Capacity Building of the NGOs
–Sundar Vadaon
Voluntary Organizations or Non Governmental Organizations are playing a very key role in the development of the Nations along side several Governmental, Quasi Governmental, International Developmental Agencies and Private Sector Institutions.
21st Century is witnessing a revolutionary development of Information Technology, IT enabled services and IT lead development. IT and IT enabled services are transforming the lives of the people, including the poor, deprived and the marginalized sections of the society.
While the gains of IT are visible and very evident including Business Process outsourcing and Knowledge Process Outsourcing, the inroads being made by the NGOs in catalyzing the social change is like a silent revolution, fast spreading in to the nook and corner of the under developed and developing parts of the World.
The growth of NGOs sector or Non profit making organizations sector is equally prevalent both in the developing and Developed Countries of the World. While the growth of Non profit making organizations in the developed Countries is for charity, solidarity and developmental assistance, it is for catalyzing the processes of change and development in the developing Countries.
The Govt of India through successive five years plans has been promoting and emphasizing on the need for involvement of NGOs in the process of development. The Planning Commission of India has been playing a very proactive role in involvement of the NGOs in the process of development. The commission has been emphasizing on the need of coordination between Govt Departments and NGOs.
The World Bank time and again has made it very clear that the NGOs are to be involved in various ways in the projects funded by the Bank. The Bank also has emphasized on the Capacity Building of NGOs in a phased manner, which is a prime requirement of an NGO.
Similarly DFID, CIDA other International Developmental Organizations and several other Developmental Agencies viz Aga Khan Foundation, Ford Foundation and Bill Gate Foundation are also emphasizing the need for Capacity Building of NGOs, while the growing and upcoming NGOs greatly welcome the proposal of Capacity Building of the NGOs, the very well established and one person based NGOs are apprehensive that any process of change in their organizations may be detrimental to the secrecy and privacy of the organizations.
Several Developed Nations more so USA, Canada etc have formulated both promoting and regulatory polices for effective monitoring of the functions of the NGOs.
It is unfortunate that in India with its vast number of NGOs functioning in the length and breadth of the country the Govt. are yet to evolve monitoring mechanism. It is very pertinent point to mention that wherever any fraud or misappropriation by any NGO is brought to the light either by the media, or any functionary then only the malfunctioning is revealed. If the monitoring mechanism are evolved and initiated the functioning of the NGOs will improve. The policies and laws governing the NGO sector also need to be reoriented so as to achieve the Govt NGOs, and people coordination.
NGOs have grown in number as well as in their activity in the last one decade. It is estimated that nearly 10 lakhs NGOs are working in various States of the Country. The activity is more in the States like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharshtra, Karnataka, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
It is seen that droughtprone areas, back ward areas, and areas with preponderance of the poverty will have more number of NGOs as well as more activity by the NGOs.
NGOs are also more in number where there is good coordination between the Govt and the NGOs or where there is total neglect from the Govt or deterioration of governance.
While the voluntary social work is as old as India, the phenomenon of growth of the NGOs can be seen in the last two decades.
There are vast range of activities being implemented by the NGOs viz., Advocacy, Awareness creation, Motivation, Promotion of Literacy, Health, Child Labour Elimination, Environmental Conservation & Development, Waste Lands Development, Water Shed Development, Joint Forest Management, Child Welfare, Senior Citizens Welfare, Youth Welfare, SC Welfare, ST Welfare and Welfare of minorities and other weaker sections of the society. It is also observed that several NGOs during the recent years are focusing their activities more on maintaining the Old Age Homes and also working for relief after Natural Disasters viz Tsunami & Katrina etc.
The Govt of India has set up various agencies such as CAPART; Waste lands Development Board etc to promote the activities of the NGOs, which are mainly aimed at rural based activities.
Several Ministries have come up with various schemes for providing grant in aid to the NGOs. They have also displayed the details of grant in aid, formats for application for grant in Aid, details of inspection mechanism on the websites. Contrary to the struggle, the NGOs were facing for accessing of information a few years ago, all the details are now readily available.
