1995_1_experiences of ngo networks

Experiences of NGO networks working on HIV/AIDS

To prepare this issue of the Exchange, a questionnaire was sent to NGO networks in Africa, Asia, Latin America and some industrialized countries. They were asked to indicate the activities they carry out as well as problems and advantages encountered in networking. Eighteen responded; some of the findings are presented below.

Activities

The activities which the majority consider most important are: joint work in advocacy regarding policy development; sharing information, expertise and materials; linking up for events and activities; and providing training to further skills.

Other work carried out by and through networks includes: organizing workshops and seminars, maintenance of a resource/information centre, collaboration with the NAP (including assessment of project proposals) and helping members obtain funding for projects.

Network problems

The main problems faced by the networks are of two kinds. The first concerns organizational and funding issues. Sample problems and the solutions found:

The network's role is unclear: a policy document is formulated for members' endorsement. It defines matters such as the network's objectives, membership criteria and underlying principles to guide activities and strategies. Some networks develop workplans to monitor their progress and achievements.

Activities and communication among members are hindered by a lack of manpower: a secretariat is established to act on behalf of the members. Usually it is based at one of the member organizations although a few networks have independent offices.

Joint activities and communication are hindered by a lack of funds: funding is sought from donors, membership fees are instituted, members take advantage of meetings which they attend in other capacities to discuss planned activities (e.g., national and international workshops and conferences).

It is difficult to reach consensus on issues requiring rapid responses: authority to act for the network is allocated to a small steering committee or the network chairperson and/or secretariat.

The second type of problems concerns balancing organizational against network interests. A recurrent difficulty for many networks is that some members are particularly active while others just "go along for the ride". Time constraints sometimes make members passive regarding network participation: they are so busy with tasks for their own organizations that they have little time left for the network.

In other cases, members see their participation as a "one-way street" - they expect the network to benefit their organization but do not feel responsible for contributing to the network itself. When networks are just forming, some "distrust" of other members' motives and inexperience in collaboration may also contribute to reluctance to participate fully. Measures taken to tackle these problems are:

organizing joint events so that members experience working together in a concrete and constructive way
rotating the network chair and/or steering committee among members on a yearly basis
drawing up covenants which require a commitment to participate in certain planned activities
challenging the members to make them feel that they have a "stake" in the network by asking them to provide evidence of their work (rather than merely an "interest") in HIV/AIDS-related projects
diminishing the need to attend meetings by increasing phone and correspondence contacts among members and with the network secretariat
allocating responsibility for implementing certain projects to a member with specific expertise (e.g., training).

The advantages of networking

Despite the above-mentioned problems, the general consensus is that networks provide definite advantages to the organizations involved.

The foremost advantage is that organizations have a focal point which acts on their behalf and helps them to exchange experiences. For example, networks are often able to collect more information than individual members. This clearinghouse facility enables organizations to share knowledge, ideas and resources. It also reduces the time spent by different organizations in answering questions on their programmes one by one (e.g., from the media). Such a central contact point can also assist members in getting access to and liasing with other agencies such as government and donors.

The second area in which networks are useful is in encouraging and coordinating joint activities. Expertise and resources are maximized while duplication is avoided. Moreover, many NGOs recognize that they gain strength from joining together to campaign on important issues: by speaking with a united voice, they have more impact. Being able to count on a broader constituency, represented by the varied groups which individual members serve, also helps attract interest in a multisectoral response to the epidemic.

Obtaining support is considered the third major benefit of networking. Organizations are linked so that they can take advantage of one another's expertise in specific areas. For example, one organization may second staff to another for some time in order to gain or provide practical experience in certain types of interventions.

Networking conditions

The respondents concluded their comments by mentioning conditions which need to be met if a network is to succeed:

mutually agreed upon operating principles

democratic leadership and transparency in proceedings in order to build and maintain trust

a strong, committed and efficient secretariat and

an adequate balance between public activities and internal coalition building initiatives.

Finally, it was remarked that it would be useful if experienced networks were enabled to assist new ones by sharing lessons learned.