What is annGO?a framework document introducing nGOs in south africa

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Introduction

Background

Definition of NGOs

Description of NGOs and programme areas

Terminology

What is an NPO?

NGOs in South Africa

Establishing the credentials of an NGO

Engaging with an NGO

Regional summary

Resources and Links

Contents3

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IntroductionIn order to understand what an NGO is, we have created a set of resources to help you navigatethroughthecomplexandvariableenvironmentsthatdefinetheseorganisations.The objective is to provide a concise and functional introduction to NGOs that operate within South Africa.

Here you’ll find various presentations that you can engage with at whatever level you choose. This document forms part of a white paper, a Power Point presentation and an online presentation.

BackgroundIntheglobaldevelopmentcontexttheUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP)in 2000 adopted eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be achieved by 2015.

They are: Goal1:Eradicateextremepovertyandhunger Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Goal 5: Improve maternal health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesGoal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Global Partnership for Development-MDG 8, is essential for the attainment of the other sevenMDGs.Recommendedpartnersinclude:Governments,UNAgencies,internationalfinancialinstitutions,bi-lateralagencies,privateandcivilsociety.TheUNDPusesitsglobalpresencetobringtogetherpartnersfrommanydifferentbackgroundstoshareexpertise,launch joint ventures, and develop long term solutions.

In 2008 the MDG Gap Task Force reported that while there has been progress on several counts, important gaps remain in delivering on the global commitments in the areas of aid, trade, debt relief, access to new technologies and affordable essential medicines, especially in developing countries. The weakening of the world economy and the steep rises in food and energy prices threaten to reverse some of the progress made in the various dimensions of human development. Strengthened global partnerships are needed to avoid any reversal of progress made thus far. A further detail is that in Sub Saharan

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countries the gap is the biggest and to achieve the 2015 targets it has been recommended that stronger partnerships are created; between developed and developing countries, among developing countries themselves, and with the active involvement of the private sector.

As a result there are a range of new players and institutional formations in the development arena with the partnerships happening across the public, private and civil society sectors. More recently we have seen the advent of significant local, national and global Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and greater linkups between similar NGOs to form consortia to deliver on government tenders for development service delivery. The private sector is increasingly being pulled out of its profiteering mode and sees

the value of supporting initiatives for poverty alleviation and development as healthy development promotes a vibrant market which in turn promotes sales and sustainable growth. Social entrepreneurship is on the rise in the form of consultancies and individuals who work within this developmental agenda. Frequently helping unfamiliar partners manage projects, programmes and helping them get to know each other better.

In this context NGOs have beenidentified as an important grouping within civil society whose collective agency is responsible for significant development. NGOs provide the link to the communities and the people who may not have a voice. They provide mechanisms to test new ways of doing things without placing the whole systemat risk. Their flexibilityand innovation act to support and

encouragepluralismanddiversitywhichinturnchallengestasisandinflexibilitywhichareoften reactive responses by overburdened state structures. Therefore it is fast becoming an imperative to get to know them better.

However, for the uninitiated, NGOs exist in an intricate and sometimes confusingmatrix,wehopewiththisdocumenttoprovideinsightandunderstandingofhowtheseorganisationsexistandoperateinSouthAfrica.

Social Entrepreneurship is also on the rise in the form of consultancies and individuals who work within this developmental agenda. Frequently helping unfamiliar partners manage projects, programmes and helping them get to know each other better.

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Definition of NGOs Non-government organisations – or NGOs as they are commonly known – performarangeoffunctionsincivilsocietyandarebydefinitionnon-commercial.Theyexistto service needs that are not provided for by the government and commercial sectors.

Working definitionA non-governmental organisation (NGO) is a formalised, non-profit group which has been created outside of government to address particular issues, tasks or functions of a non-commercial nature. Such groups may be organised at a local, national or international level. They are dedicated to serving a particular function and are driven by people with a common interest in addressing these issues.

NGOs perform a variety of service and humanitarian functions. These can include lobbying for particular causes, advocating and monitoring government policies and encouraging political participation through the provision of information. Some are organised around specific issues, such as human rights, animal rights, environment or health. They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early warning mechanisms and help to monitor andimplement international agreements.

