SUGGESTIONS FOR CAPACITY BUILDING OF NGOs

1. The capacity building of NGO is actually a responsibility of NGO itself. Each NGO, depending on its field of activities and magnitude of work has to acquire necessary capability.

2. While approving grant to the NGO, the Government considers the capability of the concerned NGO. Therefore, to expect the Government to build up the capability of NGO is to some extent absurd.

3. However, for the specific programme the Government may provide financial assistance to the NGOs for enhancing its capability for the implementation of such programme. Some percentage of grants could be earmarked for the capacity building under the heading of training and capacity building. This is being done in the Government Watershed programme. This practice could be followed for other programmes also.

4. The Government may also identify good training institutes in the respective field and assist such training institutes directly to provide training to the NGO staff. The district level, state level and national level training institutes could be identified and such training institutes and the NGO can be directed for the training in such institutes for which the Government may provide partial or full financial assistance.

5. The NGOs network could also be utilised for the identification of NGOs as well as the training institutes for the specific training.

6. The NGOs who are working at reasonable scale may have to equip itself to provide training to their staff in their field of operation. It would be difficult to deputy all their staff for the training elsewhere. In such cases, such NGOs may have to be helped in providing Training of Trainers (TOT) to few of its selected staff so that the training to their large number of staff could be done by such trainers, to make the training cost effective both in terms of the money and time.

7. In the identification of training institutes, it is essential to note that the development work takes place mainly in the rural areas and villages. Therefore, in most of the cases field training is imperative. In view of this, atleast in the fields related with the Rural Development, the field based training institutes should be identified, rather than purely academic training institutes who are not involved in the field activities.

8. Finally, I would repeat that qualified, competent and trained manpower have to be the pre-requisite for the selection of NGOs for assigning any work, and therefore, engaging competent manpower and train them up suitably, should be the responsibility of the respective NGO. The Government’s role should be to support such NGOs in enhancing their capability.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CRITERION FOR THE CATEGORISATION OF NGOs

The NGOs role in the development and nation building has been well recognized by everyone. In last 2 - 3 decades, more and more NGOs have entered into various fields. However, there are paradoxical situations in which the Government wants NGOs to play an important role and at the same time its rules, regulations and procedures block the participation of NGOs to their full potential. Also, sometimes good NGOs with good credentials are side lined and politically backed NGOs get priority in getting the Government support. It is also fact that in the vitiated political climate in our country, unscrupulous elements have entered in the NGO sector also. As a result, in absence of clear-cut, well-streamlined criterion, often the good NGOs are left out and undesirable organizations get the cake. When this happens, nation / society suffers as the amount is wasted, people are deprived of the real benefits and in the process good NGOs are de-moralised.

It is therefore, essential that the NGOs are categorized in certain categories, distinguishing between really good NGOs and those who have not acquired certain level of credentials. I give following broad suggestions for the categorization of NGOs ;

1. Based on the computerized screening of the NGOs (the exercise already started by the Planning Commission) the list of accredited NGOs could be prepared who can apply to the Government or Department for the categorization.

2. In order to avoid any complication, I suggest instead of several categories all the accredited or recognized NGOs applying for the categorization should be categorized only in two categories i.e. “A and B” or “fast track” and “others”. For example, Gujarat Government, Rural Development Department has given only two categories A and B to the recognized NGOs implementing the Government Rural Development Programme.

3. Category “A” or “fast track” NGOs will enjoy the treatment like green channel in which extremely simplified procedure for allotting the work could be offered, cutting all the procedural delays. The “B” or “others” will have to undergo the normal procedures of the Government / Department.

4. The criteria for “A category” or “fast track” NGOs should be very simple and transparent, to be adhered to very strictly.

5. Though detailed criteria could be worked out in the specific formats, there are such formats available with NABARD, CAPART and other Institutions, which are required to undertake the exercise of selecting the NGOs.

6. Usual broad criteria could be ;

i. History of NGOs with length of service and record of achievements in the respective field(s).

ii. The minimum length of service of “A” category / “fast track” NGOs should be 10, preferably 15 years. This would ensure really good NGOs with long standing credibility record. For “B” category, minimum experience could be the 3 years as applicable at present.

iii. Past experience of working with the Government.

iv. Professional manpower.

v. Coverage of area. For example, for awarding “A” category / “fast track”, the NGO should be working in not less than 100 villages.

vi. Special consideration for the NGOs working for the tribals and vulnerable section of the community.

vii. Financial achievements and status. For example, minimum turnover for “A” category / “fast track” NGOs should be Rs. 5 crores per annum.

viii. The financial stability of NGOs, indicating the assets and favourable balance sheets for last 3 - 5 years.

ix. Transparency in the activities and the financial aspects.

x. Professional and social status of the Board of Trustees / Governing Body.

The formats may elaborate and incorporate any other important requirements for the consideration in “A” category.

7. For “A” category / “fast track” NGOs, the certificate from the respective State Government be obtained about the track record and dependability of such NGOs. Such certificate should be obtained one time and not for every new project proposal.

8. It would be desirable that the above category is given by the Planning Commission / Voluntary Sector Cell, so that it could be applicable at All India Level and also help in giving category to the NGOs working in more than one field or specializing in one than one field with high degree of competency in all the fields of their operation. However, for the decentralisation, for the NGOs working only in one State, the State Government / Department may give the category and for the NGOs working in more than state, the category could be awarded by the Planning Commission, Government of India.

The above suggestions are for the development NGOs engaged in the rural and urban sectors. I also feel that the NGOs exclusively working in the field of education, health, social welfare, training and research, such categorization would not be relevant and necessary as such Institutions get the support under the existing norms which are streamlined and standardized in each State and even at the national level.

27.03.2001