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An independent assessment of NGOs’ activities

Published : Saturday, 29 June, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1940
MS Siddiqui
Non-government organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh are diverse in the activities, sizes and funding sources etc. They work to fill up the untouched areas that are not covered by economic agents like Government, Community, Market, and Individual Citizen. NGOs are working with its all concerns contributing to the creation of apoverty free Bangladesh.They have had success in bridging the gap between service users and providers in Bangladesh through their own services and by facilitating government, community, and private sector.

Based on the nature of activities, NGOs in Bangladesh can be broadly categorized as Microcredit NGOs (NGO-MFI) and Development NGOs (NGO-Development). NGO-MFIs provide microcredit to its members and Development NGOs implement different development projects for its beneficiaries.NGOs in Bangladesh provide a strikingly homogeneous set of services, with credit dominating. Some of the NGOs such as BRAC, Grameen, ASA, DSK have both MFI and development programs.These NGOs are contributing to improving services to the poor.

The sources of financing for NGOs will vary according to the type ofactivity the NGO is engaged in. The commercial venture is taking the leading position to finance the NGOs. One of the main reasons for the growing presence of NGO programs is the expansion inmicrofinance. Microcredit now reaches as many as 43 percent of all Bangladeshi households and about 70 percent of poor households. The increasingly mature microfinance industry can sustain muchof its activity from self-generated funds and market borrowing.

A nationwide network of these NGO paraprofessionals is successfully extending healthcare to large numbers of poor households. The community health workers of these NGOs provide door-to-door health services, focusing mainly on preventative care and simple curative care for women and children.NGOs alsocontribute to health outcomes by providing water and sanitation services, with notable successesin community-based programs promoting behavioral change. Achievements in health includeprograms on child nutrition and tuberculosis treatment in partnership with government.

NGO educationprograms are effectively targeted to thepoor, and to poor girls in particular.Their schools have a positive impact onschool enrollment, particularly of girls,and record higher attendance andcompletion rates than formal schools.NGO school studentsperform considerably better than their counterparts in government schools on reading and writingskills, but only slightly better on other basic competencies.

The advocacy activities of NGO are a very challenging task. Most NGOs advocacy focuses on issues affecting the poor (e.g., violence against women, dowry, land rights,access to justice, housing, education) and is seen as fully legitimate. Advocacy fulfils an essential function in a democracy such as Bangladesh. Therefore, NGOs scope to do advocacy should be entirely unconstrained, exceptfor activities that promote one political party, or election candidate, over another. The experience of NGOs over the political activities shows that any form of involvement in are not acceptable in our country.

Several NGOs have established commercial enterprises whose profit isearmarked to support their development programs. Such a social business model is designed toreduce dependence on donors and other outside funding sources, and is an innovative solutionalso used by foundations and charities elsewhere.

Poverty alleviation is not merely a concept but rather a comprehensiveplanned program initiatives to unroll the poverty affected. In this juncture,NGOs have some other programs for the existing programs usersor clients to make them financially sufficient, physically strengthen,potentially self-dependent and socially empowered.

Apart from micro credit, NGOs launch some programs to encourage members tosave their less scattered money to achieve these. After a few years, it becomes sufficient in size and helps them to use it in their intendedareas and make them self-reliant. Three types of savings schemes namelymandatory, voluntary and long-term saving schemes are widely offered tothe clients.

Insurance schemes to prevent the members future uncertainty. NGOs may have other distinctive products likeLoan Insurance, Members Security Fund, Male Members Security Fund,Health Assistance Grant Fund Clients, andHealth Assistance Grant Fund for minor ill clients to provide safeguardagainst any risk and uncertainties like financial catastrophe, accident,death, physical hazards.

NGOs have continuous assessment of their products and services cateredto the hardy people to know the programs feasibility and viabilitypertaining to the reduction of poverty. It is said that health, safety, sanitation, teaching and educational materials are vital for humanresourcedevelopment.

Teaching and collectingmaterials requires financial involvement which creates hurdles for the poorto continue their education. Lack of ability to fund educationalmaterials compels the poor to postpone or stop their education. Tofoster education for hard core poor people, and thereby helping thembecome resources, NGOs are nursing it through providing loans andscholarship to the backward meritorious students.

The large shares of income from microcredit programsare confined to some specific areaswhich poses a great challenge for any organization. To mitigate the threat,it is necessary to diversify the collected funds into some other areas.Over 93% of the micro credit borrowers are women and loan recovery rate were 95.64% (June, 2014). The recovery rate of different credit categories should be up to expectation. The scenario of the recovery rate set by microcredit regulatory authority (MFI) may provesthe effectiveness of loan sanctioning and its recovery system.

The Mission, vision of NGOs may be summarized as follows: (a) to provide affordable financial services (microcredit) to fight poverty and catalyze socioeconomic development for the poor; (b) giving nonformal education (literacy, numeracy, and skill development) to increase the productivity of poor and thereby improving their life and living; (c) providing healthcare services and healthcare advocacy (i.e., increasing awareness to initiate change); (d) engaging in the environment (climate, clean air, safe water, uncontaminated soil, and green home); and (e) advocating human rights based on humanist values. Together the NGOs work to empower the powerless. Or enabling the poor.

The strength and performance of an NGO may be evaluated on the basis ofmission and vision with particular focus on (1) health care, (2) education programs, (3) advocacy activities, (4) commercial enterprises, (5) Poverty alleviation, (6) micro credit, (7) personal and Loan Insurance, etc. The evaluation should also be with the similar guidance of the World Bank.

World Bank use a framework built around: (a) the characteristics of services provided by NGOs, (b) the accountability relationship between policy makers, providers, and service users, and (c) the overall national context for pro-poor service delivery by both the public and private sectors. It manybe assess the characteristics of NGO services using public economics tools. To the extent possible, assess the rationale for NGO provision on equity and effectiveness grounds, using information on expenditure patterns, success in targeting the poor, and indicators of impact.

The importance and role of NGO is enormous and should be monitoredfrom an independent point of view. The independent internal audit should be strengthened to keep check and balance between management and other stakeholders.

The writer is a Non-Government Adviser, Bangladesh Competition Commission, Legal Economist & CEO, Bangla Chemical


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