India is chock-a-block with all kinds of NGOs. From local ones like RWAs to National ones all purporting to serve their catchments. These are typically staffed with well-meaning volunteers and some with paid staffers. This depends purely on the “background” funding. Some with straight forward and transparent sources, and some with dubious sources. That’s why the Modi Government has banned as many as 14,500 NGOs registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
Started with noble intentions, a large number of so called NGOs have become personal fiefdoms. A stage to blow up a few egos and lend some political clout to the powers behind these NGOs.
Increasingly, many NGOs find it difficult to find good volunteers or funding. Why is it that people don’t ‘show up’ on their calls? Why is funding so hard to come by? Especially at the micro local levels like the block in a layout?
With information easily available online, the need for such fiefdoms is gradually and steadily becoming reducing. With some governments introducing ease of use apps to capture civic and social issues, resolution is also improving, with some exceptions.
Recently, the BBMP issued “Guidelines” for RWAs during Covid-19. How many RWAs even took any action other than regurgitating it in their WhatsApp groups? Did anyone even open these forwards? The answers are self-evident in your own experience.
So why are these well-meaning RWAs failing? The Command & Control Vultures who inhabit these micro organisms simply have no leadership abilities or competence. The sad thing is that this culture is self-propagating. Future incumbents simply follow the ineffective & outdated methods, stuck in the 18th Century.
Change is always resisted by these incumbents since it will erode their illusionary “power”. The only people with power are in the governance structure, not out of it!
In the 21st century, enrolment ability and leadership qualities are needed, and are only available at huge premiums. The managerial abilities are tested and challenged all the time. In this era, the command and control structures are only functional in the military. And in Government structures employing executives tailor made for the political class to order around.
Ability to enrol and leadership is not taught in schools and universities. Much less are they taught. Instead they have to be learnt. Which is impossible with closed minds and a long nurtured command & control mindset.
Therein lies the main reasons for the failures of NGOs of all kinds. Just having information is a no-pass in a Knowledge World of the 21st century. The democratisation of information has put paid to those who are used to concealing information in an attempt to control whatever they think they are controlling. This poverty isn’t likely to be eradicated anytime soon. Read more .
@jsvasan
Tailpiece: I’m trying to coax a command & culture RWA to emerge out of this septic tank with a simple tool commonplace in the world today: A Website. But the delay & derail efforts are on in full swing. What isn’t possibly apparent is that I usually work with a Plan ‘B’ and even a plan ‘C’ at times.