How are tripartite relationships among Non-Governmental Organisatoins (NGOs), donors and the State perceived in terms of poverty reduction efforts? This paper from Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) presents the views of NGOs in Tanzania. Whilst closer planning and working relationships between the three sectors are emerging, an atmosphere of suspicion remains. NGOs expressed doubt as to whether the government freely shares information and felt that NGO submissions made little impact where they opposed strong, vested interests. In this context, networks and coalitions were seen by NGOs as crucially important to advancing pro-poor policy.
The government/donor relationship often appears skewed unevenly in favour of donors. Since decentralisation, the Tanzanian economy is perceived as largely run by outsiders, including the donor community and international financial institutions. Meanwhile, the entangling bureaucracies of both donors and the government can cripple efforts toward development by delaying decisions and the allocation of resources.
To improve their impact, individual NGOs need to build skills and capacity to overcome their own organisational weaknesses. Greater collaboration and trust must also be established between NGOs to facilitate jointly funded initiatives and to avoid ‘re-inventing the wheel’ for each project. Whilst a majority of NGOs advocate collective action to bring issues before the government, a number of obstacles remain:
- The regional distribution of Tanzanian NGOs is highly skewed, with the majority of organisations situated in and around Dar es Salaam and other major urban hubs.
- NGOs largely receive project based funding from donors, which is restrictive. Project only funding is unsustainable in the long-term – when project based funding is withdrawn, activities often cease abruptly.
- NGOs are under pressure from donors with respect to programme priorities and compliance with rigid funding conditions.
- Complicated bureaucratic requirements for funding applications and reporting are unnecessarily difficult and restrictive.
Despite all the barriers, most NGOs have a positive impact on policy, particularly on Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS), gender equity, prevention of sexual offences and land reform. To strengthen their impact, citizens and NGOs should continue to monitor and scrutinise the government to protect their ‘public investment’. Advocacy efforts need to be well informed and well organised. Viewing the government as an adversary is counterproductive. Knowing the government’s position and forming relationships with key officials can help effectively influence policy debate.
- NGOs should analyse government policy and enhance outcomes wherever possible by providing information and offering creative solutions.
- NGOs can channel and interpret information between government and grassroots communities and help fill gaps where the government does not, or lacks the capacity to, provide services.
- NGO networks may be difficult to co-ordinate and can become too large or powerful, which may compromise the principles and priorities of individual member NGOs, especially those in poor, rural communities.
- Donors could allocate an increased proportion of funding to cover NGOs’ core operating costs, personnel and infrastructure, in order to sustain activities beyond the terms of current projects.
- Donors should reduce the complexities of the application process or provide more technical assistance, including capacity training in the preparation of joint proposals to actualise the idea of ‘partnerships for development’.
