Grounded theory study of engagement of non-governmental organisations in inclusive education reform in Central Asia

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While UN agencies call for increased NGOs’ involvement in IE reform, comprehensive understanding of their effects have remained limited. The research addresses this gap by focusing on domestic NGOs' engagement in the IE movement, examining the context of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The study adopts a grounded theory approach, delving into various data sources, including policy documents, interviews with NGO representatives, and discussions with international donor organisations. The study results in the development of a comprehensive 'NGO Engagement in IE Framework' consisting of four tiers: functional roles of NGOs (Tier-1), employed strategies to successfully engage in IE development (Tier-2), barriers to the engagement (Tier-3), and motivations behind NGOs’ efforts (Tier-4). NGOs are found to contribute to policy advocacy, teacher training, inclusive schooling initiatives, parent support, research, and more. To achieve best results, NGOs build partnerships with multiple stakeholders including governmental and local authorities, international organisations, businesses, and other NGOs. Yet, they struggle with limited funding, lack of consistent political will of the states to promote IE, weak organisational capacity of NGOs, and their limited autonomy. Motivations behind NGO engagement centre around their self-perception as agents of change. The framework emphasises the interplay between NGOs and their countries' socio-political context.