This document discusses non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their role in development. It defines NGOs and outlines some key characteristics, including that they are privately established organizations that are independent of direct government control and are non-profit. The document also discusses the history and growth of NGOs, noting they emerged following the establishment of the UN. It argues NGOs have advantages over governments like being more flexible, cost-effective, and better able to target assistance and involve beneficiaries.

1. Agencies Of Education
Voluntary Organization

2. Concept:-
• The term NGO is broad and ambiguous.
• It covers a range of organizations
within civil society from political action
groups to sports clubs.
• However, it can be argued that all
NGO’s can be regarded as civil society
organizations though not all civil society
organizations are NGO’s.

3. Concept:-
• The concept of NGO came into usage in 1945
following the establishment of the United
Nations Organizations which recognized the
need to give a consultative role to
organizations which were neither government
nor member states .
• NGOs take different forms and play different
roles in different continents, with the NGO
sector being most developed in Latin America
and parts of Asia.

4. Concept:-
• The roots of NGOs are different according to
the geographical and historical context.
• They have recently been regarded as part of
the “third sector” or not for profit
organizations.
• It is widely accepted that these are
organizations which pursue activities to relief
the suffering, promote interests of the poor,
protect environment, provide basic social
services and undertake community
development (Cleary, 1997).

5. Features :-
• Such organizations should have certain
fundamental features which distinguish
them from others (Stephenson, 2003).
• They should satisfy the following criteria:-
1. An NGO should be privately set up and
sufficiently autonomous in its activity that is
independent of direct government control.

6. Features :-
2. An NGO should be non-profit making,
which clearly defines its voluntary
character.
3. It is not constituted as a political
party with the aim of attaining political
power.
4. NGO should support development that
is demonstrating its
public interest character.

7. Definition of NGO :-
• According to Turner and Hulme:-
“NGOs are generally
registered organizations, community
groups, professional associations, trade
unions, cooperate Charity organizations
whose aim is to improve the well being
of their members and of those areas in
which they exists.”

8. Need:-
• NGOs are more flexible and adaptive
than governments.
• Quick to respond to people’s needs.
• Cost effective.

9. Need:-
• The superiority of neo-liberalism in the
late twentieth century also created a
global environment to this third sector.
• The poor performance of the public
sector in developing countries.
• Search for more effective and efficient
organizational forms for the delivery of
public services

10. Features Which Differentiate
NGOs From Government Agencies
• The relationship of the NGO with intended
beneficiaries is based upon principles of
voluntarism rather than those of control
which is typical of government.
• This means that intended beneficiaries are
involved in Programme design and
management and if this happens, the
programmes stand a better chance of success
as they are more likely to be relevant and
attractive.

11. Features Which Differentiate
NGOs From Government Agencies
• It is argued that NGOs have a task
oriented approach that permits them to
achieve appropriate organization
development, which encourages change
and diversity rather than control and
uniformity which may hamper progress.

12. Advantages of NGOs:-
• The more specific claimed advantages of
NGOs or not for profit organizations over
governments include some of the
following:-
1. Achieving the correct relationship between
development processes and outcomes;
2. Reaching the poor, targeting their
assistance on chosen groups;
3. Obtaining true meaningful participation of
the intended beneficiaries;

13. Advantages of NGOs:-
4. Working with the people and then
choosing the correct form of assistance for
them, i.e. not being dominated by
resources as the basis for the relationship;
5. Being flexible and responsive to their
works;
6. Working with and strengthening local
institutions;
7. Achieving outcomes at less cost.