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Non‐governmental Organizations in Africa: Can They Influence Public Policy?

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  • Michael Bratton

Abstract

As non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) accumulate experience at implementing development projects, they sometimes attempt to increase their influence by engaging in policy advocacy. This article analyses the organizational conditions under which national NGOs in Africa have been able to influence the formulation of agricultural and rural development policies. Case studies are presented of three African NGOs that have sought, with varying degrees of success, to represent the ‘voice’ of the rural poor to policy‐makers. Comparative analysis of these cases leads to the conclusion that policy advocacy is most likely to be effective in organizations that have several key characteristics: an homogeneous membership, a federated structure, a focused programme, informal ties with political leaders, and a domestic funding base.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Bratton, 1990. "Non‐governmental Organizations in Africa: Can They Influence Public Policy?," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 21(1), pages 87-118, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:21:y:1990:i:1:p:87-118
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7660.1990.tb00369.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bratton, Michael, 1986. "Farmer organizations and food production in Zimbabwe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 367-384, March.
    2. Bratton, Michael, 1989. "The politics of government-NGO relations in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 569-587, April.
    3. Drabek, Anne Gordon, 1987. "Development alternatives: The challenge for NGOs--an overview of the issues," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 15(1, Supple), pages 1-1.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Kraybill, 2013. "Rural development in sub-Saharan Africa," Chapters, in: Gary Paul Green (ed.), Handbook of Rural Development, chapter 14, pages i-ii, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. White, Robert & Eicher, Carl K., 1999. "Ngo'S And The African Farmer: A Skeptical Perspective," Staff Paper Series 11532, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    3. Eduardo Silva, 1994. "Thinking Politically about Sustainable Development in the Tropical Forests of Latin America," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 25(4), pages 697-721, October.
    4. Daniel Dramani Kipo-Sunyehzi, 2023. "Implementation Research in Developed and Developing Countries: an Analysis of the Trends and Directions," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1259-1273, September.
    5. Tania P Romero-Brito & Ralf C Buckley & Jason Byrne, 2016. "NGO Partnerships in Using Ecotourism for Conservation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(11), pages 1-19, November.
    6. Paul Killerby & Joe Wallis, 2002. "Social capital and social economics," Forum for Social Economics, Springer;The Association for Social Economics, vol. 32(1), pages 21-32, September.
    7. Hassan Ahmed Abdel Ati, 1993. "The Development Impact of NGO Activities in the Red Sea Province of Sudan: A Critique," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 24(1), pages 103-130, January.
    8. Jessica Goldberger, 2008. "Non-governmental organizations, strategic bridge building, and the “scientization” of organic agriculture in Kenya," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 25(2), pages 271-289, June.

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