NGO Leadership, Strategy and Management – Theory and Practice (Oxfam Series on NGOs and Social Work)

Author: (Canada) Ian Smillie (UK) John G. Helliwell
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: I almost read the book "NGO Leadership, Strategy, and Management: Theory and Practice" cover to cover. This analytical work based on NGO experiences in South Asia is as engaging as a novel, capturing my attention. It is definitely not a dry theoretical book; the authors skillfully combine case studies and structural analysis in a seamless manner. The nine South Asian case study organizations are vividly presented to the readers. These renowned NGOs in Asian countries have experienced changing environments and continuously adapted their management styles, demonstrating maturity that offers extensive reference and guidance for NGOs in China's development. 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 relatively relaxed policy and legal environment of the case study NGOs, it is essential to view this context within an evolving historical perspective. 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 adjusted, and relationships between NGOs and governments and donors evolved from distant to closer. The collective efforts of NGOs to improve their operating environment are significant factors in external and policy shifts. By studying the management experiences and wisdom of nine South Asian NGOs, the authors propose insights that differ from widely accepted classical analyses but are nonetheless candid and realistic. These perspectives, both in structure and analysis, are unconventional. NGOs are often asked to conduct strategic planning, yet the authors analyze 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 the insiders, 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 NGOs in China. On one hand, under the attention of international donors, and with limited experience in NGO development, many Chinese grassroots NGOs face similar dilemmas, being pressured to establish formal management structures and strategic planning. Perhaps due to pressures of accountability and efficiency, NGOs conducting strategic planning often focus more on project development strategies while neglecting organizational development strategies, rendering strategic planning largely hollow. Should they first cater to and meet the demands of funders or follow their own predetermined path? The authors of this book show readers the buffer strategies developed by South Asian NGOs to balance various relationships. On the other hand, the clear direction of organizational development is also determined through formal or informal strategic planning within the organization. Without a clear strategic direction, NGOs may face similar problems, struggling to secure funding from any source to carry out various projects. It is important to note that strategic planning is an inherent need for organizational development, not merely external pressure or demand. Many classical analyses suggest that NGOs generally transition from providing welfare and services to engaging in activities with strategic and political significance during their development process. Several case study NGOs in the book indeed provide services and are often criticized for "substituting for government services and forgetting the interests of the poor" when collaborating with the government. However, the authors argue 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, targeting social ills. Each carries the role it deems appropriate—could this not also be 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 authors distill practical insights for practitioners and even donors. The authors are surprised by the high investment of case study NGOs in institutional learning and employee development, which they believe is a key factor in achieving 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 procedural demands 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 favored, 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 evaluation reports of organizations. What we see now is a meticulous picture that seamlessly integrates the analyses of nine organizations. Its writing approach can provide excellent guidance and inspiration for peers equally passionate about case writing.
The experiences of the case study NGOs in this book are worth sharing, both in terms of management and improving the external environment, as well as in cultivating and managing the ability to adapt to change and organizational transformation, and learning. It is hoped that such a valuable book can play a pioneering role in fostering this exchange. Since the 21st century, the scale and significance of South Asian NGOs have been growing, and their influence has been expanding. This book is the product 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.