Power and development in practice: NGOs and the development agenda setting

ABSTRACT

There is a firm belief and evidence to suggest that local communities benefit when they are actively engaged in development processes. A parallel discourse has also gained ascendancy – one which posits that if the poor have power, they will influence institutions and processes to their advantage. NGOs have been, and continue to be, the primary proponents of this thinking. While the assertion holds some substance theoretically, in practice, there is a dearth of evidence to substantiate this claim. Using post-development and post-colonial theories, this article examines ways in which NGOs exercise and govern power in development practice.

Il existe une conviction profonde et des données selon lesquelles les communautés locales bénéficieraient des processus de développement lorsqu’elles s’y impliquent activement. Un discours parallèle, postulant que si les pauvres ont du pouvoir, ils influenceront les institutions et les processus à leur avantage, a aussi gagné en influence. Les ONG ont été et continuent à être les principaux promoteurs de cette pensée. Si en théorie la thèse a un certain fondement, en pratique, les données pour l’étayer sont rares. En se basant sur les théories du post-développement et postcoloniales, cet article examine les manières dont les ONG exercent et administrent le pouvoir dans la pratique du développement.

Existe la firme convicción, además de pruebas, que sugieren que las comunidades locales se benefician de su propia participación activa en procesos de desarrollo. A su vez, ha ganado relevancia un discurso paralelo que afirma que, si las personas de escasos recursos consiguen el poder, podrán incidir en las instituciones y los procesos en beneficio propio. Las ong han sido —y siguen siendo— las principales partidarias de estas perspectivas. Si bien esta afirmación tiene algo de fundamentación teórica, en la práctica existe escasa evidencia que la respalde. A partir del empleo de teorías de posdesarrollo y teorías poscoloniales, el presente artículo analiza las maneras en que, en el ámbito del desarrollo, las ong ejercen y manejan el poder en la práctica.

KEYWORDS:

• Aid – Development policies
• Civil society – NGOs
• Labour and livelihoods – Poverty reduction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Jonathan Makuwira is a Professor of Development Studies and the current Deputy Vice Chancellor of Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST). He is a Research Associate in the Department of Development Studies at Nelson Mandela University (NMU), South Africa, and a distinguished scholar in international development (RMIT University), comparative indigenous studies (Central Queensland University), and peace studies (University of New England). He has worked as a primary, secondary, and teacher educator in Malawi, and is a development practitioner with experience working with NGOs. Jonathan is the author of over 30 journal articles, 20 book chapters, and a new book by Routledge: Non-Governmental Development Organisations and the Poverty Reduction Agenda: The Moral Crusaders.