PhD Dissertation Proposal

Everyone matters: Why northern Non-

Governmental Development Organisations
engage with the socially excluded in their
own communities.

15 June 2009
1
PhD Dissertation Proposal
! "ntroduction
In 1999 Gaventa concluded, as a result of his study of the links and learning
et!een "o##unity $ased %rganisations &"$%s' in the (orth and )outh, that
#any northern*ased "$%s had not engaged !ith issues of po!er and poverty in
their o!n co##unities in the gloal (orth+ ,his !ould need to e rectified, he
contends, for #ore e-ual partnerships to develop et!een northern and southern
"$%s and if the vie!s of each !ere to e .de*#ythologi/ed0+
1ike!ise, 2alhotra &20003 445) issued a si#ilar !arning, proposing that if northern
(G%s !ere to survive in the t!enty*first century they #ust e3
seriously and more substantially engaged with the poverty and social justice
problems of their own countries, especially as these continue to escalate and
become more explicit and visible
,hree suse-uent events de#onstrate that this advice has een taken up, !hether
or not as a direct conse-uence of it+ 6irstly, In 2005 7ed $arnet &)"6 Den#ark'
launched a groundreaking report on child poverty in Den#ark !hich called for the
Danish govern#ent to undertake #ore research into child poverty and to end the
different levels of enefits for refugees and Danish citi/ens &7ed $arnet 2005'+
)econdly, in January 2008, I !as !orking for 2usli# 9id !hen it agreed to organise
a :oint sponsored !alk for %;fa# and 2usli# 9id supporters during 7a#adan in aid
of the gloal food crisis+ It !as #ade -uite clear that the reason they !ere
interested in !ork !ith 2usli# 9id !as that they needed to create a greater
diversity in their support ase in order for their advocacy and ca#paigning !ork to
have greater legiti#acy and representational force
1
+ 2usli# 9id<s support ase is
particularly strong a#ong the $engali co##unity in 1ondon, considered to e one
of the poorest and #ost socially e;cluded co##unities in 1ondon #easured
according to indicators relating to child poverty, education, e#ploy#ent and
1
Conversation between author and key Oxfam personnel, meeting January 2!.
PhD Dissertation Proposal
housing &Greater 1ondon 9uthority, 200= > 2004'+ %;fa#<s decision to !ork !ith
poor co##unities in the ?@ in cited y 6o!ler &1995' as originating in its 199=
.asse#ly0 of stakeholders and !as clearly controversial at the ti#e, leading to
#edia co##ent that govern#ent policies had turned the ?@ into a developing
country &6o!ler, 1995'+
,hirdly, on 4 9pril 2009, )ave the "hildren 6und ?@ launched a ne! fund and
ca#paign to help fa#ilies in the ?@ struggling to cope !ith the rising cost of food+
,his !as closely follo!ed on 8 9pril y %;fa# ?@ launching a report Close to
Home: ! Poverty and the "conomic #ownturn and a nation!ide ca#paign
clai#ing that the ?@ is eco#ing a nation of the .forgotten, ripped*off, e;cluded
and det*ridden0+
,he study !ill look at ho! the .pro:ect0 of international develop#ent is no!
roadening to include #ore than the post*colonialist approach of develop#ent of
the .other0, to an approach !hich incorporates the ethical i#perative for change in
co##unities gloally+ It !ill use case studies of three (G%s to ans!er -uestions
such as3 !hat does this decision say aout the process of institutional change and
policy develop#ent in (on* Govern#ental Develop#ent %rganisations &(GD%s'A
Bhat types of develop#ent ethic underpinned the decisionsA Bhat has een the
reaction to this decision y )outhern partnersA
#! $ac%ground and context
,his study !ill e;a#ine the drivers that have contriuted to northern ased (GD%s
taking up the reco##endations of Gaventa and 2alhotra3 organisations !hose core
#ission has #ore usually een interpreted as !orking !ith poor co##unities in the
gloal south+ ,he central research -uestion for this study is, therefore, located at
the :unction of several acade#ic, philosophical, (G% pra;is*ased and international
develop#ent policy deates+
PhD Dissertation Proposal
,he study !ill take as its starting point the deates on northern (GD% futures and
