Developmental Social Policy, Social Welfare Services and the NonProfit Sector in South Africa., Piper, L., and L. Nadvi. It is my belief that people want to get along and with as little conflict as possible. What are the advantages and disadvantages of NGOs in African states? If a government can blame poor decisions on organisations who have departed, then no one has to be accountable for the decision. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. So, my points are never ever heard because you already have an agenda and so the entire meeting is about you telling me about your agenda. Ray Hawk Last Modified Date: May 02, 2023 Non-governmental organization ( NGO) movements to alleviate poverty, protect the environment, or advocate for human rights are widespread throughout the developing world, and, as of 2002, are estimated to account for over 30% of international development aid. 2000. Humanitarian aid has many advantages and disadvantages. This research identifies ways in which philanthropic donors, whether based in Africa or outside the continent, can enable African leaders and their organisations to access the funding they need. There is no political agenda as is often the case with government aid, and thus aid is not 'tied aid' - it is freely given. Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). Corporatism RevisitedThe Legacy of History and the German Nonprofit Sector. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 10 (1): 3749, https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1021439703650.10.1023/A:1021439703650Search in Google Scholar, Zimmer, A. 2004. So, the more fragmented and divided we are, the more we cannot bring our voices together as a collective to engage government. Buccus etal. The study focuses on governmentinitiated engagement with stakeholders within government-created spaces that are akin to Goulets (1989) state promoted arenas or Cornwalls (2002) institutionalized or formalized invited spaces, for planning purposes. The forums were at the instance of the mayor of the respective municipalities, and theparticipants comprised mostly of municipality officials, councilors, and representatives from different wards in the municipality. n.d. A Concept Note on Institutionalization of Planning in South Africa. Mosun Layode is the executive director of the African Philanthropy Forum. Challenges Facing NGOs. ATLAS/tiA Prototype for the Support of Text Interpretation. Qualitative Sociology 14 (4): 34971, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00989645.Search in Google Scholar, Murombo, T. 2008. 2017. NPOs typically derive their vision for addressing societal needs from their own perspective. Policy officials would argue that planning is a collective process with consultation across a broad range of stakeholders, including the nonprofit sector. 1991. Public Private Partnership between Local Governments and Nonprofits in Japan. Nonprofit Policy Forum 1 (1): 121.10.2202/2154-3348.1011Search in Google Scholar, Patel, L. 2012. Integrated Planning Framework Bill. African non-governmental organisations (NGOs) receive only a modest share of philanthropic gifts on the continent. As such, organizations in the nonprofit sector, especially those involved in service delivery, tend to disengage from the state. Nonprofit Advocacy Under a Third-Party Government Regime: Cooperation or Conflict?, Williams, J.J. However, little research has focused to date on the nature, facilitators and barriers of these partnerships. Or when maize is sent to regions where people rely mostly on milk and meat, it can lead to more alcohol being distilled. Defining the Nonprofit Sector: The United Kingdom. Popular Mobilization, Party Dominance and Participatory Governance in South Africa. In, Salamon, L. M. 1994. Already scarce resources may become critical means of securing allegiance and manipulating the opposition in a place of conflict. NGO's introduce new technologies to farmers such as new variety, new crop, and new equipment. 1999. The interview data were supplemented with content analysis of government documents. The Philippines is a prominent example: the Department of Social Welfare and Development coordinates disaster response, which means social protection is the highest priority. 2015. Also available at https://www.dpme.gov.za/keyfocusareas/gwmeSite/Goverment.Search in Google Scholar, Salamon, L. M. 1994. Stakeholder Theory and Social Identity: Rethinking Stakeholder Identification., De Wet, J.P. 2010. Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology., Brett, E. A. The meetings lasted for an average of 2h 30min on each occasion. NPOs also play a role in the policy context by engaging in advocacy and drawing attention to the inequalities and social problems (Kendall and Knapp 1993). Then there are the knock-on effects of appeals for sudden big emergencies. However, at the level of practice, questions remain about NPOs participation in planning for the social policies to which they so significantly contribute. For example, Juanita Rilling, director of the Centre for International Disaster Information, calculated the cost of supplying water to 40,000 people a day. In difficult times even the best of us have to decrease our contributions. 