The phrase non-governmental organisation came into use with the establishment of theUnitedNationsin1945whichspecifiedaconsultativerolefororganisationsthatareneither governments nor member states.

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Description of NGOs and programme areasNGOs fulfill a range of functions including development assistance, emergency relief, social and health services. In addition, some organisations in this category represent special interest groups, such as craft guilds, chambers of commerce, professional associations, recreational clubs, youth associations, environmental groups and trade unions.

NGOs come in many different shapes and sizes, and they have a variety of programme areas such as

• Advocacyandawarenessaroundparticular issues

• Accesstojustice• Accesstoland• Adultbasiceducation• Animalrights• Childwelfare• Communitydevelopment• Communitytrainingandcapacity

building• Conflictresolution• Crimepreventionandrehabilitation• Cultureandrecreation• Economicdevelopment• Entrepreneurship• Environment• Formaleducationandresearch

• Gendermatters• Health• HIV/AIDS• Housing• Humanrights• Infrastructuredevelopment• Mediaandcommunications• Monitoringandevaluation• Networks• Participatorydemocracy• Philanthropicintermediariesand

promoting voluntary activities• Ruraldevelopment• Socialservices• Jobtrainingandcareerguidance• Counselling,therapyandpsycho-social

rehabilitation

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Within these areas there are clusters of NGOs that have very different organisational cultures and competencies. For example, the TAC (Treatment Action Campaign) is a highly evolved lobbying and advocacy group that operates at a national level working towards getting the state to take responsibility for providing access to ARVs for people living with HIV/AIDS. Also within this cluster are a range of NGOs that have developed as direct responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic such as home based care programmes, orphanages, NGOs that support grandmothers supporting orphaned grandchildren (GOGO Project). They may have been created by individuals who only have their intentions and feet as resources whereas others may be working with professionals, international funding and a detailed knowledge of ICT. Therefore it is important to consider each of them according to their specific requirements at whatever level they are operating as their levels of ICT use and competence may vary dramatically and their ICT needs are likely to be specific.

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TerminologyLet’sexplaintheterminology:

• Civil Society Organisations (CSOs): a broad description of organised groups that are made upofNGOs,CBOs,FBOsandTradeUnions.

• NGO:ANon-GovernmentalOrganisationcanexist invarious legal forms, includingaVoluntary Association, Section 21 Company (South Africa) or a Trust.

• CBO: Community Based Organisations include among others youth groups, sports clubs and rate payers associations. These are membership-based and members usually pay a fee to belong to them. Funding comes mainly from community fund raising efforts, ‘gifted’ (donated) infrastructure and volunteer efforts.

• FBO: Faith Based Organisations is used to describe organisations that are religious in nature and distinct from those that are government, public or private secular organisations

• PPP: Public Private Partnership. This describes a partnership made up between the government and private sector often involving NGOs.

• SETA: Sector Education and Training Agency. An organisational form that has been set

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up by the government to provide sectoral Education and Training facilities that oversee standard setting and registration of Education and Training Service Providers within each of the sectors.

• SEDA: Small Enterprise Development Agency. This development agency is also an initiative of the government (Department of Trade and Industry) that works to support small enterprises. It is in essence a government agency that carries out the work of the government but is organisationally separated. It has multi-stream funding support and so it is publicly directed (by law) however has funding from the government, private and civil society (especially donor agencies). It is a hybrid institutional form that sits somewhere in between the public and private sectors providing a direct service for the government’s development programme.

SEDA type agencies are on the increase. They provide a service that is developmental, directed by government policies and funded, to a degree by government but have organisational autonomy. This allows for greater flexibility in terms of service provision using tender processes and engaging with private institutions and NGOs, in the kind of Public Private Partnership (PPP) that is advocated by the MDG 8 (see discussion in background section, page 4).

