NGOs, CBOs, and the contested politics of community-driven development in urban informal settlements

Abstract

ABSTRACT Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in an informal settlement in Dhaka, this article examines the relationships, contestations and negotiations of power and control between non-government organizations (NGO), community-based organizations (CBO) and local leaders in the context of community-driven development (CDD) interventions. Findings suggest a shift in informal settlement residents’ perceptions and attitudes toward NGOs and CDD interventions where the previously documented distrust and lack of interest has changed to a more general interest to participate largely to draw on the power and influence in the community that CBO membership offers. Moreover, findings demonstrate how contestations and negotiations of power and control play out at various stages of engagement between NGOs, CBOs, and local leaders. These findings have important implications for international development practice, particularly for CDD, as they can contribute to addressing some of the current criticisms of the approach.