2003. In the 2019 forum at the NMBM, one participant introduced himself as an executive of a coalition of NPOs but was attending the meeting as a community member from a ward with a persisting problem of burst water pipes. GovernmentNonprofit Relations in Russias Regions: An Exploratory Analysis., Levy, K., and A. Ketels. But who is right? Participation in Development: New Avenues. World Development 17 (2): 16578, https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750x(89)90242-8.Search in Google Scholar, Grimble, R., and K. Wellard. (1999) also identified the need for the state to make room at the table for NPOs in public spaces for policy formulation. We dont want government alone to talk, but rather invite us to these meetings where you plan because we are hands-on on the ground. The inductive analysis yielded two additional categories, unorganized sector, and partisan politics. The policy governance process involves two main aspects, namely: policy formulation/planning and policy implementation (World Bank 1994, xiv). Thus, they are referred to as claimed spaces (Gaventa 2004, 35) or invented spaces (Kersting 2013, 271). As some interview participants explain: I think there is a lot of lip service, a lot of it is around, We value your input, you know. The unorganized nature of the nonprofit sector itself also serves as a hindrance to NPOs participation in policy planning. 2015. Deficient institutional arrangements refer to the inadequacies in institutional frameworks that deter NPOs from sufficiently participating in policy planning. The main purpose of sampling respondents from Tshwane is because it is the capital and the seat of the national government. 2007. With many key international actors withdrawing from the continent at the onset of the crisis, Africa-based NGOs had to stretch already overextended budgets to augment government health and humanitarian interventions. Perhaps more importantly, when external organisations step in to take over they can undermine recovery in multiple ways. Outsourcing and Networking: Similar Trends in Local State-NPO Cooperation in Germany and China., Lyon, A., P. Hunter-Jones, and G. Warnaby. In terms of mechanisms, processes, and procedures to facilitate participation, the Act stipulates that the municipality must encourage and create conditions for the community to participate. Reflections on Issues of Power and Difference in Participation in Development. In Participation: From Tyrany to Transformation? It is important to note, however, that provincial planning is guided by a provincial planning framework and municipality planning by the IDP. The data suggest that another hindrance to the participation of NPOs in the policy planning process is that there is no specific or legislated space(s) for engagement between the NPO sector and policy officials. Download the Executive Summary 2019. Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of Who and What Really Counts. Academy of Management Review 22 (4): 85386, https://doi.org/10.2307/259247.Search in Google Scholar, Mosley, J.E. 2020. Also, Piper and Nadvi (2010) note that statecreated spaces for engagement in communities in South Africa are often dominated by political parties and their attendant party politics. Towards Participatory Governance: Assessing the Transformation Possibilities. In Participation: From Tyrany to Transformation? 2018. There is hardly a precise definition of the term participation (Goulet 1989). While there seem to be various spaces, or what we refer to as entry points for engagement, within departments at different levels of government akin to the formalized but transient spaces identified by Cornwall (2002), the spaces are exclusionary. The lack of efficient systems to generate comprehensive information on the organizations in the NPO sector creates challenges of properly identifying current and active organizations and inviting them into spaces for participation. Your documents are now available to view. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 73 respondents comprising thirtyeight policy officials and thirtyfive NPO leaders between 2018 and 2019. (NPO leader). NPO leaders conceive of space(s) for participation as politically contaminated because the atmosphere is sometimes contentious. This . Rather, it is considered a perfunctory gesture that serves to simply check the boxes, as the policy has already been largely developed, and there is no guarantee that their input will eventually make it into the final policy document. In Uganda, international actors continue to dominate humanitarian response and recovery efforts, and CSOs are often left . In an effort to better understand whether NGOs adequately participate in development planning processes in South Africa, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 73 participants, including NGO leaders and relevant key informants from national, provincial and municipal levels of government. The Changing Space for NGOs: Civil Society in Authoritarian and Hybrid Regimes., Tshiyoyo, M. 2019. In policy statements and documents at the national, provincial, and municipal levels of government, organizations in the South African NPO sector are recognized as stakeholders and essential partners and in the policy development process. The co-optation of these spaces by partisan politicians hinders NPO leaders from actively participating in the consultative process and engaging in dialogue on their services in the planning process. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Centre for Civil Society Studies.Search in Google Scholar, Salamon, L. M., and S. Toepler. Transparency International (TI) produces a report that details how large inputs of resources, pressures for rapid distribution, and difficulties in expanding scope can increase opportunities for the abuse of power. 1997. The aim of this paper is to identify the major advantages and disadvantages of NGOs and Civil Societies in the post independent Africa. Cornwall (2002) conceptualizes participation as a spatial practice that occurs in diverse and multiple arenas in which a wide array of actors is active, noting that (1) spaces for participation are created, (2) they are shaped, in terms of who initiates, constitutes, facilitates, and chooses the methods for participation and (3) the actors who make and shape the spaces determine who occupies those spaces. Funders can accelerate social impact with more equitable approaches to sourcing nonprofits and conducting due diligence. This study used a qualitative approach to explore whether NPOs adequately participate in policy planning processes in South Africa. The findings suggest that deficient institutional arrangements for participation and other underlying contextual issues work in concert to hinder NPOs from participating in policy planning, as indicated in Figure1. Soa Andrian is a consultant in Bridgespan's Johannesburg office. Policy planners can generate information on this stakeholder group and understand their salience and the nature and scope of their services to engage them in the planning process. The aim of this paper is to identify the major advantages and disadvantages of NGOs and Civil Societies in the post independent Africa. They [provincial Department of Social Development] call it NPO District Forums. And those who dont trust their disaster managers may ignore key communications when the next disaster occurs. Creating spaces for dialogue is important, but the nature of the space for interaction also matters. It also excludes NPOs that generate funds from sources outside of government. Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of Who and What Really Counts., Mosley, J.E. 2020. Globalization at the Level of the Nation-State: The Case of Canadas Third Sector., Kersting, N. 2013. Local Churches and Public Policy Implementation., Casey, J., B. Dalton, R. Melville, and J. Onyx. Washington: World Bank.Search in Google Scholar, World Bank. The nonformalized spaces are chosen and occupied by citizens, groups, and associations, and are autonomous from the state. The last few decades have seen a dramatic increase in public-non-governmental organisation (NGO) partnerships in the health sector of many low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) as a means of improving the public's health. 2021. Nwauche, S. & Flanigan, S. (2022). Also aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this government-NGO shared vision for development highlights the importance of NGOs in the development ecosystem. Governance and Development. The lack of mechanisms for generating information present challenges for adequately identifying NPOs and knowing who is doing what, where, and how, making it difficult to invite NPOs and provide opportunities for participation in the planning process. Let's break them down Now you have an overview, we're going to dive into the detail and see what makes these factors the main arguments for and against international aid Saves Lives and Limits Suffering Who Has the Power? The lack of adequate procedures for inviting NPOs has other consequences, such as government planning without community input, or not inviting NPOs or inviting them to participatory meetings at the last minute. The aim of this paper is to identify the major advantages and disadvantages of NGOs and Civil Societies in the post independent Africa. When do I come to a meeting where I can bring my agenda? However, as an element of good governance in the broader development governance process (others being transparency, strong institutional capacity of the public sector, public sector accountability and the rule of law) (World Bank 1994, xiv), the World Bank defines participation as having influence on development decisions, not simply involvement in the implementation (World Bank 1992, 27). Redued replicability of an idea, due to non-representativeness of the project or selected area, relatively small project coverage, dependence on outside financial resources, etc. The 2007 recession, for example, hit US charitable giving which didnt bounce back until 2014. As it stands now, we have a seat, only by invitation and not all the time, whereas business is full-time, government is full-time, labour is full time. Popular Mobilization, Party Dominance and Participatory Governance in South Africa. In Citizenship and Social Movements: Perspectives from the Global South, 10, edited by L. Thompson, and C. Tapscott, 21238. Gina Yannitell Reinhardt receives funding from the US National Science Foundation. Also available at http://unsse.org/knowledge-hub/institutional-voids.Search in Google Scholar, Okuyama, N, Y. Ishida, and N. Yamauchi. One of the most insidious side effects of poorly managed recovery involves sexual exploitation. Community Development and Engagement with Local Governance in South Africa. Community Development Journal 43 (3): 297311, https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsn011.Search in Google Scholar, Cairns, B., M. Harris, and R. Hutchison. (KI, provincial level), I dont think that we can say that we consult with every organization At the national level it would always be challenging, to have an aggregate situation, but at the local level is where they can meet councillors and different levels of provincial representatives. London: Zed.10.5040/9781350219182.ch-009Search in Google Scholar, Republic of South Africa. 