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What is an NPO? The terms NGO and NPO are often used interchangeably and sometimes incorrectly becausethereisadifferencebetweenthetwoinlegalterms.InSouthAfricaforexample,once an NGO has been officially formed it can apply to the NPO Directorate within the National Department of Social Development to be registered as an NPO under the Non-Profit Organisations Act No 71 of 1997. An NPO number is assigned to it to signify that the organisation conforms to the appropriate legal requirements.

A non-profit organisation can be incorporated as a trust, a company or any other formalised association. This entity is firstly established to serve the public in some manner and secondly any income or property it owns cannot be transferred to its members or officebearersexceptwheretheyarepaidfortheworkthattheydo.

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You can check the NPO status of an organisation by visiting the NPO directorate section on the National Social Development Department website at http://www.npo.gov.za/It allows you to search for organisations by name and registration number.

Organisations that can apply for NPO status include NGOs, CBOs (community based organisations), FBOs (faith based organisations) or trade unions that are formally constituted or have any other founding document.

Why is NPO registration important?Acquiring NPO status for an NGO is a significant qualification because it gives potential donors some assurances:• ImprovesthecredibilityoftheorganisationbecauseasanNPOitisaccountabletoa

government body;• Givestheorganisationaformaldefinition;• Helpstosetandmaintainstandardsofgovernance,accountabilityandtransparency;• Providesbenefitssuchastaxincentivesandfundingopportunities.

NGOs in South AfricaHistorical contextThroughout South Africa’s development history, successive governments have decided that the country is not a welfare state. This means that when someone is in need, it isexpectedthat the familyor thecommunityshouldhelp.TheStatewillonlybecomeinvolved if help cannot be given privately. Due to this there has always been a call for individualstoshowaspiritof‘Ubuntu’andphilanthropicconcern.

Before the 19th Century - there were no organised welfare services. Families looked after their own needs. In 1916 a national conference recommended the coordination of private welfare services. The late 1920s saw the beginning of a number of National

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In the past government often influenced the idea of corporate citizenship but this has changed; NGOs are becoming essential partners in the delivery of products and services to the private sector and indeed on behalf of the state.

Welfare Councils. Before World War II “The Carnegie Poor White Investigation” report, recommended the creation of a State Bureau of Social Welfare, to coordinate the welfare activities of state departments in cooperation with voluntary organisations and the churches. A Department of Social Welfare was established in 1937.

As a result of the active public fundraising that took place during World War II it was felt that some control of the public collections needed to be introduced. This gave rise to the Welfare Organisations Act No. 40 of 1947. With the issuing of the National Welfare Act 79 of 1975, national and regional welfare boards came into being. Several commissions of enquiry followed, including the Van Rooyen Commission of Inquiry into the Collection of Voluntary Financial Contributions from the Public and out of their recommendations came the Fundraising Act No 107 of 1978.

Most community projects were carried out by religious groups during the mid 1950s but this started to shift and change around the late 1970s when NGOs and CBOs started to form and address social imbalances. A huge growth in the sector occurred between the early 1980s and 1994 – mainly due to the flow of foreign funding and local efforts in fundraising for good causes.

Over the past 10 years there have been major shifts and changes both, in ratio-

nalisation by government of service delivery and the legislation controlling and regulating NGOs. Subsequently the role of NGOs has begun to influence the way business is done, especially with regards to corporate social responsibility (CSR). In the past government often influenced the idea of corporate citizenship but this has changed; NGOs are becoming essential partners in the delivery of products and services to the private sector and indeed on behalf of the state. Linked to this is the creation of a range of development agencies that operate in a collaborative way between the Public and Private sectors (see explanationandnoteaboutSEDAonpage8).

The ANC-led government still has in its ranks a range of NGO activists who become political leaders and so social development/welfare is high on this government’s agenda. However in the light of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the worsening state of the world’s

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economy NGOs are often filling the gaps of public service to communities; doing the work government should be doing, or raising social issues that the government pretends don’t exist.They,theNGOs,aresocialchangeagentsandworkinmanyareasoflife.

