VIEWS: KELMEND ZAJAZI

The future of the NGO sector governance 

In this winter’s edition of the “Civic World,” when the biggest part of the media space in the Republic of Macedonia is covered up with “summer Balkan scenarios”, I have decided to focus on another subject, which, in these circumstances might not provoke some great interest for the readers, but as an antithesis of the above mentioned fatalism, I presume it would create basis for new impulses and directions for the NGOs development in Macedonia. I express my view on the current situation and the development perspectives of the NGOs governance in the Macedonian non-governmental sector. I have to admit that I am doing this under strong impressions by my recent participation of the International Program for Boards Development, with support from FIOO Macedonia and organized by “Boardsource” (by recently National Center for Nonprofit Boards) in Washington D.C. and I also have a desire to hand on my acquired experience in our environment.

As far as I know, my impression is that even after more than ten years intensive investing in the building of the NGOs capacities, little is done/changed in the way of governing the organizations. Basically, it hasn’t been invested yet in the conceptual distinction of the term “management”. More precisely, there is a lack of a clear definition of the essential differences of the terms “management” and “governance”, intertwined, but still different categories which are necessary for a successful functioning of one organization. In the biggest part of the organizations in Macedonia these two functions are carried out by the same group of people or, in some more worrying cases – by the same man. It means that the organizations still haven’t built some functional governance structures (most often called “Board of directors”) which will have a clearly nominated role in the governance of the organization, providing the necessary resources (especially financial) and supervising the way the organization governs them.

As a consequence, this factual situation contributes the NGOs basically to have limited vitality which is most often expresses in some critical situations, especially when the founder of the organization, for whatever reasons, cannot follow the development or, suddenly decides to leave the organization. Simultaneously, the organizations’ capacity to mobilize the local support and resources is also limited and in conditions of the expected trend of less assets incomes by the international DONORS, there is a realistic assumption that it is going to be a crucial factor for dying out of those organizations which consider themselves to be sustainable in today’s conditions.

This situation, in some way, is natural and expected if we take into consideration the modest “experience” of the NGOs existing in our society. In other words, the present degree of development of the governing structures is a clear indicator that at the moment the NGOs are in a beginning development phase, called “founding phase” where the founders act on their own in “everything” and most often it isn’t enough. As a rule, each activity needs bigger involvement than the founders can do themselves.

According to the latest authentic information, in Macedonia there are more than 4000 registered NGOs. Imagine if you multiplied this number by 10 (as an average value of the number of people who would be involved in a governance body), there would be an incredible figure of 40 000, as a rule prominent and influential public people, who (of course, apart from the regular members and employed in the NGOs) would be closely involved in creating/revising the organization’s mission (so it would be more than clear to them why the organization exists); they would have immediate control over the way of using the resources; they would have a clear idea abut the NGOs social advantage in the civic society. In that case, it is easy to presume the effect on the building of the non-governmental sector’s public reputation. On the other hand, it would undoubtedly mean a significant mobilization of the society’s intellectual capacities in the non-governmental movement.

Which are the world trends in the NGOs governance?

Not to feel alone, I would say that in the other recently established civic societies in Central and Eastern Europe there are also beginning steps of incorporating the basic principles of the NGOs correct governance. In the western more developed world, where the boards are undoubtedly more developed and with more complex structures, the boards’ development within the development of NGOs capacities still hasn’t been given the necessary importance. The best illustration of a situation like this are the results of the Boardsource and the Howard University research, which, among the other, point to a modest portfolio of an existing literature which covers the governance area. The existing sources of literature have been researched, for example the web site of www.amazon.com where the number of available books related to the governance has been enormously smaller than the number of books on management. Even a great number of titles on NGOs governance had different contents. However, there is a clear trend (especially in the USA, where the Boardsource is at the moment the only specialized resource center in this field) of increased interest for Boards development, not only by the organizations themselves, but by the DONORS as well as the local public, too. There is a practice for DONORS, while taking into consideration draft-projects to consider the list of the members of the Board, which in some way is a guarantee for the seriousness of the organization.

Let’s return again to our reality. In my opinion it is necessary to take the following step: the NGOs to move from a successful project/idea of enthusiasts/founders, to real institutions which are going to be in a condition in a long-term deadline to meet certain social needs and users which the projects have been created for. Honor and thanks to the founders for their courage to meet the needs and challenges in these non-defined transitional times, but if they are to remain great in the history, they have to show the necessary charisma, to expand the circle of people who share their opinions and who are ready to place at the organizations’ their knowledge and capabilities.
A few exceptions/tries of the NGOs to set up such governance structures make me happy and exactly those organizations should be given an unreserved support so that they could develop a new model and development trend.