2003. Wood. Even though the national Department of Social Development (DSD), which is responsible for the registration of NPOs, keeps a database of registered organizations, that information is hardly accurate. of weaknesses. This view is also shared by Williams (2005), who notes that community participation is not driven by the legislated IDP process. In some cases, material donations also generate waste. Smith, S. R., and M. Lipsky. They are exclusionary in the sense that participation within these spaces is mostly with governmentfunded organizations and with large or well-known organizations. As indicated by some key informants: [] I think there has been an on-going difficulty, particularly at the provincial level about how to engage strategically with the organizations. Nonprofit Policy Forum, Vol. Complete d-ta on flows of aid to the health sectorfrom through non-governmental As Figure1 illustrates, even though a policy framework for participation exists, the reality on the ground in South Africa makes policy participation by NPOs quite challenging. Nonprofits for Hire: The Welfare State in the Age of Contracting. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Working Papersof Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project. The unorganized nature of the sector, therefore, reduces opportunities for participation in the planning process. 2004. 8. 1999. A note I want to give is the terms 'advantages' and 'disadvantages' should be understood in a sense that the paper is not evaluating the works of NGOs and Civil Society Organizations but pinpointing their . The aim of this paper is to identify the major advantages and disadvantages of NGOs and Civil Societies in the post independent Africa. While the changing development context and the challenges posed to NGOs are increasingly receiving research attention, an understanding of how organisations are . 2011. The Discovery of Grounded Theory. This lack of an organized procedure for the participation of NPOs indicates the presence of an institutional void in the planning process in South Africa (see Nwauche and Claey 2019). The respondents were sampled purposively and through the snowball sampling method. You invite me, youve already got an agenda. The developmental context, you realize that it is highly political, and you have to play safe so that you dont become associated into the political dimension so, for example, Tshwane [municipality] has a DA[2] mayor, it means that when you go to that meeting of the mayor, you are surely going to be coloured a bit by the political agenda of the DA The premier [of the province] is ANC,[3] going to some of the meetings, you as surely likely to be kind of contextualized in the agenda of the ANC, which is very tricky. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.Search in Google Scholar, Cornwall, A. After disaster strikes, immediate necessities (food, water, medication, blankets) are important, but what is the best way to deliver them? Of course, organisations often have to navigate difficult issues on the ground, such as corruption something that can hamper the work of organisations externally and internally. Social Service Nonprofits: Navigating Conflicting Demands. In The Nonprofit Sector, edited by W. W. Powell, and P. Bromley, 25170. 1997. Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). 2004. After Hurricane Katrina, for example, survivors exhibited less trust in their public officials credibility and competence at managing disasters than those who didnt directly experience the disaster. 2015. This exclusionary pattern of participation in the planning process deprives smaller organizations, which constitute the majority of NPOs in South Africa, from making inputs into policy. As such they are less willing to engage with the institutional bodies and participate within the local context than NPO leaders who are from the community. 2007. They will not want to form part of those meetings, and consequently withdraw from them. From the National Development Plan (NDP) to provincial development plans, down to the integrated development plans (IDP) of municipalities, engagement and consultation with diverse groups and stakeholders are projected as a vital process in planning. (NPO leader). Public confidence is key to re-establishing public services, and implementing new policies to help mitigate or avert future disasters. Also available at, Okuyama, N, Y. Ishida, and N. Yamauchi. If coordination is good and immediate relief goes well, damaged communities move into the recovery phase. As one NPO leader explains: In the [ward] IDP meeting we get invitations from the councillor, but we just go like normal community members. GovernmentNonprofit Relations in Russias Regions: An Exploratory Analysis. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 26 (6): 223866, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-015-9654-3.Search in Google Scholar, Levy, K., and A. Ketels. As the findings suggest, in South Africa, the deficiencies in the institutional frameworks for participation create challenges to NPOs participation. July 29, 2021 Disparities in Funding for African NGOs African non-governmental organisations (NGOs) face funding disparities that stifle their impact and their ability to plan for the long term. 2011. Struyk, R. J. Washington: The World Banks Experience.Search in Google Scholar, Zhu, Z., R. Zhao, and C. Tao. ATLAS/tiA Prototype for the Support of Text Interpretation., Murombo, T. 2008. Responding to disaster isnt easy, but there are ways of getting better at it. The African Philanthropy Forum (APF) and The Bridgespan Group collaborated on this research to amplify their voices and bring new data and perspectives to bear. (NPO leader). Even accountable local governments can have difficulties stepping back in to provide public services after an external organisation has done so for too long. African Women and Youth Action for Development. Spaces for Transformation? Also, different levels of government have different databases without any mechanisms to consolidate information, resulting in the existence of numerous fragmented databases mostly documenting funding partnerships. Top 12 Advantages and Disadvantages of NGOs - Basic Agricultural Study Top 12 Advantages and Disadvantages of NGOs Advantages and Disadvantages of NGOs Advantages/Merits NGO's help farmers to increase crop production. The participation of NPOs in policy planning is analysed through the lenses of stakeholder analysis and the concept of participation as a good governance practice in planning. Sharing Gods Love or Meeting Government Goals? Community Participation and Democratic Practice in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Rhetoric versus Reality. Critical Dialogue: Public Participation in Review 2 (1): 1927, 05.Search in Google Scholar, World Bank. According to the walltowall municipal system in South Africa, every geographical space in the country is within a municipality. 2000. The issues addressed in this article can be relevant in other contexts outside of South Africa, especially in an era that emphasizes intersectoral relationships and cooperation between state and nonstate actors for effective policy governance. These concerns are not unfounded; large-scale international disaster relief can have drawbacks that range from wasting resources to seriously undermining local governments. These were aggregated into the theme deficient institutional arrangements, which hinder NPOs participation in policy planning. Stakeholder Methodologies in Natural Resource Management: a Review of Principles, Contexts, Experiences and Opportunities. Agricultural Systems 55 (2): 17393, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0308-521x(97)00006-1.Search in Google Scholar, Jiwani, I. In each of the descriptions, we can conceptualize NPOs and their constituencies as stakeholders, thinking of the firm or organization as represented by the state. Challenges to Nonprofit Organization Participation in Social and Development Policy Planning in South Africa. It jumped from US$500 (if purchased locally by relief coordinators) to anywhere from US$200,000 to US$750,000 when purchased abroad and shipped in an increase of 400%-1500%. Since joining Bridgespan in 2016, she has worked with philanthropy and NGO clients across several fields, including early childhood development, girls' education, economic mobility, community health, and others. 2017. Positive and negative impact of NGOs on our society. Furthermore, while the authors recognize that NPO leaders are diverse in their ideology about engagement with the state and that some organizations are more willing and able to engage than others, the sector needs to find ways of organizing within collectives and coalition groups. Nonprofit Organizations as Contracted Local Social Service Providers in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States., Toepler, S., A. Zimmer, C. Frhlich, and K. Obuch. The national government now funds and operates several social protection programmes, such as training and cash transfers, which focus on the countrys most marginalised populations during recovery. The Act outlines the procedures and process for community participation for the formulation of the IDP. (NPO leader). The participatory process, therefore, provide avenues for government to interact and engage with citizens and relevant stakeholders in a dialogical process. 1993. They work on the identical ground and share a common motive- the welfare of society and the people. [The provincial] Department of Health or Social Development; they plan, and they give the plan to us as in, This is what we want to achieve; this is what you must achieve. These include citizens, government representatives, the social sector (including organizations in the nonprofit sector), and the private/business sector to discuss and analyse developmental challenges and set priorities (Republic of South Africa 2018, n.d). 2020). Thus, the infusion of partisan politics into spaces for participation in South Africa dampens the interest of NPOs in joining the participatory process and consequently causes them to withdraw from the entry points of engagements. This study used a qualitative approach to collect data on the opportunities and challenges encountered by two NGOs based in Cape Town that use sport as a means of development. 