Working Effectively with International Organizations

Tips

Tools

79. Although it appears complicated when starting out, there are really only a couple of key variations on how NGOs are contracted and remunerated by international organizations (IOs). Most common is just payment for your negotiated fees plus actual costs. Fees can be stated as lump sum, fixed or at unit rates applied to multipliers, usually of time, but maybe outputs produced.

Asian Development Bank^*
Establishment of a new ADB Accountability Mechanism

Inter-American Development Bank’s Independent Investigation Mechanism Portal^*

Civil Society Information Sources^*
ADB’s collection of links to civil society activity information across the Asia-Pacific region organized by country

World Bank Group Inspection Panel^*
International Bank of Reconstruction and Development & International Development Association

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations^*
Literature review and annotated bibliography on Monitoring & Evaluating Participation in Agriculture and Rural Development Projects

IFC/MIGA’s Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman^*
International Finance Corporation & Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

United Nations Global Compact Network^*
World’s largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative

International Finance Corporation (of World Bank Group)^*
Doing Better Business through Effective Public Consultation: A Good Practice Manual

CONGO—Representation before UN bodies^*
An independent, umbrella conference for supporting and coordinating civil society approaches to the UN system

Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project Website (Lao PDR)^*
International and local NGOs help Ios to openly assess potential environmental and social impacts of this high-profile dam project in Lao PDR

80. Another method could be a retainer on a standing basis to provide things at preagreed rates (i.e. period contract arrangements.)

81. Usually the legal format will be that of an independent contractor or supplier of services to the commissioning IO. Often the staff of an independent contractor will not be covered by the insurance of the IO and so separate arrangements will need to be made for them by the contracting NGO.

82. Watch for announcements by the IOs in your field of their public hearings and apply to participate. Sometimes you will be allowed in, even if on an observer basis (usually you can ask questions). Later as you gain their trust you may be invited to formally offer comments.

83. Human rights NGOs, local community or watchdog activists interested in indigenous people should realize the surprisingly effective public relations potential of filing complaints or critical reports before various United Nations commissions.

84. As your NGO gains greater acceptance and credibility with the target IO, opportunities to formally provide speeches or training courses for IO officials or their clients at conferences may arise (often these come with honoraria or participation costs). A good way to get known to an IO could be for the NGO to apply to some of the various awards and recognition contests held by the IO community.

85. An independent NGO might also be appointed by an IO or government executing agency to monitor the implementation of a development program or convention, for example to report on how successful the consultation and participation with affected people on that project has been.

86. Other contractual opportunities well suited to NGOs might be the provision of community facilitation and empowerment services for a project (e.g., helping to identify community leaders to take part in a consultation process with the government or IO proposing the project).

87. Don’t forget the effectiveness of the old-fashioned approach of just writing to the resident office of an IO or right person at HQ to request information. Sometimes they will supply it willingly and you can receive it without having to go through formal channels.

88. Complaint filers can be (according to ADB’s rules) “any group of two or more people (such as an organization, association, society or other group of individuals)” or “a local or nonlocal representative of the affected group.”

89. Filers can submit their documents in a local language if they are unable to provide an English translation.

90. Names will be kept confidential if requested; however, anonymous complaints are usually not accepted.

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The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute nor the Asian Development Bank. Names of countries or economies mentioned are chosen by the author/s, in the exercise of his/her/their academic freedom, and the Institute is in no way responsible for such usage.