Governance - CONGAD - Consortium
At the heart of a necessary humanitarian transition in Senegal, the desire for empowerment has been the guiding principle behind the governance of civil society organizations. A founding principle of the first NGO consortium in Senegal, it has historically been called into question.
The implementation of governance tools, and more specifically of “good governance” standards, appears to be a permanent source of legitimization and a means of recognition for NGOs. However, their low level of appropriation and the logic of survival have ended up undermining any willingness, possibility or capacity of NGOs to be autonomous themselves and to accompany grassroots populations in this quest.
Against a backdrop of growing public aspirations to take charge of the country’s affairs, this study examines the practices and perceptions of governance within Senegal’s humanitarian fabric, which is in the midst of transition. The field of study is CONGAD (Conseil des organisations d’aide au développement), a council of NGOs created in 1982 and comprising 178 national, foreign and international NGOs.