NGO funding

In South Africa it is estimated that income generated through donations, grants, sales, membership dues, fees for services (contracts/tenders with government and the private sector)plusinterestoninvestmentsisinexcessofR16billionperannum(US$2.3billion).In 2007, R3 billion was contributed through corporate social investment. It is probable thatmorethan2millionpeoplevolunteertheirtime,talentandexpertisetoNGOsannually,with an estimated worth of a further R5.1 billion in sweat equity.

Donations or funding of programmes can be provided by either private parties or government agencies. NGOs generally do not make any distinction between govern-ment funding (a significant source) and other funding.

TheIncomeTaxActmakesprovisions for NPO organisa-tions to become registered with the South African Receiver of Revenue as Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs). This provides them with certaintaxexemptions.Furthermore,iftheyqualifyaccordingtocertaincriteria,Section18(A)receiptscanbeissuedtodonors,affordingthedonorswithlimitedtaxexemptionagainst the donations made.

Public Private Partnerships and Development AgenciesCurrently welfare service and social development activities in South Africa have, to a large extent,beencollaborativeundertakingsaspartofPublicPrivatePartnerships.Since1994we have seen the creation of a range of institutional forms (mentioned in the background,

... it is probable that more than 2 million people volunteer their time, talent and expertise to NGOs annually, with an estimated worth of a further R5.1 billion in sweat equity.

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page 4) such as groups of NGOs forming consortia to tender for specific service delivery, PPPs and the work of agencies that work together with national and local government structures, international donor agencies and local and national NGOs. They all work together in an attempt to address issues such as HIV and Aids, poverty, environmental programmes, housing and other pressing social needs as they arise.

Millennium Development Goals in the South African ContextThe Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) currently provide an overarching set of global challenges that progressive South African NGOs hold as objectives to mobilise around (described in the background section on page 3). The South African development agenda falls amongst the others of Sub Saharan African countries which are mentioned in the last MDG meeting (held in September 2008) report, as forming the epicentre of the escalating humanitarian crises due to poverty and conflict over scarce resources and ethnic feuding.

This is further aggravated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, climate changes and lack of infrastructural resources such as electricity, clean drinking

water, roads and ICT. In Africa 74 people out of 100 do not have access to electricity.This first report of the Task Force highlights that there has been progress on many fronts,

but the delivery on commitments has been deficient and has fallen behind schedule. A shared future for all will not be possible without globally concerted action and strong partnerships. At this midpoint in our work towards meeting the 2015 deadline, it is essential that all partners accelerate their efforts to deliver on the promises they have made.

Some recommendations linked to MDG 8in particular are• Rapidincreaseincoverageofpopulationwithaccesstomobilephones• Workatreducingthedigitaldivideininternetuse• Theneedtostrengthentheglobalpartnershipforaccesstonewtechnology• Strengthenedglobalpartnerships• Urgentresponsesareneededtobridgetheexistingimplementationgapsand

deliver on the promises to achieve the MDGs

In Africa 74 people out of 100 do not have access to electricity.

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Actions required to expand the access to technology for development include• FormulatingnationalICTstrategiesalignedwithbroaderdevelopmentstrategies• Introducing more flexibility in relation to Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights

to accelerate the diffusion of technology for development to developing countries, including that related to renewable energy and adaptation to climate change

• Increasingefforts toexpandbothbasic infrastructuresuchaselectricitysupplyandICT-facilitating infrastructure, especially in low-income countries

• Creatingincentivesfortheprivatesectortodeveloptechnologiesrelevanttopeopleinlow-income countries, including those that address issues of climate change adaptation and renewable energy

• Applying more widespread differential pricing practices to reduce the costs of keytechnology in developing countries in order to make access affordable to all

In addition, Archbishop Ndungane of the Anglican Church Southern Africa recommends sixstepsthatcanbetakenbyAfricancivilsocietytoacceleratethecontinent’sandSouthAfrica’s rate in meeting the MDGs:

Six steps1. Intensify service delivery 2. Become involved in policy process 3. Advocate for better use of resources 4. Monitor delivery of promises 5. Mobilise voices of African CSOs 6. Create solidarity with partners from the North and South

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Some relevant characteristics of, and challenges faced by the South African NGO SectorThe NGO sector in South Africa is substantial and diversified, with huge differences between organisations, ranging across the organisational cultures, operational standards and resources.

