The Emergence of Nonprofit Self-Regulation in Africa

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of NGO self-regulation in Africa from 1990 through 2009 using cross-national data on 22 countries and more detailed case studies of 6 initiatives. The article uses collective action theory to characterize self-regulation as a collective endeavor in which organizations must find ways to develop and maintain common standards and mechanisms for monitoring and oversight. The article argues that self-regulation in Africa has unfolded in two generations. The first generation was a response to perceived threats of increased government regulation and resulted in systems of self-regulation that are national in scope and intend to produce a public good: national regulation. Second generation initiatives occurred in more liberal political environments; as a result, these second-generation initiatives often operate as a complement or supplement to government regulation. Second-generation self-regulation programs tend to have stronger standards and enforcement, but more limited organizational coverage, producing a private collective good for those nonprofits that are able to participate.