Making Health-Sector Non-Governmental Organizations More Sustainable: A Review of NGO and Donor Efforts. Special Initiatives Report No. 14

摘要

The paper discusses innovative activities and efforts by indigenous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the health sector that aim to improve their financial, technical, and programmatic sustainability through increased institutional and management capacity. A second section discusses activities that donors and cooperating agencies have undertaken to promote sustainability, including: donor projects aimed at creating NGOs; umbrella or co-financing projects; centrally funded projects that have as a major goal improving the capabilities and sustainability of local NGOs; and sectoral projects that include NGO participation. This review reveals that there is relatively little in the literature on the topic of sustainability of health sector NGOs. Despite the lack of documentation, there appears to be a great deal of interest in the topic of NGO sustainability in the international health and development community. Further research is warranted to provide national governments and local NGOs with information and tools to use as guides in planning the future of NGOs and to help donors and cooperating agencies determine the most effective and appropriate types of technical assistance.