Accountability, Strategy, and International Non-Governmental Organizations

Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations Working Paper No. 7

33 Pages Posted: 14 May 2001

See all articles by L. David Brown

L. David Brown

Harvard University - John F. Kennedy School of Government - Hauser Center

Mark H. Moore

Harvard University - Kennedy School of Government - Hauser Center

Date Written: April 2001

Abstract

Increased prominence and greater influence expose international non-governmental development and environmental organizations (INGOs) to increased demands for accountability from a wide variety of stakeholders-donors, beneficiaries, staffs, and partners among others. This paper focuses on developing the concept of INGO accountability, first as an abstract concept and then as a strategic idea with very different implications for different INGO strategies. We examine those implications for INGOs that emphasize service delivery, capacity-building, and policy influence. We propose that INGOs committed to service delivery may owe more accountability to donors and service regulators; capacity-building INGOs may be particularly obligated to clients whose capacities are being enhanced; and policy influence INGOs may be especially accountable to political constituencies and to influence targets. INGOs that are expanding their activities to include new initiatives may need to reorganize their accountability systems to implement their strategies effectively.

Suggested Citation

Brown, L. David and Moore, Mark H., Accountability, Strategy, and International Non-Governmental Organizations (April 2001). Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations Working Paper No. 7, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=269362 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.269362

L. David Brown (Contact Author)

Harvard University - John F. Kennedy School of Government - Hauser Center ( email )

79 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-496-2381 (Phone)
617-495-0996 (Fax)

Mark H. Moore

Harvard University - Kennedy School of Government - Hauser Center ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-495-1114 (Phone)
617-495-0996 (Fax)

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