Page 59 - Proceeding 2015

PĂCE?ILĂ Mihaela FAMP
INVOLVEMENT OF NGOS IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY CCASP

1. OBJECTIVE AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this paper is a survey on the nongovernmental sector taking into account its increasingly
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 11 TH ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
important role over the past decades which makes it a distinctive sector within civil society.

To accomplish the purpose, the following objectives were established:

? Presentation of the definitions and classification of non-governmental organizations;

? Analysis of the non-governmental sector development;

? Description of the spectrum of NGO activities

The contribution of this paper consists in summarising definitions, classifications as well as developments

in the field and in providing an analysis of the spectrum of NGO activities.

The data collection method used in this descriptive, qualitative and exploratory study was the document
analysis method. In this regard, the paper is focused on the study of a range of publications relating to
30 th – 31 st October 2015 ”Strategic Management for Local Communities” Bucharest the NGO sector which provide both theoretical and practical insights of relevance to researchers.

2. DEFINITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Currently, there are many nongovernmental organizations operating worldwide, with major differences
from country to country as regards their structure and position in society. (Bagci, 2007). Therefore, it is

difficult to formulate a precise and commonly accepted definition at global level.

According to some authors and literature studies, the definition of an NGO should be based on several
criteria. In this regard, Dreesmann (1987) believes that any NGO should be autonomous and not

dependent on the state and its funds. This does not mean that NGOs could not receive public funds. They
could receive funds from public sources, but it is important that the state should not interfere in their
activities. The author also specifies two other criteria: they should be not for profit organizations and two

thirds of their funds should be obtained through voluntary contributions.

Other authors (Edwards and Hulme, 1992; Moore, 1993) consider that NGOs have four essential
characteristics that distinguish them from other civil society organizations: voluntary, dependent, non-
profit, self-serving.

The World Bank’s Operational Directive on NGOs no 1470 defines NGOs as private organizations
dedicated to promoting the interests of the poor, protecting the environment, providing basic social
services, developing communities (Fischer, 2006).

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