Non-governmental organisations, or NGOs, are organisations that operate independently from governments and often work to reduce poverty, improve health, support education, respond to conflict, promote gender equality and provide emergency aid. Examples include large international NGOs such as Oxfam, Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières and Amnesty International, as well as smaller local organisations working within specific communities. Supporters argue that NGOs can be more flexible, community-focused and responsive than governments or large international institutions. They may reach groups who are ignored by states, provide practical support quickly, and give local people a stronger voice. However, sociologists also criticise NGOs. They may depend on donor funding, reflect Western priorities, provide short-term solutions rather than structural change, lack accountability, or unintentionally create dependency. Some dependency and post-development theorists argue that NGOs can reproduce unequal power relationships if they define “development” for communities rather than working with them.
This activity helps you evaluate the role of NGOs in global development. You will act as an NGO intervention planner and choose strategies for different development problems, including aid, education, health, gender inequality, population change and conflict. Each scenario asks you to select the most suitable intervention, then gives feedback on the strengths and limitations of that strategy. The aim is to practise application and evaluation: you need to decide what kind of NGO response fits the problem, but also think critically about whether it creates long-term development, short-term relief, dependency, empowerment or unintended harm. This is useful for AQA Global Development because NGO work links to debates about aid, human development, gender, population, conflict, sustainability and post-development critiques.
NGO Intervention Planner
Choose a development problem, select NGO strategies, and receive feedback on the strengths and limits of your intervention plan.
Immediate relief
Emergency food, shelter, healthcare and protection during crisis.
Human development
Education, health, gender equality and community skills over time.
Advocacy
Campaigning for rights, policy change, accountability and local voice.
Sustainability
Local ownership, long-term capacity, environmental protection and resilience.
Evaluation
Consider dependency, donor priorities, cultural fit and unintended consequences.
Partnership
Working with local organisations rather than imposing outside solutions.
Choose a development problem
Revision summary: evaluating NGOs
- Strengths: NGOs may be flexible, community-based, rights-focused and able to reach groups ignored by states.
- Limitations: NGOs may depend on donor funding, reflect Western priorities or provide short-term help rather than structural change.
- Modernisation links: NGOs may support human development through education, health and skills.
- Dependency critique: NGOs may create aid dependency or leave global inequalities untouched.
- Post-development critique: NGOs should avoid imposing outside ideas and should work with local knowledge and culture.
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