Functions and Performance of NGOs and Government in the Development of Third World Countries - Case Study Example

FUNCTIONS AND PERFORMANCE OF NGOS AND GOVERNMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES: A CASE STUDY OF BAGHLADESH Name Course Tutor University Department Introduction Over the years, we have noticed the massive growth of non-governmental organizations in many countries globally. They have facilitated in the management of development initiatives, particularly in the third world countries (Annhiel & Siebel 1990). Since in 1970, the numbers of NGOs have increased from 25,000 to about 75,000. Studies indicate that the reasons for the emergence of development NGOs are government failure and market failure, especially in developing countries. In other words, it can be said to be dissatisfaction with the performance of both the state and the market. In third world countries, NGOs are estimated to impact lives of more than 250 million people with their numerous agenda such as development, human rights, gender, environment, and so on (Kabir 2000). To ensure that NGOs continues to meet their objectives, the governments in many Third World Countries have to restructure power sharing. Over the last years, NGOs have gained prominence in public sectors, and the funds and resources they receive external sources has increased. This concept of collaboration between the government and NGOs has significant impacts for means, as well as strategies for socioeconomic development in the third world countries. In an attempt to discuss the role of government and NGOs, this paper will examine potential contributions of NGOs, a healthy GO-NGOs collaboration, and a case GO-NGOs collaboration in Bangladesh. Potential Contributions of NGOs The main reason for the continuous growth of NGOs in developing countries is to find an alternative way of transferring development aid in the third world countries. Currently, there has been a funding strategy of external sources, particularly the World Bank who have reduced the role of state and increased the NGOs participation. Also, the initiation of the New Policy Agenda that has facilitated the growth of NGOs in social welfare activities and poverty alienation (Ahmad 2000). Furthermore, many states in developing countries have encouraged NGOs initiative as a development partner, as well as an agent for funding transfer from various donor agencies. NGOs have also been crucial for accelerating the pace of development and strengthening democracy in third world countries. In a political context, NGOs plays significant roles as facilitators, an advocate of people, and mobilizes. Democracy helps people get numerous such as sustainable development, self-governance, and self-reliance. These roles are paramount due to their accountability to the public, specialized functions, and many others. In this context, NGOs should not only play a role as gap fillers but also play key roles in the society development (Tvdet 1995). Since NGOs have a grass root attachment, it is thus easier to implement social development programs such as poverty alleviation, community development, women and youth empowerment, and so on. Consequently, promoting good governance, pluralism, and advocating for human rights. NGOs are believed to represent poorer people since they have close connections with poor communities. They help the poor and disadvantaged people by making contacts with the target groups at the community level. NGOs have the ability to innovate, adapt to the local environment and work with the poor. They also play the role of social experimentation, an area where the government fails to undertake due to the associated political risks. For this reason, many donor agencies have increased funding allocation to the NGOs and consequently reduced funds allocated to the state. Indeed, some NGOs have been involved in the organization of marginalized groups in the development such as poor, women, and children. In additions, some have tried to link so that the poor can access resources (Fisher 2000). For instance, a microfinance institution in the development oriented NGOs improve the marginalized people economic development by bringing in new sources of income outside their community, preventing money from leaving, providing new opportunities where they can generate income, and strengthening the link to other enterprises to improve their economic development. Furthermore, the donor finds them very efficient as they substitute government functions, especially in the least developed countries in various public services. Hashemi & Hassan (1999) noted that the total amount of funding allocated from NGOs to the Third World Countries accounts for approximately 15% overseas development assistance. A Healthy Government-NGO Collaboration A healthy collaboration can only be achieved where there is mutual goal. When the state has a positive socio-economic and the NGOs are also effective, this can result in a strong relationship. According to Ahmed (2000), healthy relationship refers to mutual respect, self-sufficiency, independence, and pluralism of their positions and ideas. However, it is a very rare condition as the government may fear NGOs may threaten the country security or take some of their political powers. Nevertheless, strategic NGOs are overcoming these limitations, and instead seeking partnership with the government where they operate. As a result, NGOs may be able to work with the state at the grassroots level, which might otherwise abandon. Projects planning and implementation of policies can be strengthened by allowing NGOs to substitute the government to ensure that grassroots organizations can voice their ideas and concern. Various studies have indicated that there is a strong relationship between development success and grassroots organization participation. Conversely, if