NGOs in South Africa operate in the following programme areas: Advocacy and awareness around particular issues, access to justice, access to land, adult basic education, animal rights, child welfare, community development, community training and capacity building, conflict resolution, crime prevention and rehabilitation, culture and recreation, economic development, entrepreneurship, environment, formal education and research, gender, health, HIV/AIDS, housing, human rights, infrastructure develop-ment, media and communications, monitoring and evaluation, networks, participatory democracy, philanthropic intermediaries and voluntarism promotion, rural development,

social services, job training and career guidance, counselling, therapy and psycho-social rehabilitation (see bulleted list on page 6).

In addition, similar NGOs often form collaborative networks that provide sector leadership around developing policy frameworks or acting collec-tively to engage government around issues of concern.

In South Africa they will include registered voluntary associations, section 21 com-panies and trusts. These run projects and programmes that positively impact social and

economic policies and deliver necessary support services to those who need it the most – they feed, clothe, teach, create, guide, safeguard, accompany and facilitate.

It is difficult toprovidegood statisticsonhowmanyNGOsexist inSouthAfrica, itisestimated that thereareapproximately120,000CSOs (CivilSocietyOrganisations)of which 37,000 are registered as NPOs, what proportion of these numbers are bona

SA NGOs rise and fall; a few last and provide consistent service delivery. This rise and fall can be attributed to shifting social needs in a rapidly changing and stressed society.

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fide NGOs is up for debate. What we know is that the NGO sector in South Africa ‘is BIG’,cynicallydescribedbysomeasa ‘home forall’...ex-politicians,ex-governmentofficials,peoplewithaxestogrind,messianiczealots,‘bleedinghearts’,beggingbowlsubscribers, empire builders, DIY’ers and in the main, (those that last), some very sophisticated, intelligent, functional, good hearted and passionate people who see a gap and try to fill it.

SA NGOs rise and fall; a few last and provide consistent service delivery. This rise and fall can be attributed to shifting social needs in a rapidly changing and stressed society.

Some challenges that South African NGOs face

• Thereisahigh degree of burnout amongst the leadership of SA NGOs and some of the more sustainable NGOs consider having a succession strategy as an essential element in their long-term strategic plan.

• The“self-sustainability” level of NGOs tends to be low. Which, when considered does make sense if the activities are centred around welfare provisioning, as welfare activities tend to drain rather than generate resources.

• MostNGOshavelimited financial and management expertise. However amongst some of the more ‘established’ NGOs this is changing as the donor community has wised up and has introduced a range of checks and balances that provide an imperative for NGOs to acquire these competencies. Some are financially sound, but most operate in a precarious state of scarce funding, job insecurity and threadbare facilities.

• ManyNGOs lack inter-organisational communication and coordination and subsequently tackle their chosen causes without a clear understanding of the broader social and economiccontext.

• Funding remains a challenge with some of the funds having been diverted to government operations as well as onerous monitoring and evaluation requirements of donors.

• Monitoring and evaluation - many lack the tools and understanding to measure and track effectively, and IT usage is not as sophisticated as a tool in this community.

• MDGs - as much as these have raised awareness and funding for NGOs, it has also introduced new players in the form of PPPs which can be seen as competition for NGOs.

• Changing face of development - focus on sustainability. NGOs have long focused on a “non-business” approach and are increasingly asked to introduce more business like models.

• Distrust - history of distrust in SA NGO community in particular. • Corruption - there has been a history of corruption in the NGO community in SA (and

elsewhere). This is a stigma that some NGOs are still fighting.

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Strengths and advantages• Probably theirmostsignificantcharacteristic is theirstrong grass-roots support - and

hence their ability to identify the problems of their constituents and then tailor assistance to meet their needs.

• NGOsworkinthefield,adaptingtolocalsituations,andare able to develop integrated projects based on local needs.

