NGOGovernment Relations:

1
NGO-Government Relations

• Theoretical Model and case Studies

2
NGO-Government Contacts

• Recipient of government grants
• Rule of law regulation of NGO activities
• Gap-fillers
• Lobbying activities/political activities
• Taxes donation, tax exempt status
• Implementation/Service Network
• Government contractors
• Information sharing

3
How Government Creates NGO Context

• Economic
• Funding sources
• Tax exempt
• Donation
• Taxes
• Shrinking role of state

• Political
• advocacy activities of NGOs
• Political participation in decision making
• Influence policy makers

4
How Government becomes NGO Context

• Legal context
• Rule of law
• Restraints or free NGO activities
• Controlled environment of NGO work

• Social context
• communitarian view vs. liberal view of citizens
• Public space policy (media, public forum)
• Existence of local NGOs

5
Shigetomis Model of Gov-NGO Relation

• Three major determinants
• Characteristics of NGOs
• philosophy or values underlying NGO work
• 2. Economic space the demand of NGO activities
  by citizens
• 3. Political space Political control of NGO
  activities

6
Case examples

• I. Wide economic and political space
• A large number of active NGOs
• Thailand, the Philippines, Bangladesh
• II. Small economic and political space Singapore
• weak or nonexistent of local NGOs
• III. Large political space, narrow economic space
• Less demand of NGO activities, little political
  restraint
• IV. Large economic space, narrow political space
• - China, Vietnam, Pakistan

7
NGO-Government Continuum Relationship
Resistance to institutional pluralism
Acceptance of Institutional Pluralism
competition
complementarity
Rivalry
contracting
Repression
Third party
cooperation
collaboration
Symmetrical power Relationship
Asymmetrical Power Relationship
8
Repression

• Resistance to institutional pluralism
• No NGO linkage with government
• Asymmetrical power relationship, government
  advantage
• Formal and informal
• Government policyunfavorable (outlawing NGOs)
• Possible government refusal to provided mandated
  supportive services
• One-way relationship

9
Rivalry

• Resistance to institutional pluralism
• No NGO linkage with government
• Possible two-way relationships
• Asymmetrical power relationship, government
  advantage
• Unfavorable government policy (regulating,
  mandating NGO procedures)
• Emphasis of NGO autonomy from government

10
Competition

• Resistance to institutional pluralism
• No NGO linkage with government
• Government policy unfavorable to neutral
• Political NGOs seen as unwanted critics and
  competitors for local power
• Economic competition for foreign funds and/or
  community contributions
• Potential benefits greater responsiveness to
  client needs and accountability

11
Contracting

• Acceptance of institutional pluralism
• Moderate to high linkage
• Government advantage in power relationship with
  increasing NGO influence
• Formal contracting is a policy tool
• Government policy contingent on NGO
• Division of labor based on comparative advantages
• Potential negative consequences for NGOs
• Blurring between the sectors

12
Third-Party government

• Acceptance of institutional pluralism
• Government advantage in power relationship with
  increasing NGO influence
• Increased discretion to NGOs
• Division of labor based on comparative advantage
• Greater diversity of services for NGOs
• Warrant increased collaboration between
  government and NGOs

13
Cooperation

• Acceptance of institutional pluralism
• Low linkage with government
• Increasing understanding of NGO activities
• Increasing NGO influence
• Informal
• Government policy increasingly favorable and
  supportive
• Information sharing
• Sympathetic to NGO efforts

14
Complementarity

• Moderate to high NGO linkage with government
• NGO autonomy (symmetrical power relationship)
• Information and resource sharing
• Potential NGO participation in planning and
  policy based on comparative advantages
• Mutual benefit each sector contributes to the
  other
• Legitimate and recognized role of government

15
Collaboration

• High linkage with government
• NGO autonomy (symmetrical power relationship)
• Formal
• Favorable government policy
• Information sharing, resource sharing, joint
  action
• Mutual strategy and coproduction
• Symbiosis relationship

16
Implications

• No single relationship type will be suitable for
  all circumstances
• Adaptation of NGO strategies to fit with their
  working environment
• Potential for cooperation between government and
  NGOs
• The movement towards a more positive relationship
  will require active participation of both
  organizations