roles &6o!ler, 2000C Gaventa, 1999C 2alhotra, 2000C Dd!ards > Eul#e, 2002C
$eington, Eickey and 2ilton &eds+', 2008' and !ill ask ho! these ideas and
deates influenced (G% decisions+ It !ill also consider !hether current deates on
develop#ent ethics and notions of cos#opolitanis# can assist in understanding
their decisions aout this !ork closer to ho#e+ Parfitt<s call for an ethical for an
ethical syste# ased on .alterity0 &2002' and 9ppiah<s contention &2004' that
.everyone #atters0 !ith three caveats3 a' nation state is pri#ary #echanis# '
fair share for all c' consistent !ith eing partial to those closest, !ill e considered
alongside develop#ent ethics that -uestion the privileging of the local &Fanacopulos
and $allie )#ith, 2008'+ 1ike!ise, the notion that so#e lives are e;pendale as
.are lives0 and others are not needs to e considered alongside current
develop#ent theories, such as capaility theory &Parfitt, 2009C ,i!ari 200G'+ ,he
study !ill #ake use of John<s &1998' policy analysis fra#e!ork in !hich ideas are a
#a:or driver of policy+
,he !orking thesis for the study is that northern*ased (GD%s !ho have egun to
!ork !ith socially e;cluded co##unities in the north, are driven y #ultiple
internal and e;ternal factors cul#inating in unclear goals+ 9s (GD%s deepen this
engage#ent, issues of representation, accountaility and foundational develop#ent
ethics !ill need to #ade #ore e;plicit if the relationship et!een (GD%s and
socially e;cluded co##unities is not to e perceived as e;ploitative at !orst or
instru#ental at est and if relationships !ith stakeholder co##unities of the poor
in the gloal )outh are to re#ain intact+ 1arge (GD%s !ill also run the risk of
eginning to tread on the policy and service delivery .space0 occupied y do#estic
northern (G%s and "$%s and !ill have their develop#ent ethics -uestioned y
poor co##unities in the gloal )outh+
%ther su*literatures to e revie!ed !ill include the follo!ing3 typologies of
northern (on*Govern#ental Develop#ent %rganisationsC north*south (G%
partnershipC (G% futures !ithH!ithout aid and alternative develop#ent financingC
(G% .alternatives0C gloal #ove#entsC social e;clusion and poverty in the gloal
PhD Dissertation Proposal
north, specifically the ?@, ?) and Den#arkC develop#ent ethicsC theories of social
:usticeC organisational policy develop#ent and decision*#aking analysis+ ,he
central research -uestion elo! is located to so#e degree at the intersection of all
of these literatures and deates+
,his research !ill #ove for!ard current scholarly deates around the future roles of
northern*ased (GD%s in relation to their core #issions, their relationships !ith
their funding pulic, !ith their southern (GD% partners and gloal anti*poverty
#ove#ents and ca#paigns+ It !ill also atte#pt to provide #aterial fro# !hich
northern (GD%s can learn in planning and evaluating future !ork !ith do#estic
socially e;cluded co##unities+
&! 'esearch (uestion
$hy and with what impact on northern and southern partners do northern %on&
'overnmental #evelopment (rganisations engage with the socially excluded in
their own communities)
)! 'esearch O*+ectives
a+ ,o descrie and provide evidence of !ork y northern (GD%s !ith the
socially e;cluded in their o!n co##unities+
+ ,o select one case study (GD% for further investigation+
c+ ,o interrogate the relevant su*literatures for considerations of !hy this
!ork is no! taking place, including considerations of develop#ent ethics+
d+ ,o understand the #ain policy drivers contriuting to these decisions to
enter this area of !ork+
e+ ,o understand ho! the i#pact of this !ork and ho! it has een assessed
to*date y3
i+ ,he case study (GD%
ii+ (GD% southern partner organisations
iii. D;ternal agencies
iv+ )cholarly opinion
v+ Progra##eHpro:ect eneficiaries
PhD Dissertation Proposal
,! -ethods
,his !ill e an ethnographic study !ith a focus on one case study organisation+
?nderstandings as to !hy the case study organisation has e#arked on ne! areas
of !ork I in this case, addressing poverty and social e;clusion in their o!n
