This paper explores how relationships between Local Non-Governmental Organisations (LNGOs) and donors shape LNGOs’ understandings of contemporary development issues, including education, within broader development and political economy contexts. The study employed a qualitative, multi-method design in Nepal between February 2022 and May 2023. Data were collected through document analysis, 41 semi-structured interviews, five focus group discussions with 72 participants, and detailed field notes. Participants represented LNGOs, community-based organisations (CBOs), donors, government officials, academics, evaluators, journalists, and community members, providing a diverse and triangulated evidence base. Research ethics approval was secured, informed consent obtained, and safeguards applied for vulnerable groups, with local researchers engaged to ensure cultural sensitivity. Findings reveal contrasting perceptions of donor-LNGO relationships. While some actors describe them as collaborative, transparent, and equal partnerships, most characterise them as donor-centric, contractual, and marked by power asymmetries. These dynamics foster strong upward accountability to donors, with limited downward accountability to communities and local stakeholders. As a result, LNGOs’ interpretations of key development concepts including in the field of education—capacity building, localisation, participation, and organisational independence—are shaped primarily by donor-driven discourses. Capacity building, for example, is framed as deficit-focused, legitimising donor intervention. Participation is often reduced to community and local stakeholders’ involvement in activities rather than decision-making, and localisation tends to be symbolic rather than substantive. LNGOs also prioritise donor project acquisition over independent, locally designed initiatives. Exceptions exist where international NGOs operate without country offices and where CBOs are engaged. In such cases, stronger two-way accountability and community-centred decision-making are evident,

Authors:
Mukunda Adhikari, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Keren Winterford, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Federico Davila, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

About the Presenter(s)
Mukunda has also been working with the Australian NGO Transform Aid International as the International Programs Manager. In this role, he is an experienced practitioner in international development, with education being a key component of his work.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mukunda-a-80995215a/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

Bookmark