1997. Over the past decade, African donors directed just 9 percent of large gifts (by value), and non-African donors just 14 percent, to NGOs based on the continent. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.Search in Google Scholar, Salamon, L. M., H. K. Anheier, R. List, S. Toepler, and W. S. Sokolowski. Also, the perception of NPO leaders of themselves in relation to the context in which they operate presents challenges to their participation. On Being Nonprofit: a Conceptual and Policy Primer. However, it is important to note that participation is legislated only at the municipality level, as outlined in the Municipal Systems Act. The strategic problem is that, unlike the local government where youve got IDP [Integrated Development Plan] process the provincial government doesnt really have this same kind of mechanisms. Therefore, the lack of coordination and collective engagement with policy actors that results from an unorganized sector constrain adequate participation of NPOs in planning. This is because policy actors come to meetings with a predesigned agenda or blueprint of what will be discussed, without leaving much room for other stakeholders (in this case, the NPOs) to give their input. Many of us are also individual donors, sending funds directly from our own wallets to charitable organisations and coordinated appeals. Nonprofit organization leaders who are not from the community in which they provide services tend to view themselves as outsiders. As their services affect the achievement of the countrys social policy, it calls into question the true meaning of NPOs as stakeholders in the policy process in South Africa. Stakeholder Methodologies in Natural Resource Management: a Review of Principles, Contexts, Experiences and Opportunities., Jiwani, I. Meanwhile, CBO is an acronym for community-based organizations. Marshfield: Pitman Publishing.Search in Google Scholar, Frumkin, P. 2002. Nearly all of us are collective donors in some sense when governments send relief to disaster areas, the money they use comes from taxpayers. This practice is beneficial to a post-disaster economy as it provides an external source of wages. A note I want to give is the terms 'advantages' and 'disadvantages' should be understood in a sense that the paper is not evaluating the works of NGOs and Civil Society Organizations but pinpointing their benefits and side-effects to Africa. The concept of stakeholder has a variety of definitions. This translates to missed opportunities for participation and engagement with government in the planning process. Reports from TI and others also offer best practices and monitoring strategies for field staff, and organisations such as Integrity Action unite and empower citizens and local and international organisations to work amid colossal challenges without causing more damage. Unlike business or labour where the mechanisms are much clearer about how to engage with them. 1. Online Participation: From Invited to Invented Spaces., Krasnopolskaya, I., Y. Skokova, and U. Pape. Understanding of the kind of stakeholders that exist facilitates stakeholder salience, which is how, why, and the extent to which the stakeholder is prioritized and given attention (Mitchell, Agle, and Wood 1997). Involving NPOs in the participatory process for policy formulation provides more opportunities for nonprofits to effectively contribute to policies (Brock 2020). The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the importance of ensuring that African NGOs are well funded. Exploring New Approaches to Participation in Development, edited by S. Hickey, and G. Mohan, 130. Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000. Participation in Development: New Avenues., Grimble, R., and K. Wellard. Listening to Active Stakeholder Discourses of Tourism Development in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, South Africa., Mafunisa, M. J. Barriers to Immigrant Engagement with Government: Perceptions from Immigrant Nonprofit Organizations in California and New York State. Journal of Public Management and Social Policy 17 (2): 6380.Search in Google Scholar, Freeman, E. R. 1984. West African refugee children in 2001 reported that humanitarian staff withheld food unless sexual favours were given. IDS Working Paper 170. (KI, municipality level). Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) have become an integral part of the social policy systems in the different contexts in which they operate. 2015. 