Risk Factors for Capture in NGO-Multinational Partnerships: A Study of Lusaka

Abstract

NGOs and MNCs go into partnership for strategic benefits, fiscal resources for the NGO, and legitimacy and sustainability for the corporations. With the high proliferation of NGOs, there was increased competition for funding and consequently partnerships. However, despite the mutual benefits, NGOs remain at risk of capture posed by the partnership due to the need for financial resources. Therefore, a survey was conducted to determine what observable evidence put an NGO at risk of organizational capture by an MNC in Lusaka.
The survey was conducted on NGOs in Lusaka, owing to 64% of NGOs being based in Lusaka. Interviews were conducted with NGOs that were purposefully selected as those that were in partnership with MNCs in Lusaka. Despite over 1,500 NGOs being registered in Zambia, there was little data on which ones were in partnership with an MNC or what industry sector they operated in, based on the electronic data that was available to the public for the research. Interviews were conducted using structured interview guides and electronic one-on-one interviews. Data was collected using NVivo data analysis software and analysed using thematic analysis. The data analyzed showed that NGOs were at risk of financial capture owing to weak governance structures and a lack of sustainable partnerships.
The partnerships needed strategic sustainability practices to strengthen the partnership. There was a need for the government to institute policies and regulations that protect NGOs and monitor for capture.