Evolving Global Structures and the Challenges Facing International Relief and Development Organizations

Abstract

Most current executives of the largest international relief and development organizations (NGOs) expect their organizations to move toward more global governance structures that incorporate fully vested partners from the north and south. This article seeks to pre- sent the potential opportunities and challenges of transition to a global governance structure. As NGOs have adapted their governance structures to the pressures of globalization, two variations of the international federation structure have emerged: the donor-member-dominated federation and the global bumblebee federation. The governance histories of World Vision International and Habitat for Humanity International reveal how these two structures may evolve. NGOs considering transition to a global governance structure can expect to deal with management issues such as role conflicts, staff skills, and maintenance costs. Global structures provide the framework within which NGOs can engage multiple stakeholders, but global structures must be accompanied by complementary management systems to fully use their strengths and avoid their weaknesses.