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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Non-Governmental Organizations in Africa: Can They Influence Public Policy? |
Author: | Bratton, Michael |
Year: | 1990 |
Periodical: | Development and Change |
Volume: | 21 |
Issue: | 1 |
Period: | January |
Pages: | 87-118 |
Language: | English |
Geographic terms: | Kenya Zimbabwe |
Subjects: | NGO rural development Development and Technology Politics and Government Economics and Trade |
External link: | https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7660.1990.tb00369.x |
Abstract: | As nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) accumulate experience at implementing development projects, they sometimes attempt to increase their influence by engaging in policy advocacy. This article analyses the organizational conditions under which national NGOs in Africa have been able to influence the formulation of agricultural and rural development policies. Case studies are presented of three African NGOs (the Savings Development Movement (SDM) in Zimbabwe, the National Farmers' Association of Zimbabwe (NFAZ), and the Voluntary Agencies Development Assistance (VADA) in Kenya) that have sought, with varying degrees of success, to represent the 'voice' of the rural poor to policymakers. Comparative analysis of these cases leads to the conclusion that policy advocacy is most likely to be effective in organizations that have several key characteristics: an homogeneous membership, a federated structure, a focused programme, informal ties with political leaders, and a domestic funding base. Bibliogr. |