African Non-governmental Organisations Research Articles

Signing documents: Accountability politics and racialized suspicion in Africa's development audits

AbstractGood governance policies in international development require nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to translate their programs into documents that render NGOs knowable and accountable to their donors. Drawing on multisited ethnographic fieldwork in Ghana and Uganda, we examine the signatures on these documents and the labor of NGO staff to obtain the signatures of aid recipients. We argue that signatures serve as mechanisms that NGO staff use to make their good governance practices traceable and to deter donor suspicion of funding misuse. Staff dedicate significant energy to imagining how signatures may or may not trigger donor suspicion. We posit that despite NGO staff's anxiety over getting signatures right—present, matching, and signed by the correct person—signatures can only ever defer donor suspicion. Such suspicion cannot be eliminated because it is deeply entrenched in racialized logics that position Global North donors as holding expertise and African NGOs as susceptible to corruption. Because NGO staff worry about donor suspicion rather than what aid recipients communicate with their (lack of) signatures, even fake signatures can circulate just as well as authentic ones. Tracing the social dynamics of collecting signatures sheds light on the racialized injustices inherent in Africa's development systems.

Building economic strengthening programmes for youth in South Africa: determinants of success and failure

Africa, conceptually, geographically, politically, economically, religiously and socially is in bondage and this bondage is South Africa has one of the worst youth unemployment problems in the world. The high rate of youth unemployment results in multi-dimensional range of social challenges that negatively affect the wider community and economy. Social workers in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are adopting economic strengthening programmes (ESP) to empower unemployed youth. However, factors that are key to determining success of ESP are not precisely understood. The study utilised qualitative case study research design. Data was collected using in-depth interviews from 30 purposively selected youth aged 15–24 years, 6 NGO practitioners and 5 Department of Social Development (DSD). The Ubuntu philosophy was used as a theory for analysing and interpreting data. Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of Fort Hare. The aim of the study was to explore the determinants of youth’s success in ESP in South African NGOs. Findings established that lack of access to start-up finance, poor links to strategic partnerships and mentorship platforms were inhibiting factors for youth to establish successful enterprises. The study recommends social workers and NGOs to merge efforts and resources with other stakeholders to foster implementation of effective ESP in marginalised communities. How to reference using ASWNet style: Zibengwa, E. & Tanga, P. T. (2023). Building economic strengthening programmes for youth in South Africa: determinants of success and failure. African Journal of Social Work, 13(3), 325-332. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v13i6.6 Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

The impacts of climatic conditions on cereal production: implications for food security in Africa.

Climate change is a confounding factor that affectsfood security in several ways.Although the analyses of earlier studies in this area were largely non-technical, new analytical techniques have been developed tocomprehensively evaluate climate change patternsand their implications for food security. In this study, we use recent developments in panel econometrics, which consider cross-sectional dependence and parameter heterogeneity, to examine the effects of climatic conditions on cereal farming in Africa from 1970Q1 to 2017Q4. The results show that rainfall positively affects cereal crops, although average temperatures are typically unfavourable. In the country-specific scenarios, we observed significant variations in the influence of climatic conditions on cereal production. The causality test results show a two-way causal relationship between climatic conditions-rainfall and temperature-and cereal production. It is suggested that African governments and non-governmental organisations support farmers' adaptation to climate change by implementing policies that prioritise farmers' capacity building and ensure that extension service officers engage with farmers intensively.

#African Time: Making the Future Legible

ABSTRACT The notion that Africans lack a sense of future was extensively debated following John Mbiti’s African Religions and Philosophy (1969) and has since entered the scholarly and popular discourse as a fixed topos which we label #African time (‘Europeans have watches, Africans have time’). The most recent references to the topos are found in future vision reports of many African states and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that assert and demand a sense of future for Africa and from members of African societies. While the notion of a homogenised past-oriented ‘African time’ has been largely abandoned in academia, #African time appears to be an accepted and enactable popular discourse among policy makers, state planners and NGO workers. This article provides examples of this phenomenon and it extends James Scott’s (1998) idea, that state authorities tend to make its citizens ‘legible’ in order to govern them, to explain the tenaciousness of the #African time topos. While Scott’s examples are almost exclusively about shaping space for legibility, we show that there is a similar process taking place with regards to time, and that citizens, communities and societies are expected to formulate visions for the future if they want their interests to be ‘read’ by the state, by NGOs, donor agencies and other powerful agents they interact with. In this process of making the future visions of citizens legible, the topos of #African time plays a major role.

