Decentralisation for international NGOs

The work of international non-profitmaking non-governmental development organisations (NGOs) challenges them to adopt a decentralised structure. We know little, however, about how this decentralisation is organised, and even less about its impacts on NGO performance. Based on studies in southern Africa, this article identifies the gains and losses associated with the choice to decentralise. It goes on to pose questions about decentralisation as a critical variable for the organisational design of NGOs which need to be answered by more systematic comparative study.