Role OF NGOs

1. NON- GOVERNMENT
ORGANIZATION(
NGOS)

2. Objectives
After reading this unit you will be able to
 Define what is an Ngo is:
 Identify some essential functions and objective
of NGOs.
 Does the government recognize NGOs?
 Understand the problems faced by NGOs.

3. What is an NGO?
 An NGO or a Non-government 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 to the
development and welfare of the community.
 In our Country, the role of NGOs in various fields
such as Education, health, culture and social welfare
has been increasingly recognised
 Now days NGOs are interested into fields of Water
resource, Environment, Human rights, HIV, AIDS,
Drug abuse, Consumer rights, Service delivery,
Training, Research and Advocacy.

4.  There are other terms such as Community Based Organizations
(CBO), Non-profit organizations (NPO) or Voluntary 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 community 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.

5. Definition
 According to Word Bank:
“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.”
“NGO as an organisation independent from the
government, and that has a humanitarian or
cooperative, rather than commercial objectives”

6. NGOs history
 International Non-governmental organizations have a
history dating back to 1839
 However, the phrase “Non-government originations” only
came into popular use with the establishment of the
United national organization in 1945
 Biggest NGOs in the world – Red Cross

7. DOES THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZE
NGOs?
 It was only around 1980 that the Indian Government
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

8. DOES THE GOVERNMENT
RECOGNIZE NGOs?
 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)
 Promotion of ecology and tribal development.
 Environmental Protection and education

9. NGOs Classification
By the level of By the level of
Orientation Operation
1) Charitable orientation 1) Community Based
Organizations(CBOs)
2) Service Orientation 2) City Wide Organizations
3) Participatory Orientation 3) National NGOs
4) Empowering Orientation 4) International
NGOs

10. Goals of NGOs
 Community health promotion and education( Such as
Hygiene and Waste disposal )
 Managing emerging health crisis ( HIV/ AIDs, Hepatitis
B)
 Community social problems ( Juvenile crimes, run away
street children's, Prostitution )
 Environmental ) Sustainable water, energy resource)
 Economic ( micro loans , skills training, financial
education )
 Women’s and child issues ( Women and children's rights
, counselling, literacy issues )

11. Functions and objectives of NGOs
 NGOs fulfil a wide range of functions including development
assistance, crisis relief, social and health services. The
areas they fulfil define their scope. Hardly NGOs are framed
to serve with one objective, and often they carry a primary
objective and subsidiary aims that serve the common or
primary objective. The major areas where NGOs serve in the
global arena.
 includes:
 Advocacy and awareness regarding particular issues
(Doing research and surveys, working for social justice and offering legal
advice to the rural and urban people who are in need of justice )
 Education and research (like formal education, non-formal
education and adult education programmes to decrease
illiteracy rate )
 Human rights

12. objectives of NGOs
 Women and Child welfare(Organizing mother and child care programmes and
value based education sessions to decrease, child deaths, malnutrition of women at
the time of pregnancy and children and improving health, hygiene and sanitation in
slum areas )
 Community development
 Training and Capacity building
 Health services
 Counselling and Rehabilitation (deprived sections like the handicapped,
mentally retarded and orphans)
 Socio-economic development (development of the people living in rural
areas especially in down-trodden areas )
 Entrepreneurship development and training (generation of employment
opportunities, income generating activities, providing skill based training, and
imparting new technology in agriculture )

13. objectives of NGOs
 Culture and recreation
 Participatory democracy
 Formation of self help groups (provide financial assistance to the
members of SHGs in order to empower them economically )
 Environmental protection
 Other social services

14. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION( Case
Study)
 Why do NGOs require management expertise?
 XYZ started an NGO organization called "ABC
Foundation" concerned for giving assistance to many
helpless people affected by HIV and AIDS. XYZ raised
money from her own family and started off her work in a
small way in a nearby slum. Small other families heard
about this good work and they sent their donations. XYZ
banked all this into her personal account
 Soon an AIDS foundation heard about XYZ and made a
small grant for her work. They required a project
proposal and this was no problem as one of her uncle
was a medical professor and he assisted with an
excellent presentation.