the relationship between the government and NGOs is more comfortable, dialogue may not yield productive results. In such cases, NGOs fails to analyze the state's role in coordinating development initiatives critically. In most cases, NGOs acts as gap filler as directed by those authorities they rely on. Therefore, a degree of financial self-sufficiency is crucial to ensure their independence. NGOs can play important roles to ensure by helping the public or filling gaps in various sectors of the economy, or advocate for changes in country development strategy. However, they do not rely on offer alternative pathways. Their ability to innovate can be used to test new approaches. However, it can only be sustainable if they can influence the country's national development. When both the state and NGOs see their complementary contributions, new possibilities will be opened. Through policy dialogue with the state, donor agencies can influence government-NGOs relationship to enable constructive engagement. A case study of Government-NGOs in Bangladesh Bangladesh has one of the largest numbers of registered NGOs, some of which are considered to be the largest in the world. For example, Grameen Bank, which has also been implemented in different parts globally such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America regarding process, and structure (Ebdon 1995). Bangladesh NGOs implications in the world make it a suitable case for understanding the contribution of both state and NGOs. Bangladesh has been under military leadership for many years, between 1975 and 1990. During this period saw the growth of NGOs and activities due to the state efforts to strengthen its legitimacy, especially in the grassroots and as a substitute for opposition political parties. Additionally, due to the weak government status it now became easier to for donor to offer comparative management through NGO development rather than government-led management. The country had a weak governance system, poor service delivery, and poor development. The country was poverty stricken; women oppression and environmental hazards also increased, and literacy rates were also low. The adverse socioeconomic factors resulted in donor presence to assist in the social agenda implementation. Studies have indicated the rapid growth of NGOs during this period was due to government and market failure. Bangladesh is also overpopulated leading to increased poverty and landlessness. For this reason, the role of NGOs was crucial to poverty alleviation and to generate income. Development NGOs in Bangladesh According to Rahman (2000), the massive growth of NGOs started in 1990 as a result of their successive development and increasing external sources pressure on the state to utilize them as a way of obtaining funds and for the economic development. Today, the country has thousands of registered NGOs focusing on various sectors such as welfare, development, services, environment, women, and human rights. However, the most common non-governmental organizations in Bangladesh are involved in activities about the socio-economic development of the rural people such as skill development, rural credit, skill development, and poverty alleviation. The most well known are Grameen Bank and Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). The government of Bangladesh has maintained tight control of these NGOs by established a separate department in that deals with NGOs. Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) BRAC is one of the most influential NGOs that were started as a relief organization in 1972 with limited operations. However, over the years it has become the largest development NGOs creating numerous opportunities for the poor. It focuses on raising the standards of life for the rural poor, particularly the landless. BRAC objectives are based on concept that lack of empowerment, income, and independence are the primary cause of poverty. It functions covers a broad range of undertakings such entrepreneurship and education (Newnham 2000). It has several programs that focus on teacher training, informal education, primary health care and family planning. For instance, their non-formal primary education program covers approximately 600000 students, and the pre-primary program has about 33,000 children. This program has played crucial role in reducing the number of school dropouts and enhances education in remote areas of Bangladesh. Also through their primary health care program, the mortality rate in maternal care has reduced significantly, and they have been able to recover about 90% of tuberculosis in several districts. Currently, they are also working on helping people to cope with climate changes, especially in the coastal areas. In the last few years, BRAC has added credit program all over the country. The rural development program has two functions; training and mobilizing the rural people, while Rural Credit Program focuses on providing these people with credit and financial services. In rural development programs, they identify poor household and advise them to form small groups, and to provide the member with the required education and training. BRAC main beneficiaries are the marginalized population, particularly the landless and women in the remote areas of Bangladesh. It has now moved to profit-making activities such as poultry farming, garment manufacturing, retail, and so on. The plan of the NGO is to have integrated development approach for the slum dwellers and street children and incorporating technology to ensure they are efficient and cost effective. Grameen Bank It is a microfinance and development back established by Mohamed Yunus, which later won a Nobel peace prize. However, at first it was a small project, which later became a bank for rural credit in 1983, where it was given full