The CAPART has been publishing the details of sanctioned projects to the NGOs in their publications at regular intervals. CAPART over the years has evolved sanctioning procedures as well as monitoring mechanisms of the projects of the NGOs.
Similarly through internet and by browsing the websites of various Funding Agencies such as World Bank, DFID, UNDP, Ox form, Plan International etc one can have the full details of funding available to the NGOs from various agencies.
Thanks to revolutionary developments that were possible due to the growth of IT, at the click of the button one can have information regarding various details of Developmental organizations functioning in various Countries of the World.
The Govt of India has been funding NGOs to the tune of Rs. 10,000 crores per annum for the last a few years. The grant in Aid by each Ministry is being increased from time to time.
The States like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Orissa, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are proactive in accessing the grant in Aid from the Govt of India.
The NGOs are involved in various activities such as Literacy Campaign, Watershed Campaign, Women Empowerment Campaign Joint Forest Management Campaign, which are essentially joint action on the part of the Govt, the NGOs and the local level committees.
The role of the reputed and renowned NGOs in taking up relief measures, providing social, medical and economic rehabilitation to the victims of the Natural Calamites Disasters like floods, earth quakes, and drought conditions is very much applauded from all corners of the Countries. It is also observed that several National and International NGOs have contributed their might in providing tremendous support, timely interaction and played a significant and vital role of coming in to the rescue of the victims of the unpredicted, un precedented, ever experienced and most dreadful Natural Disaster i.e,. TSUNAMI. More over, in the absence of the participation of the NGOs in such situation, The Govts, machinery would not have been successful in carrying out the relief measures. In fact, there have been several complaints through print and electronic media by the victims that they are still to be attended by the Government for providing rehabilitation. Some of the NGOs have even diverted their finances towards providing relief measures to the victims of the TSUNAMI and reduced such quantum in their regular programmes
The NGOs should not only depend on the Governments funds. The organizations should raise the funds from the donors, by taking up productive activities of innovative articles/ material and the sale proceeds of such materials should be better utilized for sustenance of the organization. If necessary let the organizations gather the financial sources by benefit shows, lotteries etc and several other innovative approaches of fund raising.
While the NGO sector is emerging as fifth estate, several limitation and ills are prevalent in many of the NGOs.
A few of the ills that are prevalent in the NGO sector are
1. Majority are working in the urban areas which are adversely effecting the aims of working in the rural areas and thus the main object of community based activities is not fulfilled.
2. Most of the organizations are being maintained with one person show and second commandant is not appearing.
3. Unqualified personnel, kith & kin of the founders of the organizations are working instead of qualified professionals and subject matter specialists.
4. There are no specific job charts for the functionaries in the organization.
5. The most important and essential requirement of any organization is to prepare a Plan of Action of their activities which is lacking with most of the NGOs.
6. For the sake of applying for sanction of grants either from the inland Governments or from the Oversees Countries, the NGOs are starting the activities without minimum infrastructure facilities and even with out sufficient accommodation or minimum healthy environment.
7. In most of the NGOs, there are no well defined mechanism of coordination between the Governments and the NGOs.
8. Even, there is no coordination among the NGOs itself.
9. They do not have exchange visits, exchange of views for improving their activities for better service provisions.
10. That there is no conscious attempt and efforts for multi sectoral coordination and convergence with the Govt. Departments & the People Institutions.
11. There is limited information regarding the sources of funding as well as developmental approaches and concepts.
12. There are not many knowledgeable functionaries working in the organizations.
Need for Capacity Building
There is every need for capacity Building of the NGOs keeping in view of the fast changing developments due to globalization and liberalization.
There is also need for Capacity Building keeping in view of fast economic growth and increased activity and role players in the area of social development.
There is imminent need for Capacity Building in the era of competition, need for higher quality and standards of services and professional approaches of the organizations.
In the situations of operation of market forces, Capacity Building is required for protection, sustainability and success of the organizations against the decay or degradation of the organizations.