co##unities I and to !hat effect, !ill e generated y the follo!ing strategies+
?se of secondary sources or capta &strategic planning docu#ents, #eeting
#inutes' fro# the case study organisations and e;ternal agencies+
?se of pri#ary sources or generata &se#i structured intervie!s and oservation'
fro# the three organisations and e;ternal agencies+
?se of scholarly literature+
9 purposive sa#pling strategy !ill e adopted, for e;a#ple, using data fro#
docu#ents related to %;fa#<s ?@ Poverty progra##e and se#i*structured
intervie!s !ith the Eead of ?@ Poverty progra##e+ 9 sno!all strategy #ay
e#erge suse-uently+ Pri#ary data !ill e gathered fro# the case study
organisation through visits andHor skype intervie!s+
PhD Dissertation Proposal
.! "ndicative content
Introduction * ,his !ill provide definitions of the key ter#s, a life history of the
central research -uestion and an outline of the content of each chapter+
"hapter 13 2ethodology I ,he episte#ological approach and logic of the research
#ethod !ill e set out here, defining the theory -uestions+ Issues of data validity
!ill e discussed, including sa#pling and case study strategy, data collection
techni-ues and coding+ 9n interpretive #odel !ill e introduced+ "hallenges, risks
and assu#ptions faced y the research !ill e discussed in detail, including issues
of situated kno!ledge, access to data, refle;ive considerations, ethical
considerations around data collection and li#itations to data availaility+
"hapter 23 $ackground I ,his chapter !ill revie! the relevant literatures and
scholarly deates, !ith particular reference to develop#ent ethics+ It !ill also
provide evidence of northern (GD% !ork in the north eyond the three case studies
and the national policy and organisational conte;t for the three case study (G%s in
?@, ?) and Den#ark
"hapter 53 "ase )tudies I ,his chapter !ill descrie and analyse the !ork of the
three case study (GD%s !ith socially e;cluded co##unities in ?@, ?) and
Den#ark in detail+
"hapter =3 Bhy do northern (GD%s say they !ork .closer to ho#e0A ,his chapter
!ill detail the findings of the research in relation to the three case study (G%s+ It
!ill use pri#ary data generated for and y this research and internal and pulic
organi/ational docu#ents+ It !ill conclude !ith outlining the #ain policy drivers for
these decisions in each case study (GD%+
"hapter 53 Bith !hat resultsA I ,his chapter !ill atte#pt to ans!er the second part
of the central research -uestion in the light of evidence collected y the case study
(GD%, its southern partners, y e;ternal agencies, pro:ect and progra##e
eneficiaries+
PhD Dissertation Proposal
"hapter 43 Does Dveryone 2atterA I ,his chapter !ill ring together the findings of
"hapters = and 5 and the scholarly deates revie!ed in "hapter 2 to address
9ppiah<s &2004' -uestion and #ove for!ard the deate on .ethics in a !orld of
strangers0 and !hat this has to say aout the role of northern (GD%s in the
t!enty*first century+
"onclusion I ,his !ill su##arise the conclusions of the research, define !here and
ho! it has #oved for!ard deates and set out ne! research agendas !hich have
#erged as a result+
/! 0cope o1 and 2imits to the research
,he provisional selection of the case study (GD% has een ased on considerations
of3
#y access to #aterialC
a !ish to understand future trends !hich #ay e indicated y (GD%s in the ?)
and Den#ark+ Den#ark is uni-ue in its political consensus around the
co##it#ent to 0+8J G(I for %D9 &D9" 200G'C
an interest in understanding the dyna#ics ehind policy decisions in a #a:or ?@
(GD% !ith a very high #edia profile+
,he study !ill focus on the period 1999 I 2009 and the processes, decisions, policy
drivers, ideas and deates that led to the case study (GD% !orking in its o!n
co##unities+ ,he policy environ#ents in !hich the organisation is located !ill
e li#ited to ?@+
PhD Dissertation Proposal
3! 4imeline
,his research is e;pected to take up to =0 #onths fro# 1 June 2009 as follo!s3
June I Dece#er 2009 I survey of literature > interpretive #odels
January I Dece#er 2010 * data collection at 5 case study (GD%s