2007. This article adds to research on the nonprofit sector by identifying barriers that NPOs face in the participatory process of policy planning and gives additional attention to the role of NPOs in social policy formulation within a body of literature that highlights NPOs as social policy implementers. This is also a function of and further exacerbates the lack of collective engagement of NPOs with policy actors. The participatory process is lauded as one of the hallmarks of planning in South Africa. - Quora Answer (1 of 2): The main advantage of an NGO in African states is the lower chance for corruption, (not an easy task when bribery and corruption are often built into the culture). Strengthening GovernmentNonprofit Relations: International Experiences with Compacts. Voluntary Sector Review 1 (1): 5976, https://doi.org/10.1332/204080510x497019.Search in Google Scholar, Charmaz, K. 2006. But in the past ten to 15 years, allegations of counterproductive relief efforts and unused donations have generated concern among donors not only because money might be misspent or cause harm but also because this this might also discourage charitable giving. Furthermore, the contextual hindrances to NPOs participation, as identified in this article, are a reminder that spaces for participation are not neutral (Cornwall 2004). They are not willing to receive any engagement from any other structure besides that particular structure and not everybody is invited to that structure. Therefore, even when the opportunity to participate presents itself, NPO operators tend to avoid spaces for participation in to remain neutral and steer clear of partisan politics. (NPO leader). "Challenges to Nonprofit Organization Participation in Social and Development Policy Planning in South Africa". Chinese NPOs in Service Contracting at the Community Level: Challenges and Strategies. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 32: 78094, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-021-00332-y.Search in Google Scholar, Zimmer, A. Though participation is legislated at the local level, invitations to participate are not better implemented at the municipal level of government than at the national and provincial levels of government. Even though NPOs are viewed as private organizations, their role in delivering services places them in the broader public and social policy space. 2015. Although traditionally stakeholders have been analysed through the prism of their economic function to the firm, stakeholder claims can be examined through other societal compositions that are not economic or market-oriented (Crane and Ruebottom 2011). Outsourcing and Networking: Similar Trends in Local State-NPO Cooperation in Germany and China. Nonprofit Policy Forum 12 (2): 24384.10.5771/9783748907404-81Search in Google Scholar, Lyon, A., P. Hunter-Jones, and G. Warnaby. Development in Practice. Participation in the planning process is conceived of as an alternative to and a reconfiguration of traditional topdown development management systems (Brett 2003; Cornwall 2002). The data was analysed manually to allow for grasping of the complexity and contextuality (Muhr 1991) of the process being studied. Thematic analysis allows researchers to identify patterns across data using an inductive approach, where coding and the development of themes are led by the content ofthe data, or a using a deductive, theory-led approach where coding and development of themes are organized around existing concepts but the researcher remains open to new ideas that emerge (Braun and Clarke 2006; Joffe 2012). Even though policy officials suggests that it would be more feasible for NPOs to participate at the municipal level because the procedures for participation are outlined in the Municipal Systems Act, the procedures are not properly implemented to incorporate the NPO sector into participatory processes at that level either. Rather, they are mostly considered as service providers and policy implementers. Spaces for Transformation? It is also a moral incentive that allows citizens to negotiate and gain entry into the arenas of decision-making (Goulet 1989). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 2011. In South Africa, NPO is a legal form under which a trust or other associations of persons established for a public purpose (NPO Act, Section 1) can register, as we limited the analysis to these legally registered organizations. So, we dont have a platform at the provincial level where we just meet with people and organizations to pace their thinking on things. Without careful management and distribution, theres a good chance that already-marginalised groups will suffer discrimination when it comes to relief and recovery. The Rise of the Nonprofit Sector. Foreign Affairs: 10922, https://doi.org/10.2307/20046747.Search in Google Scholar, Salamon, L. M. 1995. 2021. This is crucial if South Africa is to tackle the systemic nature of poverty and disadvantage. Exploring New Approaches to Participation in Development, edited by S. Hickey, and G. Mohan, 2541. The NDP charts a new strategic path not only for NGOs but for civil society at large, which, along with the business community, is envisaged as working in partnership with the government and bearing shared responsibility for implementing the social compact embedded in the Plan. Towards Participatory Governance: Assessing the Transformation Possibilities. In, Gmen, I. A final criticism relates to the fact that NGO workers tend to be foreigners or local elites. Developmental Social Policy, Social Welfare Services and the NonProfit Sector in South Africa. Social Policy & Administration 46 (6): 60318, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9515.2012.00858.x.Search in Google Scholar, Piper, L., and L. Nadvi. Those that we have a relationship with, we get the stats and data from them. The asymmetric focus on NPOs as gap fillers, service deliverers and policy implementers paints only half the portrait of their relevance in the policy process. It would be more practical to gain attention as groups. Thematic Analysis. In Qualitative Research Methods in Mental Health and