Background

The survey was conducted in December 1997 among NGOs in five countries of the Horn of Africa. The questionnaire developed by the Interim Steering Group of the International Working Group on Capacity Building (IWGCB, later to become the IFCB) was circulated at two consultations held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. One for 21 NGO representatives in the Horn of Africa region, and one for Ethiopian NGOs. In all, 21 NGOs (see list, below) participated in the survey. Overall, the capacity building needs expressed in the responses to the questionnaire were confirmed by the concerns expressed in the consultation discussions.

Both the questionnaire responses and the discussions in the consutlations reflected the development history of the region and the changes taking place within it. The countries of the Horn of Africa region have a collective history of decades of stagnation of development, linked to a situation of state-centric economies and development strategies, which have contributed, at best, to marginal development gains; and at worst to significant retrogression.

In recent years, a new trend towards political and economic liberalisation in some countreis of the region, has contributed to a relative acceleration of economic growth and development, and provided space for NGOs to play an expanded role in development. This changing situation is reflected in an increased visibility of indegenous NGOs and a greater voice in advocacy for civil society organizations in development efforts and strategies.

The NGOs of the region have their own particular character, shaped by their peculiar history and circumstances. They come from a region strongly affected by nearly four decades of man-made and natural disasters arising from conflict, recurrent drought and otehr environmental disasters, leading to a situation of chronic humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by a prevalence of often rapacious and predatory regimes, and inappropriate economic and social policies.

Due to this background, most of the NGOs in the region grew out of efforts to address the recurrent humanitarian crises, and have thus developed a particular focus on relief, rehabilitation and related efforts, often serving to channel humanitarian assistance on behalf of external agencies and international NGOs on whom they are dependent for funding.

Emerging Trends

The respondents represented diverse backgrounds in terms of size, maturity, focus and scope.

Nearly half of the respondents identified core funding as their highest priority need. This relfects a common concern among indigenous NGOs, whose efforts to strengthen their institutional capacity and pursue their own priorities and goals, are severly constrianed by lack of resources and a consequent need to give priority to donor interests and programmes, to obtain minimal funding for their institutional survival. With very limited financial resources of their own and lack of direct access to donors, indigenous NGOs often feel their independence to be threatened. Planning and strategic development, as such, were not place among the most identified needs. However, project and programme design and implementation were recognized as important needs by a large proportion of respondents, coming second among their priority needs. At a similar lever, they emphasized priorities of networking with other NGOs, and staff development.

These three responses reflected their perceived needs in capacity building and information-sharing, to enhance their professional effectiveness. At a slightly lower level, the need for enhanced capacity in monitoring and evaluation also reflected a felt need for improved professional capacity.

At a fourth level of priority, one-third of the respondents, stressed the need for leadership development, board development and enhancement of their capacities in policy research and analysis and local resource mobilisation. These articulations recognize the importance of strengthening their organizations internally, building their capacity to understand, and hence to influence, the environment in which they work, and to contribute to their independence by mobilizing local resources to support their efforts.

Slightly fewer than one-third of the respondents prioritized the need for enhanced capacity in financial management, drawing attention to the need of many NGOs for development of simplified, easy to operate systems to facilitate their maintenance of financial accountability.

A similar priority was accorded to networking with civil society organizations (CSOs) of various types, including--but not limited to--NGOs. This reflects recognition of the fact that formally organized NGOs are a small proportion of the civil society organizations in the region and that networking and collaboration with the wider category of CSOs provides NGOs with the potential to greatly enhance the impact of their work.

Fewer than one-fifth of the respondents prioritized fundraising, reflecting the reality of a situation in which there are few potential local sources for significant fundraising, and in which local NGOs have little direct access to donors who usually prefer to use international NGOs as intermediaries.

Relatively low priority was accorded to organizational development, networking with northern NGOs and improving collaboration with donor agencies. These reflect their reaction to the existing situation in which they perceive that northern NGOs use their monopoly on direct access to donor funding to perpetuate dependency of indigenous NGOs, their belief that the capacity building offered by northern NGOs usually relates to their own priorities, rather than those of indigenous NGOs, and their perception that there is little that they can do to obtain direct access to the donor agencies.

Fewer than one-tenth of the respondents prioritized cross-sectoral collaboration with government. This reflects the existing situation in which governments in the region tend to distrust any organized groupings beyond their direct control and regard them as potential sources of political competition.

A similar level of low priority was accorded to research, documentation and perspective-building, due to the fact that most of the NGOs in the region have limited capacity in this area, and have, what seem to them, much more pressing needs.

Only one of the respondents prioritized cross-sectoral collaboration with business, reflecting a situation in which business interests have thus far developed very limited social consciou and in which, they are further constrained by their vulnerability to governments which have yet to accept the role of NGOs.

Partnership Issues

Benefits

With respect to partnership issues, the most cited benefit (by 11 of 21 respondents) was that of mutual learning from exchange of experience, while 10 of 21 cited increasing programme quality and enhancing organizational and management capacities. Next was 'increasing legitimacy with other stakeholders', mentioned by 8 of 21 respondents; and 'promoting more effective advocacy' (5 of 21). At the low end of the scale: 4 of 21 respondents mentioned increasing programme scale of impact as a benefit of partnership, and 1 cited the 'introduction of excellent programmes'.

Most Identified Issues

The most frequently identified problems related to partnership included the need to preserve NGO mission and independence (12 of 21)--reflecting often imbalanced relationships between international NGOs controlling access to funding--and local NGOs with little access to resources and the issue of establishing mutual trust and respect (10 of 21), reflecting similar problems. IN a similar context, 9 of 21 respondents cited problems of reaching agreement about cost-sharing; 6 of 21 drew attention to difficulties of reaching agreement on programme design, and programme monitoring and evaluation. Four of 21 cited problems of reaching agreement on both basic development values and development problems.

Less-cited issues included 'creating mechanisms to resolve conflict' (3 of 21); staff incompatibilities in programmes and setting priorities (3 of 21); reaching agreement on financial systems (2 of 21); and building principled alliances and bases of partnership.

Conclusion

Issues of partnership--and the nature of partnership--with external agencies and international NGOs are of particular concern to local NGOs in the region. The influx of northern NGOs to the Horn of Africa region over more than 20 years has led to one of the highest concentrations of northern NGOs in Africa. This group however, despite its long presence in the region, has made very limited contribution to the capacity building and development of local NGOs, a type of contribution which is vital to genuine partnership.

Participants in Capacity Building Needs Assessment Survey

First Consultation on the Regional Networking of NGOs in the Horn of Africa
December 7 and 8, 1997 -- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia