the world a little better place to live in. Their actions, programmes, interventions, research, policies, and the like are all directed to that one goal that they have set themselves. Their mission, actions, programmes, interventions, research, policies, and the like are all directed to that one goal that they have set themselves.

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The eagerness and dedication for their work drive them to work toward their goals. This includes the development of programmes and projects, the implementation of interventions, conducting research to better understand the issues they address, and the formulation of policies and advocacy efforts aimed at creating systemic change.

The devotion and commitment of an NGO are critical factors in its success and propel its workers often to go beyond their regular duties. All this, fuels creativity, resilience, and a sense of purpose that helps overcome challenges and collectively serve as the means to attain the targets, objectives, and aims set by the NGO.

Means Become Goals

But then, often unnoticed, and rather slowly at first, other concerns creep in the management and functioning of the NGO, especially in those that are not financially endowed; questions such as: how we can pay our staff next month, afford the rent of the office, and other operational costs, and underlying this all: how do we get more sponsors?

These concerns are then not so much about attaining the initial goals anymore but rather as to how the organisation can carry on. What happens is that, gradually but indisputably, the means becomes the goal. The original goal, still officially promulgated, becomes subservient to the overriding concern of safeguarding the continued existence of the NGO and protecting the well-being of its personnel, foremost of its leadership.

A sense of doom and calamity started to creep in. We would like to call this the ‘Law of Detrimental Effects’. This ‘Law’ is most powerful, and it seems, fair to say, that most, if not all, NGOs we are familiar with it share this uneasiness. Ask around, and the first thing both leadership and staff of NGOs will tell you that they are busily finding new grants so as to keep their organisation from folding up, overshadowing its primary mission.

To this end, its messages turn out more powerful, stronger and the successes, obtained or foreseen more incredulous and the images it sends out more alarming and even darker. This all often in efforts to convince current and prospective donors of their often excessive and unrealistic demands, and, fair to say, to respond as well as to the calls by the public at large.

As a result, the initial intentions ‘widen up’ as projects and activities pursued tend not only to deviate from these but are also alien to the professional make up of the NGO staff: their interests, skills, experience, and networks are less and less called upon.

Escaping the Law of Detrimental Effects

Escaping the Law…1

There is, obviously, no straight, failproof strategy to escape from this Law. But there may be roundabout ways; many of them may look like hard to attain as they require a distancing from the overriding objective of getting one’s NGO on firmer ground, which is not an easy assignment.

The most powerful, but also most difficult to attain is for the NGO and its staff to become welcome members of high-quality networks. The sole goal for joining such platforms should be exclusively for sharing and validating ideas and emotions, for opening up new vistas and mutual learning, forging partnerships, for making new colleagues, and even friends. It should also be an enjoyable endeavour.

The remarkable outcome, though, in addition to the satisfying experience of being recognised as an organization or a person that matters, is that opportunities for sponsored programme development often tend to open up as a matter of course, even when not sought explicitly or, most difficult, implicitly. It is a ‘catch 22’ like situation: if one is out to promote one’s NGO one is likely bound to fail, if one drops this intention, which is nigh impossible, one may succeed.

Escaping the ‘Law…’ 2

Some of the most hope-giving, but also sobering conclusions in the debate on the sustainability of NGOs come from the early work of social scientists Norman Uphoff, Milton Esman, and Anirudh Krishna. Looking at a range of successful NGOs in rural India, they noticed, that NGOs had little or nothing to do with, what seems obvious, their mission, goals and objectives, or even more surprisingly, with the characteristics of the initiators, such as being strong willed, creative, charismatic, or visionary.

They argued that three factors appeared of crucial importance to an NGO’s existence: in place is a solid, managerial, HR and financial housekeeping system; the organisation is soundly embedded in ‘horizontal’ -this is it entertains fruitful collegial ties with like-minded NGOs- networks; – and is also vertically connected.

The latter entails that the NGO has access to, is known, and may be consulted by and draw on entities on the ‘work floor’ such as community-based organisations, sport clubs, local authorities and also has access to and may be called upon for guidance by such structures as ministries, embassies, and larger and more powerful national and international grant-making bodies.

For some time, International Child Development Initiatives [ICDI], a Netherlands-based, internationally operating NGO, organised so called ‘Living Room Seminars’. These consisted of low-key, casual, low-cost, informal gatherings of some twenty plus people. These were carefully chosen: an effort was made that participants knew no more than three other people, came from different organisations [grass-roots groups, ministries, NGOs with comparable missions, and funding agencies]. A session would not last for more that an afternoon, preceded by a walk-in lunch and closed with drinks. This all neither with an agenda nor notetaking. Just an announcement such as ‘Street Children, what can NGOs do?’, or ‘HIV/Aids, and the Role of Local Partnerships’. Further, there was usually a speaker, with intimate knowledge or the prevailing topic, to give a short introduction. The meetings appeared not only enjoyable but also led, occasionally, to new productive contacts. Still, it cost some valuable time, energy, and other resources to run these events on a regular basis.