South African Non-Governmental Development Organisations (NGDOs) - organising and coordinating for ‘Development Effectiveness’? A Case Study of KwaZulu-Natal Province

South African Non-Governmental Development Organisations (NGDOs) - organising and coordinating for ‘Development Effectiveness’? A Case Study of KwaZulu-Natal Province

A nem kormányzati szervezetek Kenyában

The role of African civic and non-governmental organizations has grown exponentially over the past ten years. Their number in Kenya has reached eleven thousand, with annual revenues in excess of one and a half billion dollars. However, the country has come a long way since the “difficult 1990s”, Kenya’s period of democratization. Fostering cooperation between NGOs and the government continues to have its problems, but without “civilians” there would be a huge gap in the field of development aid. In our article, we have reviewed the history and regulatory framework of the non-governmental sector in Kenya and its re-emergence.

Neoliberal Impact on Social Work in South African Non-Governmental Organisations

The South African social work profession, which can be considered to still be in the early stages of rebirth post-apartheid, has been affected by neoliberal compromise. This paper reflects on the impact of neoliberalism on South African social work, particularly within the context of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as perceived and experienced by front-line social workers and social work managers. The findings highlight some of the unseen struggles of South African social work practice, as the profession is caught between the demands of social development and neoliberalism. This study invites the voices of front-line social workers to join academic debate and offer on-the-ground insight which social work academics might not be able to identify. In doing so, the discussion around neoliberal impact on South African social work and NGOs is deepened, allowing for authentic reflection on the challenges for the profession within an environment of neoliberal and developmental conflict.

The Conundrums of Counselling Women in Violent Intimate Partner Relationships in South Africa: Implications for Practice.

Little research focuses on how counsellors experience counselling encounters concerning intimate partner violence. This study reports on narrative research conducted with eight South African non-governmental organisation counsellors. Participants spoke of creating productive and caring counselling dynamics, and providing non-directive counselling. However, they also indicated providing moral guidance, particularly in cases where pregnancy or children were involved. Success was viewed rather narrowly as the women leaving the relationship, setting up ‘all-or-nothing’ outcomes. Such ‘success’ led to counsellor happiness, whilst failure in this regard led to counsellors experiencing anger and burn-out. We conclude that the conundrums evident in these data are grounded in patriarchal systems, limiting the efficacy of counselling based on a bondage and deliverance narrative. Implications for practice and training are also outlined.

The uses, benefits and limitations of social media for public relations in South African non-governmental organisations

The uses, benefits and limitations of social media for public relations in South African non-governmental organisations

Potential latitudinal variation in orodigestive tract cancers in Africa.

Previous studies have alluded to a causal relationship between pathological entities and geographical variations, but there is a paucity of studies from Africa discussing the effect of latitudinal variation on orodigestive cancers in this region. It seems plausible that the burden of orodigestive cancer would differ as a result of variations in diet, cultural habits, climate and environmental conditions down the length of Africa. To analyse regional variations in prevalence, incidence and mortality data in the global cancer statistics database (GLOBOCAN 2012) curated by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Basic descriptive statistical tools were used to depict regional variations in cancer morbidity and mortality. Data on 13 African countries between longitude 20⁰ and 30⁰ east and latitude 35⁰ north and 35⁰ south were examined for variation in age-standardised orodigestive cancer prevalence, incidence and mortality. Possible regional causes for orodigestive tract cancer development were investigated. Data on lip and oral cavity, oesophageal, gastric, colorectal, liver, gallbladder and pancreatic cancers in the 13 countries were compared. Our empirical findings from this preliminary study support the notion that the incidence and prevalence of orodigestive cancers vary within Africa. This effect may be due to environmental, economic, political and possibly genetic factors. Considering the heterogeneity of the above factors across Africa, disbursement of funding for cancer research and therapy in Africa should be focused in terms of regional variations to make best use of the fiscal allocation by African governments, non-governmental organisations and international agencies.

Female agency in action

This study examined the discursive and interactional processes by which adolescent female participants present and discuss their romantic relationships in a ‘Love and Relationships’ MXit forum, a mobile phone-based project created by the South African Non-Governmental Organisation, HIVSA. In doing so, it was possible to explore some of the norms and ‘taken-for-granted’ practices of romantic relationships that the participants describe, which offered insight into present research into adolescent experiences of gender and romantic relationships, as well as new subjects for consideration during intervention or analysis. In particular, it is suggested that because conceptions of love and having children appeared not to be foreclosed normative practices, these could prove fertile points of intervention with young women’s choices, agency, and ultimately, empowerment. This study thus recommends disseminating and increasing the scope of hi4LIFE and similar projects that provide platforms for the production of female agency.

