Making Aid Agencies Work

Reconnecting INGOs with the People They Serve

Terry Gibson

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781787695115
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The development industry is worth billions. International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) have become an integral component in international development and humanitarian response. Yet as recent scandals at Save the Children and Oxfam have highlighted, such organizations can overstep moral boundaries, raising questions about the scale, power and role of INGOs. Are they dedicated to continuous learning and self-improvement, or are they development dinosaurs driven by their own need for survival and by the political agendas of their paymasters?
Drawing upon his experience as an international development practitioner-one who has worked with NGOs large and small, international and local, in over 40 countries-and drawing also upon his own academic research, Terry Gibson addresses these questions head on. He combines large-scale industry analysis with attention to the lives and worlds of the people the aid industry aims to serve, and he demonstrates how to overcome barriers between the two worlds and free flows of learning, resources, and even political influences that might lead to better outcomes.
Making Aid Agencies Work is essential reading for practitioners and researchers, as well as for anyone concerned about the future of this vital area of human endeavour.

Notes

Introduction

1. I use the term ‘Aid Industry’ to embrace humanitarian response activities which typically address short- and long-term major crises and development activities which are aimed at local or wider scale development of the lives and livelihoods of local populations, embracing campaigning, advocacy and influencing activities. INGOs are typically ‘multi-mandated’, engaged in both arenas. According to OECD, estimated total development aid flows in 2016 amounted to USD 142.6 billion: ‘Development aid rises again in 2016 but flows to the poorest countries dip’. http://www.oecd.org/dac/development-aid-rises-again-in-2016-but-flows-to-poorest-countries-dip.htm. Accessed on May 24, 2018. The scale of INGO income is compared with that of nations in Morton, B. (2013). An overview of International NGOs in Development Cooperation. Retrieved from http://www.cn.undp.org/content/dam/china/docs/Publications/UNDP-CH11%20An%20Overview%20of%20International%20NGOs%20in%20Development%20Cooperation.pdf. Accessed on April 04, 2018.

2. See other publications.

3. Oxfam staff were found to have behaved inappropriately during the humanitarian response to the Haiti earthquake of 2010. Further detail on this is found in Box 1.

4. See Chapters 6 and 8 for more information on GNDR: www.gndr.org.

5. See Chapter 6 for more information on GNDR programmes ‘Views from the Frontline’ and ‘Frontline’. www.gndr.org/frontline.

6. ‘UK Research and Innovation’ explain the significance of the impact agenda as an aspect of UK funded research work: Excellence with Impact. Retrieved from https://www.ukri.org/innovation/excellence-with-impact/. Accessed on July 02, 2018.

7. The #MeToo campaign which rose to prominence worldwide in 2017 had been initiated to draw attention to sexual harassment of women in 2006 (see https://metoomvmt.org) Its message was appropriated by actors and actresses motivated to name and shame perpetrators of sexual harassment and abuse, particularly in the media industry after revelations about US film producer Harvey Weinstein and others (see, for example, Harvey Weinstein timeline: How the scandal unfolded. (2018, June 5). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41594672. Accessed on July 02, 2018).

8. Sky News produced a timeline of the initial news revelations concerning Oxfam's Haiti staff. How Oxfam Sexual Misconduct Scandal Unfolded. (2018, February 14). Retrieved from https://news.sky.com/story/how-oxfam-sexual-misconduct-scandal-unfolded-11250070. Accessed on May 21, 2018.

9. In response to the news items, Oxfam made a redacted version of their 2011 report available on their website: Haiti Investigation Report. Retrieved from https://www.oxfam.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/plans-reports-and-policies/haiti-investigation-report. Accessed on May 22, 2018.

10. IRIN news interviewed staff who'd worked alongside van Hauwermeiren in Liberia. Oxfam sexual exploiter caught seven years earlier in Liberia (2018, February 13). Retrieved from https://www.irinnews.org/investigations/2018/02/13/exclusive-oxfam-sexual-exploiter-haiti-caught-seven-years-earlier-liberia. Accessed on May 20, 2018.