Psychotherapy: A Guide for Students and Practitioners, edited by D. Harper, and A. Thompson, 21023. The mechanisms and procedures present in South Africas national, provincial, and municipal planning process match well with three main categories of participatory processes discussed in the extant literature, which include mechanisms to secure stakeholders/participants, spaces or forums for participation, and mechanisms for conducting the participatory process. This translates to missed opportunities for participating in the policy planning process. Well both in many ways. NPOs are unable to organize themselves into a coherent force of relevant stakeholders that government engages seriously as not only in programme implementation through contracting and grants, but as cocreators of programmes that address problems in communities. 2014. In South Africa, De Wet (2010) indicates that in addition to service provision, NPOs act as watchdogs over government and public sector administrators. Global Civil Society: Dimensions of the Nonprofit Sector. Collecting data in the different sites was not for the purpose of recruiting a representative sample or for generalization, but to gain insights from the participatory process in different contexts. Corporatism RevisitedThe Legacy of History and the German Nonprofit Sector., Zimmer, A. Nonprofit Organizations: Theory, Management, Policy, 2nd ed. TI reported that this practice led to unwanted pregnancy; abortion; single (often teenage) parenthood; abandoned children; HIV and sexually transmitted diseases; lost education and employment opportunities, and psychological trauma. The article contributes to the broader research on governmentNPO relationships, showing some constraints to the expressive/advocacy function of nonprofits and their consultation with government (Mosley 2020; Toepler etal. New York: Routledge.10.4324/9781315851044Search in Google Scholar, Bar-Nir, D., and J. Gal. Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis. Who Has the Power? At the policy level, government explicitly refers to NGOs as stakeholders and development partners. If NPOs are treated as stakeholders as described in South Africas development planning policy documents, we should expect to see ample participation and consideration of NPOs in policy formulation. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.10.1002/9781119973249.ch15Search in Google Scholar, Kendall, J., and M. Knapp. This amounts to insufficient opportunities for NPOs to participate. The category lack of information on NPOs emerged inductively and was incorporated into the theme deficient institutional arrangements. A note I want to give is the terms 'advantages' and 'disadvantages' should be understood in a sense that the paper is not evaluating the works of NGOs and Civil Society Organizations but pinpointing their benefits and side-effects to Africa. Germanys Nonprofit Organizations: Continuity and Change. Sociologia e Politiche Sociali 18 (3): 926.Search in Google Scholar, 2022 Sokeibelemaye Nwauche and Shawn Teresa Flanigan, published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston. Nonprofits for Hire: The Welfare State in the Age of Contracting. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.10.4159/9780674043817Search in Google Scholar, Struyk, R. J. Also available at https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/20.500.12413/3932/Wp170.pdf.Search in Google Scholar, Cornwall, A. It involves the creation of forums and formal mechanisms to secure consultative and participatory processes to gain inputs from different stakeholders. At the operational level, it can also address inequitable methods of participation. Social Policy in Canada. In. Stakeholders are also defined as individuals, groups, and other organizations who have an interest in the actions of an organization and the ability to influence it, with a potential to threaten the organization and potential to cooperate with it (Savage etal. 1967. (2008), for example found that planners and government do not pay sufficient attention to existing institutional frameworks and mechanisms for engagement and community participation in development planning. Often, government officials admitted there was no particular process for inviting NPOs to participatory meetings, especially at the national and provincial level. From a policy formulation and practice perspective, Grimble and Wellard (1997) define stakeholders as any group of people, organized or not, of any size or aggregation, who have a common interest in a particular issue or system at any societal level or position. 2010. Bridgespan and Leading for Impact are registered trademarks of the Bridgespan Group. The charitable provision of these services can have mixed consequences. One NPO leader notes: We are not called to any planning meetings. allegations of counterproductive relief efforts, Centre for International Disaster Information, already-marginalised groups will suffer discrimination, less likely to want to live in the affected area, Dean, School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Research Officer - Structural Biology of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases. To create pathways and make space for NPOs in the policy planning process, there is a need to address the issues that hinder NPOs. 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