• Theyusually adopt a process-oriented approach toward development for which they use participatory methodologies and tools. In South Africa everyone is familiar with the work of HIV and Aids volunteer canvassers on ‘door to door’ campaigns – meeting their neighbours and breaking down the barriers to ensure affected families access local services.

• Theyareableto take on jobs that the government cannot.• They access resources in the community which are unavailable to the government

structures, e.g. volunteers and sweat equity.• They provide links between established government programmes and civil society,

religious, interest and philanthropist groups.• Provideaspace that people with particular sub sets of skills are better accommodated

outside of government structures.• Inbypassing government’s bureaucratic and restrictive regulation they can operate more

effectively and efficiently.• Abletorespond to needs in communities more rapidly.• ThereexistsamongsttheolderNGOsenormousbodiesof local knowledge that provide

the sector with significant development intelligence and wisdom that know the local conditions and restrictions intimately.

The South African NGO sector is vast and diverse, and there is no short list of all their advantages and disadvantages.

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Establishing the credentials of an NGOWhen you check the credentials of an NGO it is important to locate the organisation in relation to the country’s legislation and regulation, the programme areas and/or sectors it addresses and its levels of activity and service delivery.

Bear inmindthat thiscontextvariessignificantly fromregiontoregionandtherearemany factors that determine what contributions and services an NGO provides.

Prior to engaging with any NGO, we recommend a number of steps to be taken. You should not take anything for granted and establish the organisation’s bone fides at every turn. In this section you’ll find a checklist and a suggested way of approaching an NGO to ensure that it can provide appropriate levels of accountability, response, sustainability and developmental partnering.

Some critical questions that should be asked• Istheorganisationproperlyconstituted?Doesithaveawrittenconstitution?• Howlonghasitbeenoperating?• Doesitoperateaccordingtoitsstatedobjectives?• Doesitoperatewithinabroadernetworkofsimilarorganisations?• Whodotheypartnerorengagewith?• Whichnetworksdotheybelongto?• Whoaretheboardmembers?• Anysuccessstories?• Hasitimplementedanetworkedresponsetoasocialneed?

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• Doesitduplicatetheservicesofotherorganisations,resultingincompetitionforscarceresources?

• Doesithavegooddemocraticgovernanceinfrastructure?• Isitsoundlystructuredasanorganisation?• IsitregisteredasanNPOwithanNPOregistrationnumber• IstheNPOregistrationcurrent?(CheckonNPOdirectoratedatabase http://www.npo.gov.za/ and follow the links)• Istheregoodfinancialmanagementandgoodfinancialreporting?• Canyoueasilymakecontactwiththeorganisationhead/leader/director,chairperson

and financial officer? • Aretherereliabletelecommunicationsfacilities(telephone,fax,mobile/sms)?• Istherereliableroad,postalandcourieraccess?Sometimescourierservicesareused

insteadofpostalservices–thisismoreexpensivebutalsomoresecureandreliable.• What kind of security is there? – including social, property/work place and ICT

security

Some other questions that could be asked

• Doesithaveaccesstoemailand/orinternetfacilities?Accesstointernetcafescanbesufficient.

• Doesithaveawebsiteorplansforawebsite?• Doesithaveawell-establishedpublicprofile?• Doesithaveamarketingstrategy?• Istheorganisationalbrandwellestablished?

Suggested actions and checklist before making first contact

• Accessing public references, media or publications: Do search-engine research toestablish whether the organisation has a web presence;

• Findoutaboutthestaffandboardmembersinvolved;dosearch-engineresearchtoestablish the leadership credentials of the individuals involved;

• Establishwhatbankingandfinancialservicesareusedbytheorganisation;

Is the NPO registration current? Check on NPO directorate database http://www.npo.gov.za/ and follow the links

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• Whataccessandcommunicationfacilitiesdoesithaveaccesstointermsoflanguage,telephone, email and post;

• Whatinfrastructureandtransportresourcesdoesithave:howeasyisittogetto,what are the travel requirements (e.g. visas and health considerations distances, road conditions, transport services and accommodation) involved if you have to visit the site.

