Do NGOs matter?
In this Episode of the Rights Track, Todd asks Amanda Murdie of the University of Missouri about the methods she uses to look at when and how NGOs and INGOs are most effective. Here are some notes and resources
0.00-5.20 mins
- the types of organisations Amanda researches and why
- what an NGO is, the sorts of things they are set up to do, how they are funded and operate
- questions of co-ordination and accountability including an example from Nigeria
5.20-12.17 mins
- the role of marketing and the conflict between inside and external communities when it comes to understanding and framing an issue
- how much this matters for the effectiveness on the ground when it comes to making a lasting difference
- professionalisation and financial sustainability of NGOs/viability
- the work being done on why NGOs do or don’t survive and the tactics they need to employ to remain viable
- an example Todd’s work looking at the work of NGOs for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to see if they were doing what they said they would do
- why it’s important that NGOs be innovative and nimble
12.17-17.14 mins
- the notion of a trans national network of INGOs working between State level and the United Nations and whether it can achieve change at ground level
- Amanda’s analysis using large numbers of countries and organisations over time
- the main findings of Amanda’s work that human rights NGOs with a domestic presence and connection to the local population/community are able to make the most difference on the ground
- where NGOs are not able to work in a country, the ability to work from a neighbouring country or close by is also linked to greater effectiveness
- the risks faced particularly by human rights NGOs including terrorist attacks
17.14-21.15 mins
- what motivates Amanda to do the work she does and the theories she has tried to test
- the circumstances in which INGOs are least effective
- Amanda’s goats!
Other resources mentioned in the podcast:
- Find out more about Amanda’s book Help or harm: the human security effects of International NGOs
- Download The NGO Scramble article mentioned by Amanda from the Belfer Centre website
- Find out more about Clifford Bob’s book, The Marketing of Rebellion from the publisher’s website
- Find out more about Sarah Bush’s book Taming of Democracy Assistance
- Find out more about Todd’s work, Evaluation of Nine Non Governmental Human Rights Organisations
- Find out more about the book mentioned by Todd, The Power of Human Rights from the publisher’s website and The Persistent Power of Human Rights
- Find out more about the paper mentioned by Amanda on the risks facing NGOs. It’s called Why Target the Good Guys? and published in International Interactions: Empirical and Theoretical Research in International Relations
