NGO Leadership, Strategy and Management: Theory and Practice

Author: Ian Smillie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: I almost read the book "NGO Leadership, Strategy and Management: Theory and Practice" word for word. This analytical work based on NGO experiences in South Asia is as engaging as a novel, capturing my attention. It is certainly not a dry theoretical book; the author skillfully combines case studies and structural analysis in a meticulous manner. The nine South Asian case study organizations are vividly presented to the readers. These renowned NGOs in Asian countries have experienced changing environments, evolving management styles, and gradual maturation, offering extensive lessons and guidance for NGOs in China. Although South Asian NGOs have a longer history of development, they share many similarities with Chinese NGOs in terms of management, relationships with governments, donors, and NGOs, as well as internal governance. While Chinese NGOs may envy the lenient policy and legal environment of the case study NGOs, this context must be viewed within a historical evolution. In the just-completed 1980s and 1990s, governments in South Asian countries also implemented policies to tightly control NGOs. It was only through the long-term efforts and advocacy of these NGOs that these policies were eventually adjusted, and relationships between NGOs and governments and donors evolved from distant to closer. The collective efforts of NGOs to change their operating environment are significant factors in external and policy shifts. By studying the management experiences and wisdom of nine South Asian NGOs, the author presents insights that differ from widely accepted classic analyses but are nonetheless candid and realistic. These perspectives, both in structure and analysis, are unconventional. NGOs are often asked to conduct strategic planning, but the author argues that even for the established large NGOs in the cases, under unstable political conditions and funding constraints, the pressure to engage in strategic planning makes formal strategic planning more important to outsiders than to those inside. For those inside, their professional qualities in adapting to change are far more important than their ability to present a five-year plan, because the feasibility of strategic planning depends on whether the assumptions about resources, capabilities, and the external environment are correct. This reminder holds special significance for developing Chinese NGOs. On one hand, under the scrutiny of international support and with limited experience in NGO development, many Chinese grassroots NGOs face similar dilemmas, being pressured to establish formal management structures and strategic plans. Perhaps due to pressures for accountability and efficiency, NGOs conducting strategic planning often focus more on project development strategies while neglecting organizational development strategies, rendering strategic planning largely ceremonial. Should they first cater to and meet the demands of funders or follow their own predetermined path? The author of this book shows readers how South Asian NGOs developed a balancing act to navigate these relationships. On the other hand, a clear organizational direction is also determined through formal or informal strategic planning. Without a clear strategic direction, NGOs may face similar challenges, struggling to secure funding from any source to carry out various projects. Importantly, strategic planning is an inherent need for organizational development, not an external pressure or demand. Many classic analyses suggest that NGOs generally shift from providing welfare and services to engaging in activities with strategic and political significance during their maturation process. Several case study NGOs in the book indeed provide services and are often criticized for "substituting for government services" or "collaborating with the government while forgetting the interests of the poor." However, the author argues that there is nothing wrong with an organization willing to provide welfare and services. In an era that values diversity, NGOs engage in various development initiatives, whether large or small, service-oriented or rights-based, addressing social ills. Is this not also a form of complementary diversity? Most donors have a strong interest in promoting civil society development in China. Based on the analysis of these case study NGOs, the author distills practical insights for practitioners and even donors. The author is surprised by the high investment of case study NGOs in institutional learning and employee development, which she believes is a key factor in their ability to achieve management transformation. Efforts to diversify donors and encourage donor collaboration can help donors better understand NGOs and support their healthy development with shared consensus. Reducing formal requirements and pressures on partners while strengthening transparency, convenience, and coordination may also offer valuable lessons for donors. Research, teaching, and training conducted through case studies seem to be increasingly popular, but collecting, writing, and analyzing cases are not easy tasks. The participants in this book also went through a phase of confusion, turning case writing into mere assessment reports. What we see now is a meticulous picture, seamlessly integrating the analyses of nine organizations. Its writing approach can provide excellent guidance and inspiration for fellow enthusiasts of case writing. The experiences of the case study NGOs in this book—whether in management and improving the external environment or in cultivating and managing the ability to adapt to change and NGO transformation, as well as learning—are worth more exchange. It is hoped that such a valuable book can play a leading role in this exchange. Since the 21st century, the scale and significance of South Asian NGOs have been on the rise, and their influence has expanded. This book is the outcome of the "NGO Management Research Program" organized by the Aga Khan Foundation in Canada. It aims to draw on the practical experiences of successful NGOs in South Asia, uncover successful management practices, facilitate exchanges among NGO members from different Asian countries, domestic and international donors, and government departments, and provide theoretical and practical tools and teaching reference materials for Chinese NGOs. The case studies in the book are detailed and vivid, making them highly readable.