Ladybirds, missionaries and NGOs. Voluntary organizations and co‐operatives in 50 years of development: a historical perspective on future challenges

Abstract

There has been a dramatic expansion of the voluntary sector, not merely in terms of numbers, but also of diversity and types of activities. Today's non-government organizations (NGOs) are key actors in the development process. Estimates suggest that over 20% of official aid is now channelled through them. In a relatively short period of time NGOs have also become important players in civil society. NGOs have considerable influence in shaping government policies, and some even have observer status within the United Nations. It may appear that NGOs have only become major players in the development process in the last 10 years. Yet most major NGOs have been long established; for example, the Red Cross from the 1880s, Save the Children from the end of the First World War, Oxfam and CARE from the end of the Second World War. Similarly in the South major indigenous NGOs all have well-established roots. Yet despite this heritage there is very little literature which explores the operational or strategic issues faced by these agencies over the last 50 years. This article attempts to address some of these issues by reviewing articles published in Public Administration and Development and its predecessors over the last 50 years. It provides a longitudinal analysis of the content and conclusions of key articles relevant to the operations, management and role of NGOs, voluntary organizations and co-operatives. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.