Role of NGOs. Fowler (2013, p.22) writes that “effectiveness is achieved by those NGDOs who find and maintain the right balance between the contradictory forces, expectations, demands, and processes associated with performing complex tasks in collaboration with resource-poor, powerless people in unstable and often hostile environments.”
Today’s NGOs are faced with new global challenges and associated policy agendas framed by diverse nation states, multi-national corporations, and world governing organizations (i.e United Nations). This presents opportunities, threats and instability as old assumptions become invalid and rules of the game and power structures change. Some NGDOs have responded by becoming more “business like” or to take on the practices and perspectives found in commercial enterprise.
Discussions: Looking at the unique roles and tasks of NGDOs as highlighted by Fowler in Chapters 1 and 2, explain how being more “business-like” would be a benefit to NGDOs. How might this perspective be a challenge for NGDOs dedicated to sustainable development in a complex global environment?