Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy - IUCN

any non-governmental organization that is not-forprofit,
non-partisan, non-sectarian and is registered in
Pakistan under any of the existing laws.” Regardless
of formal registration under a law, it also includes
approved Government projects and programmes as
well as the community-based organizations established
under such projects.
8 . 4
S T R ATEGIES FOR GREATER NGO
PA RT I C I PATION IN SUSTA I N A B L E
D E V E L O P M E N T
8.4.1
N e t w o r k i n g
The absence of a body to represent NGOs in Pakistan
was strongly felt in 1994 when the Government proposed
NGO legislation that had many clauses detrimental
for the NGO sector. As a consequence,
NGOs throughout the country formed networks that
could become representative bodies. In the NWFP, an
NGO coalition called the Sarhad NGO Ittehad has
been formed and it has held several meetings on the
proposed NGO bill and on the recommendations arising
from the Beijing World Conference on Women.
Networking and communication are key to the
development of the NGO sector. Besides acting as a
strong unified body to represent the sector, networking
can:
■ provide a permanent forum for the exchange of
experiences, ideas, knowledge, and information;
■ promote solidarity, cooperation, collaboration,
and partnership among NGOs so that they
become effective pressure groups for peoplecentred
development;
■ serve as a liaison and voice to articulate the perspectives
and concerns of communities of the
NWFP at various national forums regarding developmental
issues;
■ set up a system of accountability for NGOs in
order to reduce malpractices and create greater
transparency; and
■ avoid duplication of efforts, and share resources
with each other.
8.4.2
N O N - G O V E R N M E N T A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S 8
Capacity Building
Lack of capacity both in technical and management
aspects is emerging as one of the main weaknesses of
NGOs, due to their recent introduction to the development
scene and their rapid growth. Many NGOs are
formed by volunteers, but their survival is usually at
stake because of lack of direction and proper knowledge
about organizational management and the skills
needed to set up clear and achievable programmes.
NGOs, generally, also believe that the lack of capacity
is a major hindrance in their effective functioning.
Several NGOs and development projects and programmes
work through CBOs and VOs, which helps
build the capacity of these organizations.
In addition to organizations currently active in
capacity building, such as Strengthening
Participatory Organization (SPO) and IUCN
Pakistan, another forum is the Frontier Resource
Centre (FRC). This is still in its inception stage and
has been set up to work towards the strengthening
and capacity building of NGOs and CBOs. The
need for such an institution in the NWFP has existed
since December 1994. FRC began with the support
and assistance of more than a dozen NGOs such as
Sarhad Rural Support Corporation, Sungi, Pakistan
Community Development Programme, SPO, Human
Resource Management and Development Centre,
Khwendo Kor, and IUCN, with guidance from the
NGO Resource Centre in Karachi. The objectives of
FRC include:
■ enhancing the managerial and technical effectiveness
of NGOs;
■ providing assistance and advice in proposal
development;
■ providing training in raising funds and developing
fund-raising strategies;
■ assisting with organizational development and
review; and
■ providing support in financial management,
accounting, and general administration.
It will also provide facilities and support services to
new NGOs in the early stages of their development.
The demand for capacity building for NGOs is
increasing, so efforts towards that end need to be
SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY 85