11. Oxfam reported that Lawrence resigned as a result of the organisation failing to act on information from Chad as well as Haiti. Oxfam announces resignation of deputy chief executive. (2018, February 12). Retrieved from https://www.oxfam.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2018/02/oxfam-announces-resignation-of-deputy-chief-executive. Accessed on May 22, 2018.

12. The Guardian reported that Kevin Watkins, Save the Children Chief executive, provided information on cases of abuse to a Commons select committee. Save the children apologises to female employees over Ex-Boss. (2018, February 20). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/20/save-the-children-apologises-to-female-employees-over-ex-boss. Accessed on May 21, 2018.

13. The Guardian reported Goldring's comments to the select committee. Oxfam scandal linked to sport relief raising a third less on the night. (2018, March 30). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/mar/30/oxfam-scandal-linked-to-sport-relief-raising-a-third-less-on-the-night. Accessed on May 22, 2018.

14. The Guardian reported that Justin Forsyth resigned as deputy director of UNICEF following publicity about his behaviour at Save the Children. UNICEF Deputy Justin Forsyth Quits Over Inappropriate Behaviour Claims. (2018, February 22). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/22/unicef-deputy-justin-forsyth-quits-inappropriate-behaviour-claims. Accessed on May 22, 2018.

15. 22 UK-based agencies including CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, UK Global Citizen, Islamic Relief UK, Mercy Corps Europe, Muslim Aid, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Practical Action, Save the Children UK, Start Network, Scotland's International Development Alliance, Tearfund, UNICEF UK, VSO, WaterAid, World Vision UK published an open letter outlining their position on safeguarding and steps they intended to take to improve their performance, concluding ‘We are truly sorry that at times our sector has failed. We must and will do better’. See Letter From UK Aid Agencies On Safeguarding. (2018, February 24). Retrieved from https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/letter-from-uk-aid-agencies-on-safeguarding/. Accessed on May 21, 2018.

16. Goldring on BBC Today programme Saturday 10 February, in Oxfam Faces Allegations Staff Paid Prostitutes In Chad. (2018, February 10). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/10/oxfam-faces-allegations-staff-paid-prostitutes-in-chad. Accessed on May 20, 2018.

17. Oxfam announce that Mark Goldring is standing down. Oxfam chief executive to step down. (2018, May 16). Retrieved from https://www.oxfam.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2018/05/oxfam-chief-executive-to-step-down. Accessed on May 21, 2018.

18. Author visit to the Metarobi district, Ethiopia, May 2002. Also see Tearfund video ‘What do you want to be?’

19. Suzanne Franks provides an in-depth study of the Ethiopian famine of 1984–1985, its reporting, aid agency action and government behaviour: Franks, S. (2013). Reporting disasters. London: Hurst and Company (see pages 117–120).

20. Personal Communication, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2008.

21. United States Geological Survey study of the landslip at la Casitas: Lahar Hazards at Casita and San Cristóbal Volcanoes, Nicaragua. Retrieved from https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/0468/pdf/of2001-0468.pdf. Accessed on May 18, 2018.

22. Author visit to Posoltega, Nicaragua, June 2002. See also ‘On Solid Ground’ DVD pack, Tearfund, 2003.

23. Author visit to Central Vietnam, October 2015. See also Chantry, G., & Norton, J. (2019) ‘Social and economic inequality limits disaster prevention amongst the most vulnerable in Vietnam’. Disaster Prevention and Management, 28(1, Special issue).

24. Telford, J., Arnold, M., & Harth, A. (2004). Learning lessons from disaster recovery: The case of Honduras. World Bank. Disaster Risk Management Working Paper Series No. 8. Retrieved from http-//www.preventionweb.net/files/1595_honduraswps. Accessed on May 22, 2018.