Escaping the ‘Law…’ 3

“Epistemic communities” is a concept in the field of international relations and political science that was developed by political scientist Peter Haas in the late 1990s. He defined epistemic communities as informal networks of individuals who possess specialized knowledge and expertise in a particular policy area. They include experts, scholars, and policymakers who share common beliefs, values, and knowledge about a particular issue or set of issues. This expertise can be based on scientific, technical, or experiential knowledge.

The intention of these ‘communities’ is to play a significant role in shaping policy and influencing decision-making within a specific policy domain. Crucially: They often have a consensus on what constitutes valid knowledge within their field. Members of epistemic communities communicate and interact regularly, exchanging information, research findings, and policy recommendations.

They typically transcend national boundaries, fostering international collaboration and the exchange of ideas. They help bridge the gap between technical knowledge and political decision-making. Epistemic communities translate complex issues into policy-relevant language. These communities can influence not only national policies but also international agreements and negotiations.

They participate in international forums and advocate for their policy preferences and can play a crucial role in shaping policy agendas, formulation, and implementation. Policymakers often rely on their expertise and recommendations.

As such, they can facilitate the spread of policies and ideas across countries and regions. When one country successfully implements a policy championed by an epistemic community, other countries may follow suit. They can function as policy entrepreneurs, advocating for their preferred policies and working to convince policymakers of their effectiveness.

Well-known epistemic communities are those concerned with climate change and human rights. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an example of an epistemic community. Climate scientists, policymakers, and experts collaborate to provide authoritative assessments of climate change, influencing global climate policies. Many international human rights organizations and advocates form epistemic communities that promote the protection and promotion of human rights norms worldwide.

Specialised NGOs should either seek to join epistemic communities that relate to their mission, or endeavour to create one. By doing so, although this should not be the primary objective, chances are real that they will be invited to take part in programmatic activities. But again, here as well, the expenditures in time and means involved may be prohibitive.

In here, we take distance from Haas’s definition of epistemic communities, especially his emphasis on, what could be called, ‘elitist’ and ‘ hierarchical’ forms of knowledge and experience as mastered by ‘experts’ at formal institutes of higher learning. We opt for epistemic communities that are hybrid, in the sense that they should be populated by persons who have an interest in the subject matter, and ideally also a track record, but regardless of their academic achievements, age, gender, of nature of their actual experience. The session should also non-hierarchical, meaning that the views of all participants should be equally heard and respected.

Specialised NGOs should either seek to join epistemic communities that relate to their mission, or endeavour to create one. The advantage of internet-based meetings is that participants from all over the Globe could take part in both the creation and running of these hybrid epistemic communities. By doing so, although this should not be the primary objective, chances are real that they will be invited to take part in programmatic activities. But again, here as well, the expenditures in time and means involved may pose a challenge.

Escaping the ‘Law…’ 4

Non-endowed NGOs cannot exist without sharing their [success] stories, publications, and the like on net-based media to reach out to wider audiences and to show like minded people from a wide range of backgrounds as well as the sponsor community what they are all about. The benefits of a strong social media presence may be debatable; however, its absence would be interpreted as a remiss and a sign of profound unprofessionalism.

In this, the NGO staff, all of them, should be able to tell their audiences about the work of their NGO both in one sentence, the so called ‘elevator pitch’ and at the same time to talk about it for a few hours.

Escaping the ‘Law…’ 5

Moving from project to programme to movement.

NGOs, traditionally, deal in terms of ‘projects’: activities with well-defined objectives, budgets, and timelines. It is also quite common to see to that the professional and personal relationships that have been developed during the time of the project come to end as well. Typically, parties may look for other project openings and also other partners. By all means, this is a waste of resources, opportunities, mutual learning and appreciation and other positive feelings.

It is argued here that from Day One of a project’s existence one should start looking for ways to use the project as a stepping stone for developing a programme. The main difference between is that being that programmes are characterised by not having a closing date and is guaranteed by continued funding. The above-mentioned ‘epistemic communities’ are a useful and highly productive vehicle to accomplishing this.

A next step, ideally, would be to use the programme to morph into a movement. This entails that the originally project and programme vision and practices resonates with ever-widening audiences. Here, as well, epistemic communities could play a key role here, and at the same time, keeping the initiators involved, read: alive.

Escaping the ‘Law…’ 6

This is perhaps the most important ingredient albeit rather ethereal: even when things have turned dark and there seems no light at the end of the tunnel: keep on believing in yourself and your mission as means to attain the goals that you endorse and promise to make the Planet a nicer place to live in, sometimes against all odds. Also, keep on looking around you and you will see that you’re not alone. North and South confluence.

Nico van Oudenhoven is the Senior Associate International Child Development Initiatives [ICDI] See: ICDI.nl; Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands

Headline image from ICDI Website

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