15.  Funds came in and needed to be banked. It was not so
easy now. The bank required a registered trust
documents and a board etc. XYZ could not get into all of
this and thought she could continue without such
restrictions
 Hearing that ABC Foundation was assisting A1DS
affected families several individuals came forward
requesting assistance. XYZ had no idea how to
distinguish the genuine from the fake. She invited some
friends to help. These friends were eager to help out but
lacked professional skills and the ability to deal with HIV
and AIDS issues. But there was plenty of zeal and
commitment

16.  Regular visits were being made to the slum. Friends and
family gave money and XYZ continued. Being honest
and committed she was careful with the use of the
money but did not have any financial skills.
 Soon one of the members of the community died. The
family had no idea of the problem but unscrupulously
wanted to exploit the situation. They complained to the
police and put the blame on XYZ for the death. What
followed was an enquiry into ABC Foundation. They
asked for documents to prove the credibility of the
organization. There was an enquiry into the use of
funds.

17.  XYZ was able to get out of this sticky situation after quite
some time of struggle. Once again her friends and family
helped out. She learned her lesson but a bit too late!

18. Management is Required ?
 Management is Required Social, legal, financial,
environmental, and other issues are growing
increasingly complex, offer a challenge to NGOs to
maintain themselves. They frequently face tasks that
require practical management expertise, knowledge of
legal and governmental requirements and
communicational skills to help them survive and fulfil
their missions.
 With governments wanting to enlist the participation of
NGOs in major efforts, they look for well managed
NGOs with a credible track record

19. PROBLEMS OF NGOs
 Lack of Funds
 Lack of Dedicated Leadership
 Inadequate Trained Personnel
 Misuse of Funds
 Monopolization of leadership
 Lack of Public Participation
 Centralization in Urban Areas
 Lack of Coordination

20. PROBLEMS OF NGOs
 Lack of Volunteerism/Social work among
Youth
 Modernization
 Target orientated and time-bound Programmes
 Area of Interest

21. Lack of Funds
 Most of the NGOs in India are suffering from paucity
of funds. Government does not give cent percent
grants in aid or make delay in sanctions of grants
for numerous programmes. NGOs have to make
matching contributions which they are some times
unable to manage and are, therefore, unable to
avail themselves of the grants. Now a day’s charity
is not so strong in the minds and hearts of the
people as it was in the ancient society. This was
another region for languish of funds for NGOs.

22. Lack of Dedicated Leadership
 Leadership qualities of the leaders in NGOs
determine the quality and condition of the
services rendered by any organization

23. Inadequate Trained Personnel
 It is believed that the personnel working in NGOs may be of
personnel working in such organizations is a sense of dedication
and commitment and interest in the social services. NGOs earlier
were assumed to be served by unpaid social workers imbued with
the spirit of service and did not require any special education or
training. But the present trend who are having professional
education are not interested to work with NGOs. Their vision has
been changed and are interested to work in urban areas only.
Therefore, it is very difficult to get trained persons who are either
 persons have high expectations in terms of salaries, status,
opportunities for their growth in the career of their choice. More
over, most of NGOs due to lack of funds cannot able to spent some
more funds for giving training to the personnel employed in the
organization willing or trained to work in the rural society where
most of NGOs work

24. Misuse of Funds
 It is the matter of fact that some unscrupulous elements
have made fortunes by floating NGOs for their personnel
gains and managing grants from the government. It is a
common experience that there have been serious
charges of misuse and misappropriation of funds
received as granting-aid form the government, foreign
donors and raised through their own resources by the
most of the NGOs. These NGOs may reflect its image to
other NGOs who are working with dedication and
commitment.

25. Monopolization of leadership
 It has been observed that there is a growing tendency
towards monopolization and interlocking of leadership at
the top level of voluntary action groups and
organizations as is reflected in the same person being
the president in one organization, secretary in the other,
treasurer in the third and a member of the executive in
the fourth. This interlocking of leadership can be
advantageous in formulating, coordinated policies,
programes and activities, facilitating exchange of
technical know-how and experience and mobilizing
people for a common goal. But the greatest
disadvantage of such leadership is that fresh blood is
not allowed to flow into the organization and leadership.

