© International Trade Centre, International Trade Forum
- Issue 2/2006
Trade Forum analyses the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of non-governmental
organizations as trade development partners.
NGOs come in many shapes and sizes. Some governments and
international agencies are asking: how can their work complement
our own?
Strengths- Grass-roots (local) NGOs. They have a
long-term presence on the ground and enjoy trust. They have local
cultural and political knowledge and awareness of local economic
conditions. With fewer operating costs, they can be innovative and
flexible. They are committed to poor and marginalized groups.
- International NGOs can boast a global
reputation, are good at networking and can mobilize resources and
issue expertise. Their research and advocacy for issues have few
political constraints. They are expert at influencing public
opinion and policy-makers. They usually have a paid core
staff.
- Business-interest NGOs, whether local
or global, possess specialized knowledge about trade issues,
markets and contacts in their field.
| Weaknesses- Grass-roots NGOs may have limited
issue expertise and resources. They can miss the big picture on
some subjects and may not fully understand market forces, making it
harder to link with business or government partners. They may not
be financially sustainable.
- International NGOs. Some advocacy
NGOs have limited implementation capacity. They may find it hard to
see past special interests. They suffer from inconsistent revenue
flows from donations. They may appear to have a
government/corporate "phobia" and can be accused of "selling out"
when they work with these bodies.
- Business-interest NGOs may have
limited experience with poor communities. Some do not reflect the
needs of small firms. They may not be sustainable on membership
fees alone. They can be single-issue organizations.
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Opportunities
- Grass-roots NGOs can make good
partners in export development programmes to bring in local
communities, implement some training and encourage participatory
development. They can help shift the export focus away from
commodities even at the small-producer level. They can contribute
their experience in integrating health and education initiatives in
development programmes.
- International NGOs can partner with
agencies and governments to mobilize public opinion on trade issues
where they have common interests. Their voice and mandate often
bring a social dimension that complements the business and data
analysis and trade expertise. This can make them effective partners
for trade programmes that address broader issues such as the
environment, women, technology and others.
- Business-interest NGOs can contribute
sector-specific expertise to help producers add value, improve
quality and find new export markets. They can act as
clearing-houses for trade information.
| Threats
Isolated efforts may have the wrong focus or a weak
impact. Trade development authorities not working in partnership
with NGOs could mean:
- Grass-roots NGOs may set up
unsustainable initiatives without linking to wider trade
development solutions. There are fewer chances to connect poor
people with export opportunities.
- International NGOs can define the
dialogue and public understanding of trade issues without the voice
and experience of trade agencies. They may miss promising prospects
for trade development because of their focus on the marginalized.
They may, for example, focus on micro-producers, overlooking small
and medium-sized enterprises.
- Business-interest NGOs may lobby
against one another with policy-makers, unless there are
opportunities for dialogue, leading to common positions on major
trade challenges.
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Contributors: Brian Towe, Peter Hulm.