Do partnerships between the state and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) achieve the desired development objectives? What external and internal factors shape such partnerships? This article for the International Review of Administrative Sciences analyses governance based on partnership between state and NGOs in Bangladesh. The author introduces the current debate on such partnerships, explains their form and dimensions in Bangladesh, and evaluates experience in terms of whether development and empowerment objectives have been achieved.
Current literature generally considers partnerships as ends in themselves rather than means to achieve development goals. The objectives of partnerships between the state and NGOs to improve human development and empowerment have not been achieved in Bangladesh. The incidence of poverty has barely changed despite partnership programmes between the government and major NGOs such as the Grameen Bank. In rural areas some partnerships have even hindered and diminished development and empowerment by shifting NGOs’ focus to fundraising rather than improving conditions for the poor. The expansion of state-NGO partnerships in Bangladesh is not due to effectiveness, but the:
- External influence and pressure exerted by multilateral and bilateral donors, including the incentive of large scale funding.
- Diminishing capacity of the state as a result of pro-market reforms, leading to using NGOs for service delivery.
- Tendency for government to avoid its developmental responsibilities and shift blame for failures onto NGOs.
- Strategy by the ruling political party to use NGOs to expand its support in rural areas.
- Desire of NGO leaders to get close to government in order to escape from state regulations.
Both government and NGOs compete for donor funds. Partnership between government and NGOs in Bangladesh is often not based on trust. There is a need for a clear and comprehensive framework for the allocation of foreign funds to make the government-NGO partnership one based on mutual trust and commitment. Government must lead this process because, unlike NGOs and the private sector, it cannot ‘walk away’ from its responsibilities. In addition:
- NGOs need to reconcile their conflicting goals of serving the poor versus gaining foreign funding and having to carry out imposed programmes and projects.
- A comprehensive mechanism for accountability of NGOs is needed given increasingly commercial contracts and donor-dependence of Bangladeshi NGOs.
- The government should not expand partnerships without first analysing potential adverse impacts.
- An overall development mission must be defined for Bangladesh. At present the nation’s development agenda has become fragmented due to different foreign, NGO, and government objectives.
