Inside NGOs acknowledges that NGOs are complex entities consisting of diverse offices staffed by diverse members who hold diverse values. It concentrates on the tension that arises between headquarters and field offices and suggests ways to resolve areas of conflict. The author addresses the major areas of tension existing between headquarters and field offices, which will be familiar to those working for NGOs, including flexibility and consistency in administrative practice, diversity and similarity of NGO staff, and field-orientated and organizationally-oriented attitudes of those staff. The author concludes that NGO effectiveness will increase as staff assess organizational processes carefully, take long term perspectives, become willing and able to take risks, make use of mistakes, and seek new understandings of their problems. This thoroughly researched book draws upon the vast experiences of NGO practitioners and fieldworkers to provide valuable solutions for headquarters and field offices as they relate to each other and to donors as well. It will be a valuable tool for anyone involved in NGO management or working for an NGO.

• Title Page 1
• Copyright Page 2
• Table of Contents 3
• List of Tables and Figure 7
• Preface 9
• 1: NGOs in Tension 17
• NGOs in Several forms 17
• The Struggle between Headquarters and Field Offices 20
• The Structure of this Book 22
• Overview of Tensions 25
• Tensions between Organizational Maintenance and Project Implementation 27
• Tensions between Diversity and Similarity 27
• Tensions between Flexibility and Consistency 28

• Part 1: Programme-Centred vs. Organization-Centred Activities 29
• 2: Recruitment 32
• Introduction 32
• Problems: Ambiguity in Recruitment 33
• Inappropriate Recruiting Criteria 33
• Discrepant Employment Terms 37
• Problems in Matching a Person to a Position 40
• Ambiguous Recruiting Processes 44
• Strategies: Alternative Recruitment 46
• Introducing Alternative Criteria 46
• Recruiting Based on Trust 51
• Dealing with Consistency and Changes 52
• Conclusion 57
• 3: Staff Training 59
• Introduction 59
• Problems: Serving Programmes vs. Serving the NGO 59
• Hard to Expect Long-Range Returns 60
• Locals vs. Expatriates 64
• Direction vs. Manipulation 68
• Strategies: For Broader (Not Narrower) Interests 72
• Broadening Views to Identify the Right Questions 72
• Drawing on Latent Abilities 75
• Training in Projects 78
• Predeparture Training 81
• Conclusion 83

• Part 2: Diversity Vs. Similarity 85
• 4: Managing Diversity 87
• Introduction 87
• Problems: Fragmented Performance in the Name of Diversity 89
• Decentralization and Loss of Order 89
• Cultural Differences 91
• Differences in Scope 93
• Strategies: Building a Sense of Commonality 102
• Rituals as a Mediator 102
• Narratives 106
• Developing Common Understanding among Leadership 111
• Associating Differences 113
• Time is worth Spending 119
• Conclusion 121
• 5: Similarity: Achieving Common Objectives 122
• Introduction 122
• Problems: Restricted Performance in the Name of Similarity 123
• Recruiting to Homogenize the Organization 124
• Constructing Identity 129
• Strategies: Interacting with Staff with Distinctive Skills, Values, and Views 136
• Dealing with differences 136
• Taking Charge of Processes 142
• Conclusion 144

• Part 3: Flexibility Vs. Consistency 147
• 6: Flexibility 149
• Introduction 149
• Problems: Gaps between the Systems and Reality 150
• Rationale for Seeking Systems 150
• Systems' Undesirable Impacts 155
• Strategies: Developing Informal Reflections 162
• Broadening Views 163
• Prioritizing the Staff Over Systems 171
• Conclusion 178
• 7: Going Beyond Systems 179
• Introduction 179
• Problems: Perpetuated Control Mechanisms 180
• Constructing Their Own Worlds 180
• Systems as a Catalyst to Reproduce Hierarchy 187
• Strategies: Living with Dilemmas 192
• Judging Systems 193
• Using Tensions 198
• Using Ambiguity 202
• Conclusion 206

• Part 4: What Have We Learned? 207
• 8: Lessons 208
• Lessons for Donors and Governments 208
• When Assessing NGOs 208
• When Selecting an NGO to Fund 209
• When Working With NGOs 211
• Lessons for NGO Leadership 212
• When Recruiting the Staff 212
• When Working with the Staff 214
• When Working With the Donors 215
• When Dealing With Rules, Regulations, and Policies 216
• Lessons for NGO Field Staff 218
• When Working Under Regulatory Systems 218
• When Working with Bosses 219
• 9: Problems and Strategies in Tensions 222
• General Lessons from the Three Tensions 222
• Programme-Centred vs. Organization-Centred Activities 222
• Diversity vs. Similarity 225
• Flexibility vs. Consistency 228
• Conclusion 230

• Appendix A: The Origin of NGOs 233
• Appendix B: Types of Development NGOs 235
• Appendix C: Research 238
• Concept 238
• Point of View 238
• Position of the Researcher 238
• Data 239
• Data Source 239
• Data Collection 240
• Analysis 241

• References 243

Naoki Suzuki