The Meaning of NGOs in the Context of South Sudan
4 min readBy Abraham Majur Mading, Kampala, Uganda
April 3, 2016 (SSB) — What constitutes NGOs, has been a subject of academic debate. NGOs as concept is about the non-profit making organizations that work together or in conjunction with government to help and develop communities
NGO- means non-governmental organizations
They also (NGOs) in conjunction with government manage public functions in terms of field organizations of those agencies like subordinate units of government, semi-autonomous public corporations, areas of wide development authorities, financial authority etc (mutahaba 1989).
Why NGOs.
There seems to be unapparent agreement among scholars on NGOs and challenges faced in dealing with humanitarian assistance and as model of government. It can foster or enhance speedy delivery of services resources mobilization, responsiveness, transparency, accountability and prioritization of needs in communities. It seeks to promote poplar participation, empower people to make their own decisions, enhance accountability.
It also aims at introducing efficiency and effectiveness in the generation and management of resources and delivery of services. In the end local people in communities of South Sudan are able to get value for money” out of their taxes to make development process responsive to the needs of local people.
It is also argued that the information is an important factor and a challenge associated with NGOs in dealing with humanitarian assistance bearing on social service delivery. When there is insufficient information, it is difficult for project managers as decision makers to predict the consequences of their decisions.
The probability of disparities between decision makers’ ideas and actual local impact of the decision is much greater in South Sudan context. This problem can be alleviated, it is argued by virtue of having autonomous centres of decision making which function independently of the government interference such as (1982).
Another theoretical justification for NGOs is raised by economists who explore issues of efficiency in neo- classical theoretical terms. It is argued that NGOs reduces the unit cost of providing public goods and services that it tends to lower unit cost through simple procedures and building upon existing local resources, knowledge, technology and institutional capacities (lisk 1985, Allen 1987, Upholft 1988,Klugman 1994)
It is also argued the degree to which NGOs alleviates local problem is largely linked that degree community participation and their operational freedom without government interference. It is argued that if local authorities are willing to engage communities’ support and participation, their decisions and activities are likely to be based to some extent on the knowledge and desires of the local population. This in turn is likely to enhance the appropriateness and continued maintenance of the local service.
Local participation, it is argued will enhanced the legitimacy of local institutions. The more legitimate an institution is the more its ability to deliver social services to the people of South Sudan.
Besides the above issues, it assume that government exist to supply inhabitant with those services that are private sector is either unwilling or unable to provide because the service may have to be delivered on a non-profit basis.
Theoretical framework
For services to be delivered, a number of aspects are important as a pre-requisite to ensure delivery.
According to Rondanelli etal 1981, availability of funds is the core of NGOs policy and programme to succeed donors have to release substantial funding to NGOs to enable them carryout developed responsibilities and or the NGOs should have local resources independent of government grants.
Besides adequate resources other factors necessary for the efficient delivery of social services include popular participation in decision making. People must be involved in determining parties, participation has three dimensions;
- Participation in decision making
- Participation in project implementation
- Participation in resources mobilization
All above three dimensions are very important if NGOs are to bring improvement of social services delivery.
Ability to determined priorities by NGOs depends on the ration between donations from overseas and local delivered resources. The heavy reliance of NGOs upon donations transfer means that their degree of financial autonomy tends to be limited and hence such authority may in reality be less independent in determining priorities that appears hence challenging NGOs in South Sudan.
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