Comparing NGO Resilience and ‘Structures of Opportunity’ in South Africa and Zimbabwe (2010–2013)

African non-governmental organisations undergo various shifts in order to cope with diverse challenges. This article takes a longitudinal case study approach to analyse the identities and resilience of a small sample of NGOs in South Africa and Zimbabwe between 2009 and 2013. This article will rely on time period and the nature of the state in each site as independent variables. The nuances brought on by the different time periods and each organisation’s profile, and the two countries where the NGOs are set, are significant for contributing to the literature on the fluid and adaptive nature of African NGOs in their bid for survival. Through exploring these four diverse NGOs in the two states and time period where new challenges and opportunities are presented, the article will also highlight the variety of challenges and strategies each NGO engaged with when confronting crises specific to their settings and the identities each NGO adopted when developing and shifting their agendas.

NGOs’ Advertising in South Africa and Implications for NGOs in China

In this paper, we discuss NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and NPOs (Non-Profit Organizations) in general and focus on the advertising strategy NGOs should undertake. More specifically, we compare and contrast the NGO history in South Africa and China, its corresponding past advertising, and implications for advertising strategy for Chinese NGOs going forward. This includes a discussion of a key issue of the efficacy of advertising that evokes emotion, and how it can be a “mixed-blessing.” It is suggested that the advertising strategy of South African NGOs can usefully inform NGOs in China.

Stretching between learning and accountability: Experiences of South African non-governmental organisations

This article contributes to knowledge around organisational learning in relation to Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) processes of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).While learning and accountability are two fundamental purposes of M&E, in practice NGOs often perceive donor accountability as the only function of their organisation’s M&E system. Learning through meaningful monitoring of actions is a necessary process to satisfy effective functioning of organisations working on social change.The article is based on action research, which included qualitative methods such as case studies, focus group interview(s), semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with participating organisations from an 18-month Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Development Programme of the Community Development Resource Association, which involved nine South African NGOs. Organisations benefited from the programme through peer learning, consulting and research linked to the programme.The research revealed that NGOs have a perception of M&E as an accountability procedure that has been imposed on them by donor communities and are resistant to it as well as to rigid data collection.Organisations require specific capacities to realise their power and to be able to negotiate more developmental approaches to M&E within their organisations and with donors. The model is suggested that fosters learning in M&E systems and includes two interlinked processes: self-awareness (a sense of core organisational values and intuitive ability) and awareness about the outside world and the effects of organisations’ work.The model for M&E systems can be explored further and help those organisations who are working towards better balance between learning and accountability.

The Illuminative Potential of Organizational Ethnographies

Evaluation studies, especially of South African educational institutions and non-governmental organisations offering educational programmes have been criticised for focussing inadequately on the ethnographic and anthropological dimensions of organisations. The dominant approaches to evaluation have been structuralist and empirical-rational in orientation, serving narrow bureaucratic functions for funders and donors, based on self reports by programme participants. One way of resolving the dilemma of unreliable evaluation reports is producing richly contextualised organisational ethnographies which illuminate organisational contexts beyond superficial analyses. What are the potential benefits of an organisational ethnography, and what are the epistemological and ethical implications of such an endeavour? I shall attempt to answer these questions by drawing on an organisational ethnography of a South African non-governmental organisation offering language teacher development programmes, as I trace its mutating identity over three decades. I use insights derived from the traditions of empowerment evaluation (Fetterman, 1999) and illuminative evaluation (Parlett & Hamilton, 1976) as theoretical lenses to appraise the value of narratives in understanding organisational behaviour. Further, I appropriate Discourse Analysis to interrogate selected narrative data as a methodological lens in organisational analysis, and reflect on my experience of engaging in such a project. In the latter part of the chapter, I revisit the methodological wisdom of engaging in an institutional ethnography, highlighting some of the ethical, representational and epistemological dilemmas in negotiating a non-conventional approach. I conclude the paper with brief allusion to the potential value of organisational ethnographies in mediating an emerging performativity driven higher education culture.