25. See executive summary of IFRC report: Key determinants of a successful CBDRR programme Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Study. pp. 1–4. Retrieved from http://www.ifrc.org/docs/Evaluations/Evaluations%202012/Global/GlobalKey_Determinants_12.pdf. Accessed on May 11, 2018.

26. Davies counters the idea that INGOs are a late twentieth century phenomenon by showing that they have a much longer history, though the term NGO itself emerged post war. Davies, T. (2013). NGOs: A new history of transnational civil society. London: Hurst and Company.

27. It should be noted that postcolonial analysis suggests that the persistent ‘othering’ of the Aid Industry, a separation between ‘them’ and ‘us’ may lead to disrespectful and abusive behaviour. Pickering Saqqa highlights an innovative attempt to tackle this tendency: Pickering-Saqqa, S. (2017). Places of poverty and powerlessness: INGOs working ‘at home’ Conference paper: EADI NORDIC. Retrieved from http://roar.uel.ac.uk/7023/1/EADIConference2017%20Places%20of%20poverty%20%26%20powerlessness%20paper.pdf. Accessed on September 28, 2018.

28. Stirrat, R. L. (2008). Mercenaries, missionaries and misfits: Representations of development personnel. Critique of Anthropology, 28, 406.

29. A term coined by Graham Hancock in his swingeing condemnation of the excesses of the aid industry: Hancock, G. (1989). Lords of poverty. New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press.

30. Mark Duffield, with considerable insider experience, discusses the particular and changing nature of development workers: Duffield, M. (2007). Development, security and unending war. Cambridge: Polity Press.

31. For example, 57% of Oxfam's income is from institutional sources rather than public giving: Oxfam GB Financial report 2016. (November 2017). Retrieved from http://www.oxfamannualreview.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/oxfam-annual-report-2016-17-v2.pdf. Accessed on May 16, 2018.

32. 1.2% of all humanitarian funding to NGOs went to national and local NGOs in 2014. Figure from from IFRC World Disasters Report 2015. Geneva: IFRC. Retrieved from http://ifrc-media.org/interactive/world-disasters-report-2015/ p. 105. Accessed on May 23, 2018.

33. The grand bargain in a nutshell. (May 2018). Retrieved from https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/grand-bargain-hosted-iasc. Accessed on May 22, 2018.

34. The Guardian suggested that the fall in support for Sport Relief was linked to the Oxfam scandal: Oxfam Scandal linked to sport relief raising a third less on the night. (2018, March 30). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/mar/30/oxfam-scandal-linked-to-sport-relief-raising-a-third-less-on-the-night. Accessed on May 22, 2018.

1 Evolution of the Industry: History of INGOs

35. Civilians in Syria Killed on ‘Horrific Scale’, Conflict Spilling across Borders, Threatening Regional Stability, Special Envoy Warns Security Council. SC13208. (2018, February 14). Retrieved from https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sc13208.doc.htm. Accessed on May 30, 2018.

36. Data from UNOCHA database for Syria. Figures for NGO engagement are calculated from the downloadable financial spreadsheets on the site: https://fts.unocha.org/countries/218/summary/2018. Accessed on May 30, 2018.

37. Nel, E., Smart, J., & Binns, T. (2017). Resilience to economic shocks: Reflections from Zambia’s Copperbelt. Growth and Change, 48(2), 201–213. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Boxes
• About the Author
• Preface and Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Evolution of the Industry: History of INGOs
• The Whole World Has Changed
• ‘When There's a Crash, Blame the Pilot’: Local Failings or Broader Problem?
• The Architecture of the Industry: ‘Show Me the Money’
• Before You Can Agree a Goal, You Have to Decide Who Should Agree a Goal
• Learning from the Local
• Which End of the Telescope?
• Turning INGOs Upside Down
• Conclusion: Rebuilding
• References
• Endorsements
• Endnotes
• Other Publications
• Index