Fair‐weather friends: why compacts fail non‐government organisations

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to focus on compacts and their effectiveness in ensuring that non-government organisations (NGOs) are able to remain independent, critical checks on government. Design/methodology/approach -The experiences of the English Compact and the Working Together for NSW agreement, created in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). The analysis of Working Together relies upon interviews conducted with key informants involved in its negotiation. Using these cases the effectiveness of compacts in supporting NGOs, particularly in their role as advocates is examined. Findings -The paper finds that, despite the similarities between the English Compact and Working Together, the NSW government has not produced similar supporting structures or mechanisms and that no champion exists to drive it within government. As a result, awareness of Working Together is low in both the NSW government and among NGOs, and, unlike the English Compact, it has had little effect on the ability of NGOs to advocate independently. As such, it is suggested that compacts do not offer long-term solutions to the difficulties in the relationship between governments and NGOs. This is because their efficacy is reliant upon the support of government.Research limitations/implications -The list of interviewees is by no means exhaustive. Despite numerous attempts, the authors were unable to obtain interviews from a number of figures approached from middle-level departments within the NSW state government. Originality/value -The interviews are original and new to the literature on compacts. This interview material is especially useful as little literature exists that analyses the Working Together for NSW agreement.

The third sector and government in Australia: Not-for-profit reform under Labor, 2007–13

“…The impact of state and territory relationship frameworks have, however, been mixed (Baulderstone 2008;Butcher, Casey, and Dalton 2012;Edgar and Lockie 2010). Labor governments in Western Australia and Victoria did not take this path and instead focused on strategies intended to build sector capability -approaches their Coalition successors substantially continued (Butcher forthcoming).…”

An Australian National Compact - Something old, something new?

“…(DOCS/FONGA 2006:10) There is broad agreement that Working Together has been largely ineffective as an instrument for government-sector cooperation (Dalton et al 2008;Edgar and Lockie 2010). Whereas the sector had advocated an enforceable agreement with binding mechanisms for dispute resolution, the government preferred an agreement that was more aspirational in nature -more of a broad statement of principle than a 'contract'.…”

Improving the credibility and effectiveness of non-governmental organizations

“…For example, those unhappy with the state of environmental protection can become members of Greenpeace , the Environmental Defense Fund and so forth, while those unhappy with the provision of human rights can become members of Amnesty International, Oxfam or other similar agencies. With the effectiveness of a number of NGOs being called into questions in recent years (Edgar and Lockie, 2010; Gibelman and Gelman, 2004; Weidenbaum, 2009), it is necessary to examine the factors on which the performance and effectiveness of NGOs impinge. However, since the NGO sector receives its legitimacy and credibility based largely on public trust (Gibelman and Gelman, 2004), its effectiveness and credibility highly depends on issues of accountability and transparency.…”