Structures and processes in intermediary nongovernmental organizations: Research evidence from Northern Ireland

Abstract

This article reports the results of an exploratory study of the organizational characteristics, functions, and roles of intermediary nonprofit organizations selected by the European Union to deliver global grant funding in relation to its Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. The results show that the main factor for determining organizational processes is the need to respond to conflicting pressures from two directions: upward to funding agencies and downward to community groups. This produces contradictory demands that are imported into the organizations as a set of internal tensions.The different structures and capabilities developed by the organizations to maintain unity and integrity in response to these tensions are explored and related to differences in the perceived role of the organizations.

Collaboration, Public-Private Intermediary Organizations, and the Transformation of Advocacy in the Field of Homeless Services

“…Attention to the role of intermediary organizations has been growing, along with their use (Benjamin, 2010; Bruton & Williamson, 2005; Shea, 2011). These intentionally collaborative organizations, which are often private but can be housed in the public sector, operate in many fields besides homeless services, including community development (Glickman & Servon, 1998), mental health (Provan & Milward, 2001), and education (Honig, 2004).…”

“…That said, their interstitial location also means that they can be held responsible for shaping or narrowing agendas, imperfectly communicating information, or otherwise serving one party’s interests over another (Benjamin, 2010; Shea, 2011). The sometimes contradictory demands placed on these organizations—upwards accountability to government and downwards accountability to providers—are particularly visible in the context of advocacy where values and goals may explicitly clash (Bruton & Williamson, 2005).…”

“…This may be particularly true when these governance processes or structures take the form of intermediary organizations, which Honig (2004, p. 66) defines as “organizations that operate between policy makers and policy implementers to enable changes in roles and practices for both parties.” 1 Intermediary organizations are generally not formed exclusively for the purpose of advocacy but rather to coordinate public and private systems of care in a geographic region or field of practice and their use is growing rapidly (Shea, 2011). These collaborative organizations intentionally include participants from both the public and private sectors and serve several different functions, including helping member organizations access funding, improve services, expand the reach of their programs, and engage in policy advocacy (Bruton & Williamson, 2005; Sandfort, 2011).…”

“…1 Intermediary organizations are generally not formed exclusively for the purpose of advocacy but rather to coordinate public and private systems of care in a geographic region or field of practice and their use is growing rapidly (Shea, 2011). These collaborative organizations intentionally include participants from both the public and private sectors and serve several different functions, including helping member organizations access funding, improve services, expand the reach of their programs, and engage in policy advocacy (Bruton & Williamson, 2005;Sandfort, 2011).…”

Putting the Peaces Back Together: The ‘Long’ Liberalising Peace in Northern Ireland, from O’Neill to PEACE

“…These programmes piloted various models of partnership: the initial 'district partnerships', which created direct links between local government and the EU, evolved into 'local social partnerships' involving members of local government and community groups in PEACE II (European Commission, 1999;Harvey, 2003). Other forms of partnership that appeared as a result of PEACE (Bruton & Williamson, 2005) included intermediary funding bodies (IFBs) such as the Community Foundation of Northern Ireland (CFNI) and the Northern Ireland Voluntary and Community Association (NICVA), which helped to distribute funding and advocate for community groups, respectively. Moreover, hundreds of local projects -most of which took the form of NGOs or structured committees -were formed with the help of PEACE funding to address particular objectives of governance and peace-building.…”