Capacity Building:
Capacity Building of the NGOs can be defined as improving the skills, (managerial & technical) infrastructure, physical and financial resources of the organizations so as to make them as professionally run organizations providing high quality and standards of the services with sustainable funding and delivery mechanisms on a long term basis with improved results of the Integrated Natural and Human Resources Development.
Aim of Capacity Building:
The basic aim of Capacity Building is to reorient the thinking of the CEOs of the NGOs towards long term vision based organizational building and sustainable development.
Important areas of Capacity Building
1. The NGOs are required to view their position vis-a-vis the other organizations, the Govt Departments, and the People Institutions and carve out a niche which is in harmony with several institutions so as to focus on long term and sustainable development.
2. Planning is one of the very important areas of Capacity Building of the NGOs. The NGOs are required to prepare long term plans based on their vision, matched with short term plans as well as annual action plans.
3. The planning process may be taken in to account, the Local Resources available both Human, and Natural Resources as well as the Financial Resources and evolve long term plans from which short term plans and annual plans can be prepared.
4. It is advisable to prepare Annual Action Plans on participatory basis, through Micro Planning so as to prepare Integrated and Holistic Plans taking in to the view of the Govt Schemes, People Resources, Voluntary Contributions, and programmes of local bodies and other NGOs.
5. There is need to focus on community based activities than institutions based activities.
6. There is need to bring in managerial principles in to the NGO work so as make the organizations professional in their work.
7. It is advisable to focus on integrated and holistic development than the sectoral approach being followed as of now.
8. It is advisable to diversify and expand the activities in many areas of integrated development than focusing on only in one or other areas of development.
9. The CEOs of the NGOs must be qualified professionals having academic knowledge, experience and expertise in more than one areas of the development.
10. Similarly the functionaries must also be trained professionals in the areas of their work.
11. There is need for training plans, HRD policy and plans for each NGO.
12. Based on the annual action plan the functionaries are to be trained professionally, and detailed job charts are to be given to them.
13. The NGOs are required to run their organizations like professional companies with their non profit motive intact.
14. From the adhoc approaches of funding, they are required to reorient themselves, by introduction of managerial principles in the organization and making them as professionally run organizations.
15. GIS and GPS based approaches are required to be used for scientific functioning of the organizations.
16. Quality of delivery mechanisms and standards of services being provided are required to be improved.
17. Activities being implemented must be as per the Action Plans with all flexible mechanisms, on rolling dynamic plans and implementation approaches.
18. The donor service reporting must also be improved in a phrased manner.
19. Internal self assessment of the activities must be done.
20. The NGOs must be open to external evaluation and assessments.
21. Communication skills of the functionaries must be improved.
22. IT enabled services must be introduced more so in Education, Training, IEC Financial Management and Monitoring & Evaluations.
23. NGOs are required to work in close coordination with the officials, other NGOs social workers and other stake holders in their areas of operations.
24. They must make the information readily available, except professional secrecy more so in the areas of implementation of the Information Act.
25. They must also keep their activities for social audit and evaluations by the people.
26. Visits to the other projects, exchange of views, experiences sharing etc must he done aimed at Capacity Building.
27. Whenever opportunities arise it is advisable to participate in seminars, workshops etc., both in and outside the Country.
28. NGOs must use local resources; go for low-cost approaches followed by cost effective approaches and cost approaches.
29. There must be definite plan of action of mobilization of local resources, community resources, Govt resources, and from the National and International donor agencies and Philanthropists.
30. Net working, with Self Help Groups, local bodies and village local institutions must be done.
31. NGOs must also work in close coordination with IT and other industries and utilize the resources of Corporate Social Responsibility.
32. The resources of Banks, World Bank, various trusts, insurance and other companies must also be used.
33. There should be more emphasis on need based, peoples based activities and fund based activities must succeed people based activities.
Ultimately NGOs are required to work in collaborations with other institutions on a long term sustainable Development model for the good of the society for which Capacity Building of the NGOs is the imminent need of the hour.