Engaging with an NGOOnce you are satisfied that a particular NGO is the ‘right one’ to engage, it is important from the first to be open and allow the relationship to develop without too many initial expectations.Apatientandtolerantattitudewillgoalongwaytofindingthetruemeasureoftheorganisation’sexperience,wisdomandpotentialtobeagoodpartner.

Working in the NGO environment can be tricky and the organisations that survive and have competent and passionate leaders who are seasoned survivors, are familiar to disappointment and having to reinvent the wheel over and over again.

Initial resistance to significant engagement could be a good sign! Resistance can be an undervalued indicator of integrity. These ‘good’ leaders are used to working in ‘muddy waters’, like Gangetic dolphins (fresh water Ganges and Indus River dolphins) who are virtually blind and live in muddy water, they are able to navigate through engagement processes using other faculties, which might not be standard in the business world.

Each partnership has a particular culture that needs to be developed and it is important to state upfront what your engagement agreements might be, for example this might include:

• Howdoesthecommunicationhappenandwho,withintheNGOisinchargeofmanagingthe relationship and communication?

• Staying within the agreed upon process-not changing the goal posts without propernegotiation

• Adequate notice for rescheduling meetings and deadlines-the culture around timemanagement can vary significantly between different organisations causing stress and dislocation

• Whoisinvitedbytheotherpartytomeetings?Howisitnegotiatedbytheleadpartners?• At what point is it appropriate to introduce discussions around contracts, roles and

responsibilities?

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At the same time if you feel, early on, on an instinctual level that something is ‘not right’, don’t dismiss it and ensure that appropriate checks and balances are put in place. Write it down, keep records, report it to your colleagues and ensure that there is a space within the engagement process to report and air misgivings about processes and programmes. Whatisimportantistoallowthepartnertoexplainorcontextualisethesituationwithoutit damaging the relationship as it develops in the early stages.

Providing a space to negotiate around and air differences can go a long way to finding creative solutions and new ways of doing things thus enabling the partnership to harness and marry diverse skills and resources that benefit all parties and result in constructive and meaningful development.

Regional SummaryTheSouthernAfricanDevelopmentCommunity(SADC)hasbeeninexistencesince1980,when it was formed as a loose alliance of nine majority-ruled states in Southern Africa known as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC). Its main aim was to coordinate development projects in order to lessen economic dependence on the then apartheid South Africa.

The founding member states are: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland,UnitedRepublicofTanzania,ZambiaandZimbabwe.SADCCwas formedinLusaka,Zambiaon1April1980,followingtheadoptionoftheLusakaDeclaration-Southern Africa: Towards Economic Liberation.

The transformation of the organisation from a Coordinating Conference into a Development Community (SADC) took place on 17 August 1992 in Windhoek, Namibia, when the Declaration and Treaty was signed at the Summit of Heads of State and Government thereby giving the organisation a legal character.

The Member States are: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa,Swaziland,UnitedRepublicofTanzania,ZambiaandZimbabwe.

The SADC headquarters are located in Gaborone, Botswana.

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Country Capital CurrencyOfficial Language

Area (km2) PopulationGDP per capita

Angola Luanda Kwanza Portuguese 1,246,700 15,941,000 $ 2,813

Botswana Gaborone PulaEnglish & Setwana

581,726 1,639,833 $ 11,400

DRC KinshasaCongolese franc

French 2,344,858 63,655,000 $ 774

Lesotho Maseru LotiSouth Sotho & English

30,355 1,795,000 $ 2,113

Madagascar AntananarivoMalagasy ariary

Malagasy, French & English

587,041 18,606,000 $ 905

Malawi LilongweMalawian kwacha

English & Chichewa

118,484 12,884,000 $ 596

Mauritius Port LouisMauritian rupee

English-admin, French-de facto (in practice)

