NGOs and the institutional development of membership organisations: A Kenyan case

Abstract

A World Neighbors Programme in Kenya suggests more general conclusions about how NGOs can help to promote strong, inclusive membership organisations. A capacity to recognise the potential and limitations of existing institutions is found to be critical. It is important to address perceived needs, start with something simple to build confidence, and diversify in order to meet the requirements of different constituencies. A clear strategy is necessary to reconcile these sometimes conflicting demands. Success demands a heavy initial geographical concentration of resources, a substantial training input to provide staff with specialist facilitation skills, and an NGO structure which can access a wide range of external resources.