January I 2arch 2011 I collate and code data+ 9gree interpretive #odel
9pril I )epte#er 2011 I develop > present preli#inary findings and analysis
%ctoer 2011 I January 2010 I first draft
6eruary I %ctoer 2012 I final !rite up+
PhD Dissertation Proposal
'e1erences
9ppiah, @+ 9+ &2004', "os#opolitanis#3 Dthics in a Borld of )trangers, (orton >
"o+, (e! Fork+
"arroll, ,+ 6+ &1992', Inter#ediary (G%s3 ,he )upporting 1ink in Grassroots
Develop#ent, @u#arian Press, "onnecticut+
D9" &200G' Peer 7evie! I Den#ark+ 9vailale at
http3HH!!!+oecd+orgHdocu#entH2=H0,55=5,enK24=9K5=405K5880=548K1K1K1K1,0
0+ht#l &9ccessed 1= 9pril 2009'+
Derksen, E+ and Lerhallen, P+ .7einventing International (G%s3 9 Lie! fro# the
Dutch "o*6inancing )yste#0 in $eington, 9+J+, Eickey, )+ and 2itlin, D+ &eds'
&2008', "an (G%s 2ake a DifferenceA ,he "hallenge of Develop#ent 9lternatives,
Med $ooks, 1ondon and (e! Fork+
Drahi#, 9+ &2005', (G%s and %rgani/ational "hange, "a#ridge ?niversity Press,
"a#ridge+
Dd!ards, 2+ .Does the Door#at Influence the $ootA "ritical ,houghts on ?@ (G%s
and International 9dvocacy0 in Dd!ards, 2+ and 6o!ler, 9+ &eds+' &2002', ,he
Darthscan 7eader on (G% 2anage#ent, Darthscan, 1ondon+
Dd!ards, 2+ and Eul#e, D+ &eds' &1994' $eyond the 2agic $ullet3 (G%
Perfor#ance and 9ccountaility in the Post*"old Bar Borld, @u#arian Press,
"onnecticut+
6o!ler, 9 &199G', N(G%D%s are not islands3 #aking relationships effective< in
)triking the $alance, pp95*128+
PhD Dissertation Proposal
6o!ler, 9 &2000', N(G% futures3 eyond aid3 (GD% values and the fourth position<,
,hird Borld Ouarterly, Lolu#e 21 &=', pp+589*40=+
6o!ler, 9+ .9ssessing (G% Perfor#ance3 Difficulties, Dile##as and a Bay 9head0 in
Dd!ards, 2+ and Eul#e, D+ &eds' &1994' $eyond the 2agic $ullet3 (G%
Perfor#ance and 9ccountaility in the Post*"old Bar Borld, @u#arian Press,
"onnecticut+
Gaventa, J &1999', N"rossing the Great Divide3 $uilding links and 1earning $et!een
(G%s and "o##unity $ased %rgani/ations in the (orth and )outh< in 1e!is, D &ed'
International Perspectives on Loluntary 9ction3 7eshaping the ,hird )ector, pp 21*
58+
Greater 1ondon 9uthority &200=', 2001 "ensus Profiles3 $angladeshis in 1ondon,
Data 2anage#ent and 9nalysis Group+
Greater 1ondon 9uthority &2004', "hild Poverty in 1ondon3 Inco#e and 1aour
2arket Indicators, Data 2anage#ent and 9nalysis Group+
Greater 1ondon 9uthority &2004', 2usli#s in 1ondon, Data 2anage#ent and
9nalysis Group+
John, P+ &1998', 9nalysing Pulic Policy, "ontinuu#, 1ondon and (e! Fork+
1Pautier, 6+ and Petkoski, D+ &2004', NPrivate )ector 7oles in the Partnership 9ge<,
Borld $ank Institute $usiness > Develop#ent Discussion Papers, 9pril 2004 &Paper
(o+1'+
2alhotra, @ &2000', N(G%s !ithout aidC eyond the gloal soup kitchen<, ,hird Borld
Ouarterly, Lolu#e 21 &=', pp+455*448+
PhD Dissertation Proposal
%;fa# &2009', "lose to Eo#e3 ?@ Poverty and the Dcono#ic Do!nturn + 9vailale
at3 http3HH!!!+o;fa#+org+ukHresourcesHukpovertyHfredHinde;+ht#lQ!heel
&9ccessed 1= 9pril 2009'+
Parfitt, ,+ &2002', ,he Dnd of Develop#ent3 2odernity, Post*2odernity and
Develop#ent, Pluto Press, 1ondon+
Parfitt, , &2009', N9re the ,hird Borld Poor Homines *acriA< forthco#ing in
9lternatives, Lol+ 5= &1'+
7a!ls, J+ &19G2', 9 ,heory of Justice, %;ford ?niversity Press, %;ford+
7ed $arnet &2005' Poverty a#ong children in Danish #unicipalities I 198=*2001
9vailaile at3 http3HH!!!+redarnet+dkHDefault+asp;AIDR2208 &9ccessed 1= 9pril
2009'+
,andon, 7+ &1995', N$oard Ga#es<3 Governance and 9ccountaility in (G%s< in
Dd!ards, 2+ and Eul#e, D+ &eds' &1994' $eyond the 2agic $ullet3 (G%
Perfor#ance and 9ccountaility in the Post*"old Bar Borld, @u#arian Press,
"onnecticut+
,i!ari, 2+ &200G', N"hronic Poverty and Dntitle#ent ,heory<, in ,hird Borld
Ouarterly, Lol 28 &1', pp+1G1*191+
Fanacopulos, E+ and $aillie )#ith, 2+ .,he 9#ivalent "os#opolitanis# of
International (G%s0 in $eington, 9+J+, Eickey, )+ and 2itlin, D+ &eds' &2008', "an
(G%s 2ake a DifferenceA ,he "hallenge of Develop#ent 9lternatives, Med $ooks,
1ondon and (e! Fork+

PhD Dissertation Proposal