As the world grapples with complex development challenges, collaborative partnerships between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and local communities have emerged as a powerful force for driving positive change. According to experts, by leveraging their collective strengths, NGOs and local communities can co-create innovative solutions that address pressing issues such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.
In India, NGOs have played a vital role in promoting community-led development initiatives, with over 3.3 million NGOs operating in the country as of 2020, as per the data by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs. A study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) found that community-led initiatives supported by NGOs resulted in significant improvements in healthcare, education and livelihood outcomes for marginalised communities in India.
Challenges In Collaboration
Talking about the challenges in collaborations and partnerships, Akhila Sivadas, Executive Director, Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) said, “For the NGO sector, since we complement very powerful stakeholders like the corporate sector and the government in terms of depth in our ability to reach. For the last 30 to 40 per cent, there can be no illusion that we are setting ourselves up for a very uphill task. Collaborations are inherent, particularly with local communities.”
Sivadas highlighted the challenge of complementarity between NGOs and powerful stakeholders, comparing it to passing a baton. Large entities handle scale, while NGOs deepen efforts, but despite their competence, these entities have significant gaps. NGOs are seen as constant critics, focused on what’s lacking. This contrast makes collaboration difficult, especially when working with marginalised communities, who are hard to reach and impatient for change.
The Importance Of Collaboration
Sunish Jauhari, President, Vitamin Angels India said, "Collaboration has to be achieved. It has to result in something different as a result of us coming together. Otherwise, it is just cooperation. Einstein defined insanity very differently. You keep on doing the same thing and expecting different results. It does not really happen. We need collaboration because we are expecting different results and have a lot of challenges."
Jauhari emphasised that effective collaboration with communities starts with defining the problem, not the solution. He argues that before working together to solve an issue, communities must first recognise and accept the problem as their own. The challenge lies in aligning perspectives, as the community may not see the vulnerability in the same way or expect a solution. Collaborative efforts begin only when the problem is jointly acknowledged.
Collaboration Between Government, NGOs, and Communities
Mohammed Asif, Executive Director, Plan International (India Chapter) stated, “One of the things when we look at partnerships and collaboration is not just a partnership between the NGO and the community, but it also involves the government because the government is an important and a critical stakeholder in the scheme of things. Therefore, when we work at the local level, we work at the state district level. One of the critical things is to see how we can get the government and its stakeholders involved in that process.”
Asif highlighted the importance of collaboration between communities, the government, and NGOs, focusing on shared information and aligned metrics. He emphasised training frontline staff to engage inclusively and address biases while using inclusive language to ensure diverse, especially marginalised, voices are heard. He cited the example of ensuring school management committees truly represent the community, underscoring the need for inclusivity in all programs.
Building Strong Partnerships In Rural Communities
Ravichandran V, Chairperson and Trustee, eVidyaloka mentioned, "So today we collaborate with over 50 NGOs across the country and fund them to to work. We call them partners. One of our challenges has been figuring out the right partner to do the due diligence. Over the years, some of these partners became activists and got shut down by the government. Some of them did not pay their employees and some of them became politicians in that locality. So we had to handle these things differently. So our due diligence, initially more desk-bound due diligence became on-the-ground due diligence. So some of the people we are now hiring are ex-servicemen who land up at the village."
He highlighted the challenges of building partnerships in villages, citing experiences like hostility from villagers or unforeseen conflicts. To address this, his team conducts thorough research to identify the right partners and incentives for collaboration, such as supporting established local leaders who expand their work with additional funding. Education is generally prioritised in villages, making partnerships easier. He also emphasised the importance of collaboration among NGOs and learning from shared experiences. eVidyaloka hosts an annual partners’ conference, involving both partners and donors, to address ground-level challenges, share solutions, and ensure transparency.
Empowering Rural Communities Through Health And Skill Development
Ravi Nayse, Chief Operating Officer, Ambuja Foundation stated, "Our support goes in actually doctors, the paramedical; this support is going from our side and rest of the things is then ordering medicines. They use these low-cost generic medicines, then connect with them with these diagnostic centres and all those. So that is all been taken care of by the community. But of course, a lot of facilitation goes in. Other than these technical people, we will have to keep some social workers, and community mobilisers attached with that programme so that they can talk to the community and try to link and develop some kind of synchronisation with the work."
Nayse emphasised that Ambuja Foundation prioritises working with rural communities, focusing on health and skill development through models like rural skill and entrepreneurship institutes. These brick-and-mortar institutes provide training and mobilisation for rural youth, achieving significant success in skilling youth who often lack formal education and helping them secure jobs in metro cities. While attempts to replicate this model in urban areas failed, their strength lies in understanding and resonating with rural challenges. Similarly, in health, they have established community clinics that are entirely run and managed by the local community, reinforcing their commitment to rural empowerment.
Mindsets For Successful Community Partnerships
Keshav Kanoria, Partner, The Bridgespan Group, Bridgespan India said, “Whether it is lived experience, local knowledge, relationships and networks among the communities themselves, NGOs have the passion and the motivation. So those assets need to be leveraged first and foremost. It is a big shift in mindset right from the traditional approach. The second one is about dignity. These communities are not homogeneous but extremely heterogeneous and there are lots of power dynamics within communities. But the NGOs that we case studied have truly considered each person as equal.”
Kanoria also outlined five key mindsets for successful community partnerships: elevating marginalised voices, taking a long-term approach to systemic issues, staying flexible to evolving challenges, and adopting a "scaling in" mindset that focuses on individuals' holistic well-being. These strategies help organisations build deeper, sustainable connections with communities.
While moderating the session at BW Social Impact Summit and Awards 2024, Smita Mathur Jha, Senior Advisor, Social Impact Consulting said, “I have been the founding CEO of an organisation but when I started, it was about working with the state government and transforming governance. As a consultant, I was very conscious that this cannot be a one-way street that the government pays me as a consultant and I start doing work for them. Then that is not a partnership. So we went back to the government and said we are not going to take money from you and want an equal partnership.”
Jha shared that while the government initially offered only financial support, her team emphasised the need for governance transformation and capacity building to reduce reliance on consultants. They established a 50-50 partnership through an MoU, where the government seconded staff to work alongside her team, ensuring a collaborative and sustainable approach.
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