Enhancing online information of African nongovernmental organizations through self-regulation

The information included in NGOs’ self-regulation mechanisms is crucial for fostering the good behavior and access to information of the sector. This paper reports on a comparative analysis of national self-regulation mechanisms developed in African countries versus initiatives of an international nature. The main findings show that both cases are characterized by initiatives with low levels of control (code of conduct and performance guide). Moreover, significant differences in the information they contain are identified. In this regard, national initiatives mainly present information that reinforces organizational management, while the international initiatives show a greater preference for stressing the need to improve the social mission. The demand for web disclosure is low in both cases with African self-regulations mainly calling for the reactive communication of information concerning organizational strategy. In contrast, international initiatives are more focused on promoting the proactive disclosure of information regarding the organization’s social responsibility and its commitment to improvement.

Literacy coaching in gauteng province: needs and possibilities

Current scholarship advocating the role of pre-service and in-service teacher development for counteracting the multiple levels of South African ‘school dysfunction’ (Bergman & Bergman 2011) has said relatively little about the substantial role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the multiple layers of reform at play in literacy education – and even less has been said about the role of NGOs in developing teacher-leaders, or in our case, ‘literacy coaches’, for engaging grass-roots in-service teacher change. In this article, we theorise findings from a participatory, qualitative needs analysis examining a South African NGO's development of literacy coaches as part of a broader Gauteng Province Literacy and Maths Strategy (GPLMS). Embedded in sociocultural conceptions of ‘thoughtfully adaptive teaching’ (Fairbanks et al. 2010), our findings suggest that although coaches were confident in their ability to interact as coaches for the curriculum generated by the GPLMS reforms, they were less confident ...

Implementing a large-scale systematic tuberculosis screening program in correctional facilities in South Africa.

Background. Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence is high in correctional facilities in southern Africa. With support from local South African nongovernmental organizations, the South African Department of Correctional Services initiated a program of systematically screening newly admitted and current inmates for symptoms followed by GeneXpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)/rifampicin (Rif) for microbiologic testing of symptomatic inmates.Methods. We conducted a program evaluation during a 5-month window describing program reach, effectiveness, adoption within the facilities, cost, and opportunities for sustainability. This evaluation included 4 facilities (2 large and 2 smaller) with a total daily census of 20 700 inmates.Results. During the 5-month evaluation window from May to September 2013, 7426 inmates were screened at the 4 facilities. This represents screening 87% of all new admits (the remaining new admits were screened by correctional staff only and are not included in these statistics) and 23% of the daily inmate census, reaching 55% of the overall screening target as calculated per annum. The reach ranged from 57% screened during these 5 months at one of the smaller facilities to 13% at the largest facility. Two hundred one cases of pulmonary TB were diagnosed, representing 2.1% of the screened population; 93% had documented initiation of TB treatment. The cost per TB case identified was $1513, excluding treatment costs (with treatment costs it was $1880).Conclusions. We reached a large number of inmates with high-volume screening and effectively used GeneXpert MTB/Rif to diagnose pulmonary TB and rapidly initiate treatment. The cost was comparable to other screening programs.

Domestication or transformation? The ideology of Theatre for Development in Africa

Abstract This article explores the postcolonial history of Theatre for Development in Africa. It argues that a form that had been gradually developing as a socialist-inspired means of enabling people in Africa to discuss politics and social issues they saw as important was transformed from the mid-1980s into a largely instrumentalist tool for conveying information and messages determined by Western donor and African governments and international non-governmental organizations. The article discusses who currently controls the majority of cultural output related to Theatre for Development and some of the methodologies used. It deplores the widespread lack of skilled facilitators, the lack of evaluation of process, practice or impact, and the common practice of using Theatre for Development to tell people what outside agencies determine is good for them rather than engaging in dialogue or promoting the use of the arts to enable ordinary people to ‘speak to power’.

Conflicting policy narratives: Moving beyond culture in identifying barriers to gender policy in South Africa

This paper explores barriers to gender policy implementation arising from the narratives framing gender as a policy issue. Through examining the influence of gender policy narratives on practitioners, it challenges those who represent policy failures as the result of unsupportive cultural contexts. The paper draws on Fraser’s (1995, 2005; Fraser and Honneth, 2003) conceptualisation of recognition and redistribution to highlight tensions between three different gender policy narratives: (1) gender as instrumental for development; (2) gender as women’s rights and empowerment; and (3) gender as relations of power requiring personal transformation. Interviews with 32 gender practitioners in 26 South African non-governmental organisations and observations of meetings between these organisations show how these narratives lead to unhelpful conflicts between practitioners. These conflicts inhibit both the uptake of gender policy recommendations and collaboration between practitioners in ways that undermine efforts to address gender inequalities in the South African context.