responsibility to provide credit to the poor rural people of Bangladesh without any collateral security. It works with the principle that the most significant obstacle of poverty alleviation is the lack of access to small loans; it thus began a countrywide microcredit program to provide credits to the poor. The founder, Yusuf gathered people from the village with an aim of cooperating in depositing money for saving to be used for future investment. Members who even owned less than 0.5 acres of cultivatable land were eligible to take a loan from the bank. The loans were initially endorsed for non-agricultural activities such as retail shop operation, paddy husking, selling seasonal crops, and cattle fattening (Hoque & Siddiquee 1998). These loans were only given to women as a way of promoting women empowerment, and the size of loan increased with time. More women were encouraged to issues loan to start business enterprises. Besides providing small loans to its members, Grameen Bank also stimulated them to start larger economic projects such as operating rice and oil mills, power shows, and deep tube wells. Over time, it has increasingly transitioned offering single service to various services. However, to access the loans, the village member must first form a group of more than five members, they then receive training, and they can start making small deposits. However, the loans are issued only to two members followed by others based on the predecessors' ability to repay and the discipline they portray (Khandker, Khalily & Khan 1996). The members are expected to repay the with a 20% interest, however, if the members fail, other members pay the balance, and they are disqualified from any loan issuance in the future (Torres 1993). It is evident that NGOs in Bangladesh worked successfully with the poor rural people in providing various incentives to the locals that have been previously bypassed by the state. This strategy is emphasized by NGOs primary objective to economically develop the landless and positioned women in the frontline of their numerous programs. Also, they have also focused on non-land based income generating activities, for example, Grameen Bank has concentrated on such activities that have been previously neglected by the state. More importantly, these non-land activities are essential for survival of the rural poor. These activities had also been denied access to provision of micro-credit. This invention has allowed focusing of small income generating activities to access credit rather than borrowing from local money lenders with a high-interest rate. Collaboration between the government-NGOs in Bangladesh Regarding collaboration between the government and NGOs, there are numerous factors both internal and external that shape power configuration. NGO-government relationships take different forms such as collaboration, cooperation, complementarity, and confrontation (Farrington and Lewis 1993). However, in Bangladesh there have been collaboration relations between the state and development NGOs (Kabir 2000). Collaboration relationship is where on particular issues the NGOs and the government share similar policy as well as strategies. In fact, collaboration exists where there is a free flow of information, government rules, and the government policy are neutral towards NGOs. More specifically, under the leadership of Mujibur Rahman (1971–75), some NGOs played an indirect role in family planning and social works. Nevertheless, with time the role of NGOs increased under the leadership of Ziaur Rahman (1976–81) and further expanded under the rule of significantly Ershad (1982–90). The rapid growth of NGOs in Bangladesh was due to their recognition in the country's development plan such as the Second and Third Five Year from 1980 to 1990. During this period, NGOs were viewed to be government collaborative partners to implement the fourth and fifth five-year plan from 1990 to 2000 (Kabir 2000). However, research has indicated that there may be tension in most cases under state-NGO relationship due to several factors such as more involvement of the donor agencies (Clark 1997). Nature and Type of Relations Although there have been numerous tension in under various leadership, their relations since the 1990s have ben quite steady. In fact, during this period some NGOs have relied on the government for service provision. For instance, many NGOs have facilitated an opportunity to access khas land through the introduction of group irrigation systems and social forestation. More importantly, NGOs have organized the landless people to take lease to khas land. However, their relationship has not always been smooth; it is with no doubt that NGOs are the biggest player in poverty alleviation. The government of Bangladesh has been incorporating NGOs into various committees and sharing and learning from NGOs in performing their activities in various sectors. This shows that the government has acknowledged that NGOs are crucial for the economic development Bangladesh. NGOs work with the government at local levels (Upazila and District), and national committees. National Level NGOs work with the government as the members of disaster management council. The government consults NGOs during policy formulation and programs. For instance, NGOs were active during the formulation of water and sanitation strategy, tuberculosis, and leprosy program. BRAC established water and sanitation program called WASH. Under the program, people who are indigent get financial aid to construct sanitary latrine and are trained to sanitation system. Currently, this program has changed about 2 million latrines into hygienic latrines and also encourages about 1.5 million households to construct latrines, started about 2400 sanitation centers in the rural areas. Moreover, WASH program has also reached educated millions