26. Lack of Public Participation
 NGOs are meant to provide opportunities to the citizens
for democratic participation but they have not been able
to fulfill this obligation due to the method and manner in
which they function, and failed to attract people,
interested in construction work and develop channels for
peoples enthusiastic participation. Some of the factors
responsible for such a state of affairs are general
backwardness of the people, absence of adequate
number of dedicated persons, over emphasis on targets
and time bound programmes, political interference and
vested interests, easy availability of funds without proper
planning and assessment of felt needs and safeguards
for the community

27. Centralization in Urban Areas
 NGOs are more developed in urban areas as
compared to rural areas. The backwardness
and ignorance of the rural people and lack of
enthusiasm among social workers to among
them in the absence of availability of minimum
comforts are the two important reasons for the
backwardness of the NGOs in rural areas.

28. Lack of Coordination
 The absence of coordination between NGOs existing at local, state
and national level has laid to the common problems such as
overlapping, duplication, non -coordination etc, The absence of
such a
 common forum also incapacitates NGOs to offer united stand
against the government when it humiliates them by extraneous
considerations at the behest of politicians and egoistic government
officers
 Moreover, the state of affairs also does not facilitate exchange of
information, data collection, research, training and publication and
also does not create favorable conditions where common difficulties
can be placed before the government.

29. Lack of Volunteerism/Social work
among Youth
 The basic characteristic of NGO is volunteerism. In early
days, youth are making their career in volunteerism but
that enthusiasm seems to have faded these days. The
extent of volunteerism is declining day by day and
turning it into professionalization. Even the young
graduates from social work are interested in making
their career in professionalism. This leads to lack of
efficient volunteers in NGOs.

30. Modernization
 Because of modernization, professionalization
and introduction of management techniques,
the traditional NGOs need certain minimum,
infrastructure and administrative expenses.
Unfortunately, grants-in-aid rules do not allow
for such administrative expenditure except
contingencies. This leads to evaporations of
traditional NGOs in the country which use to
lead by great leaders.

31. Target orientated and time-bound
Programes
 It has been observed that the donor or
government who sanctions grants will put
target and time-bound programmes in front of
NGO. Those NGOs will take the period but the
qualities of service there are offering. This
leads to deteriorating in quality of service and
are below expected standards.

32. Area of Interest
 Sometimes, NGO will prefer the donor area of
interest in welfare activities going beyond his
own interest or working in more than one
programme. This also leads to deterioration in
quality of service in particular programme.

33. REMEDIES
 The following are the suggested remedies to the problems of the NGOs in
India.
 The government of India has to liberalize the rules and regulations of
grants aid and to sanction more grants to NGOs. At the same time, the
government should appoint commissions of enquiry or committees to
cross check the misuse of funds by NGOs. The member of committee has
to supervise and monitor the activities of NGOs periodically. Political and
personnel vendetta may be responsible for such investigation
 Young graduates from universities, colleges and schools has to
conduct the public seminars, meetings, symposiums etc., and use
the local media to advertise the importance of volunteerism,
success stories of NGOs and encourage people to participate in
voluntarism

34.  At the same time, universities, colleges and schools has
to collaborate with NGOs and conduct a campus
interviews for the young graduates who are interested in
voluntarism. NSS and NCC should encourage students
to participate in voluntarism from childhood days
onwards.
 Monopolization of leadership should be avoided. NGOs
should recruit young and efficient people as leaders and
retire the persons who are nominated members for very
long tenures in any group or agency.

35.  The government or donor should concern that particular
NGO while giving target orientated or time bound
programme. This leads to maintain the quality in service.
 The government or donor while sanctioning the grants
for particular programme has to considered the interest
of that particular NGO. According to NGOs interest of
programme, the funds to be sanctioned

36.  The NGOs should use of latest technologies like
internet, websites etc., for raising of their funds, to have
mutual associations, to advertise their products and for
the selection of efficient personals.
 special provisions for NGOs who are working
in rural areas in getting eligibility conditions for
grants.

37.  NGOs being a welfare organization have to
maintain high standard of quality in service.
The government has to recognize those
NGOs, by giving awards or rewards with
additional grants
 special funds to be allotted for the NGOs to
train the personnel at the grass root level