2,040 1,219,220 $ 11,125

Mozambique MaputoMozambican metical

Portuguese 801,590 20,366,795 $ 1,389

Namibia WindhoekNamibian dollar

English 825,418 2,031,000 $ 7,478

Seychelles VictoriaSeychellois rupee

English, French, Seychellois, Creole

451 80,654 $ 11,818

South AfricaPretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town

South African rand

Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

1,221,037 47,432,000 $ 12,161

SwazilandLobamba & Mbabane

LilangeniEnglish & Swati

17,364 1,032,000 $ 5,245

TanzaniaDar es Salaam & Dodoma

Tanzanian shilling

Swahili & English

945,087 37,849,133 $ 723

Zambia LusakaZambian kwacha

English 752,614 11,668,000 $ 931

Zimbabwe HarareZimbabwean dollar

Shona, Ndebele & English

390,757 13,010,000 $ 2,607

Country specific information

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Questions that need to be asked with regards to regional engagement

• Access to internet connectivity: What kind of internet connectivity exists? Is it widelyaccessible? How much does it cost?

• Banking practice and funds transfer practice: How long do banks take to transfer money? What are the bank charges?

• Telecommunications, road, postal and electricity (power surge protection and different types of supply) infrastructure: It is wise to check on these infrastructural resources as the standards can vary dramatically and can cause programme delays due to a lack of understanding of local conditions.

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Resources and Links• TocheckonanNGO’sNPOregistrationstatusgotohttp:www.npo.gov.zaandfollowthelinks• SouthAfricanNGONetworkwebsite:www.ngopulse.org• SouthAfricanNGOCoalition(SANGOCO)website:http://www.sangoco.org.za/site/• SANGOTech:TheSANGOTeCHonlinetechnologydonationanddiscountportalisapartnership

betweenSANGONeTandTechSoup,theSanFrancisco-basednonprofittechnologycapacitybuilding organisation, that links technology donations and the South African NGO sector: http://www.sangotech.org/about-sangotech

• ProdderDirectory:SouthAfricanNGOs&Developmentdirectory,availableinwhitepaperandonline formats (see links www.ngopulse.org)

• GuidetotheNonProfitAct:http://www.npc.org.za/faq.html• TheInternationalCentreforNot-for-ProfitLaw(SouthAfricanresourceslink):http://www.icnl.org/

knowledge/library/showRecords.php?country=South+Africa• MDGAfricaSummary:http://www.mdgafrica.org/pdf/MDG%20Africa%20Steering%20Group%20

Recommendations%20-%20English%20-%20LowRes.pdf• MDGGapReport2008:http://www.undp.org/mdg/MDG-GAP-TF-Report.pdf• DirectoryofDevelopmentOrganisations(ResourceGuidetodevelopmentorganisations&the

internet): http://www.devdir.org/index.html• Nonprofitexpert.com:Instrategicpartnershipwithdiversifiednonprofitservices.The

Development Gateway puts the Internet to work for developing countries. It provides innovative Internetsolutionsforeffectiveaidande-government–increasingaccesstocriticalinformation,building local capacity and bringing partners together for positive change http://www.nonprofitexpert.com/countries/south%20africa.htm

• AnacademicpaperonthequestionofwhatisanNGO:http://www.staff.city.ac.uk/p.willetts/CS-NTWKS/NGO-ART.HTM#Part10

• DefiningtheNonProfitSector:Ghanahttp://www.jhu.edu/~ccss/publications/cnpwork/• NGOResearchGuide,AfricanNGOs(sortedbycountry):http://library.duke.edu/research/subject/

guides/ngo_guide/ngo_links/africa.html• NGOresearchguide,listofNGOactivities:http://library.duke.edu/research/subject/guides/ngo_

guide/ngo_activities.html• DirectoryofAfricanNGOs,ThirdEdition:http://www.un.org/africa/osaa/ngodirectory/• WestAfricanNGONetwork:http://www.wangonet.org/• AToolkitforAfricanNGOsDocument3914_3917http://www.fern.org/media/documents/

document_3914_3917.pdf• ListofAfricanCountriesanddependencies:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African_countries• NGOGuide:AnNGOTrainingGuideforPeaceCorpsVolunteers-TheRolesofNGOsinCivilSociety:

http://www.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/library/M0070_all.pdf