of people on hygiene education. BRAC has also initiated other health programs to address health issues, for instance, tuberculosis treatment has recorded a success rate of 92% nationwide. Upazila and District District Development Committee of Bangladesh hold meeting monthly together with NGOs representatives. Their primary objective is to discuss information sharing on the implementation of government policy and regulations. This coordination is crucial, particularly for non-governmental organizations working on land rights. Functions of Government-NGOs Collaborations The Bangladesh government has accepted NGOs as partners in development management. According to Chowdhury (2001), the government and NGOs share a common goal for economic development that is aimed at reducing poverty and increasing literacy, providing health care, and generating income to raise people living standards. Government partnership with NGOs like Grameen Bank and BRAC has played critical role in the economic developed of millions of rural households (Islam 1999). However, these developments could not be realized without GO–NGO collaboration. Close collaboration has enabled large NGOs to obtain loans from the government and foreign donors. To a large extent, non-governmental organizations have maintained contribution in microcredit to ensure the betterment of marginalized people and the country as a whole. Microcredit has played a significant role in poverty reduction. This has not only been achieved through the issuance of small loans to various income generating activities but also in reducing overdependence on high-cost money lenders (Ahmad 2001). They also use these microfinance loans to take their children to school or avoid pulling out of school. Research indicates that people with creditworthy can access basic social services such as education, water, health, and so on (Hossain 1995). Most rural poor people in Bangladesh are unable to provide collateral security, which is one of the requirements for obtaining a loan in the banking system as these people have little or no individual property. More importantly, microcredit has been the only method initiated by NGOs to the poor to access loans without collateral such as BRAC, Grameen Bank, ASA among others. Most of these loans are issued to marginalized people, particularly the landless. It is based on the principle of establishing social welfare that promotes the issuance of credit as a human right to assist poor women. It is based on trust among group members rather than legal policies. Additionally, the NGOs providing credit facilities provide their services at the door step based on the idea that a bank should go to people rather than people going to the bank. The government of Bangladesh has also authorized some NGOs as contractors to deliver selected social services such as education, health, and so on. NGOs in Bangladesh have been working children education, especially girls. The GO–NGO collaboration in non-formal education has led to the instituting of approximately 43,000 schools and centers (World Bank, 1996). BRAC has initiated a satellite school-based system that provides informal education to the people. Since the program was initiated, BRAC has provided basic education to about ten million students. From the beginning till to the date, BRAC has been providing basic education almost 10 million students in Bangladesh. However, they target students from marginalized families. Another NGO known as CARE has also supported the establishment of functional education project targeting children in Gazipur and Tongi, to develop the necessary human capital in technical areas and marketable skills. NGOs are also providing rural health services in partnership with the government. NGOs have been in the frontline to make public health a frontline agenda to improve maternal health and reducing HIV and other communicable diseases (Lewis 1997). For example, BRAC has started and implemented several programs in healthcare to address these issues. There has been a great success in malaria prevention, the number of people infected has reduced from 549 to 271 per 100, 000 population. ASA has also initiated a campaign on heath issues in about 3000 branches. BRAC has also been in the frontline to ensure rural poor have access to proper hygiene and sanitation (Alam and Rahman 1997). Bangladesh can be said to have been successful in providing primary health care, increased improvement on infants’ survival rates and children below the age of 5 has been realized. The rate at which women die during childbirth reduced by 75% since 1980, while infant mortality has reduced by 50%. Various studies have highlighted regarded the improvement as an exceptional health progress. Conclusion The role of NGOs in the development of Third World Countries has increased radically over the last two decades. Restructuring donor agencies policies resulted in increased funds for NGOs establishment, which has significantly helped NGOs growth for development management. Due to financial and economic constraints in the least developed countries, NGOs have increasingly involved in the provision of public services. In Bangladesh, NGOs have played a crucial role in pursuing development and service delivery. The primary aim of collaboration between the government and NGOs was to enhance economic development. Consequently, rural poor have overcome poverty, decline in infant mortality, increased literacy level as children can complete primary education, and so on. References List Ahmad, M. 2001. The State, Laws and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Bangladesh, International. Journal of Not-for-Profit Law 3(3). Ahmed, M. 2000. Promoting Public–Private Partnership in Health and Education: The Case of Bangladesh, in Yidan Wang (ed.) 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