A postcolonial study of a non-governmental service delivery organization in Uganda

Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played an integral role in international development efforts for decades. However, they are often indiscriminately presented in both academic writings and professional reports as passive players functioning within a power-based system. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is among the many manuscripts to perpetuate that stereotype. The implications this stereotype has on how development is practiced on the ground is cause to challenge its accuracy. This study uses a postcolonial approach to present moments when a service delivery NGO both challenges and adheres to the common stereotype associated with its role in development and its capacity to achieve and drive its own development objectives. This research also utilizes organization theory to establish the NGO as a relevant and acceptable site of knowledge production, and uses the UNCRC as a frame of reference to explore the realities a service delivery NGO experiences while operating in an international development environment.