Non-governmental actors are expected to play an increasing part in both the development and implementation of policy, often supported by state funding. While many welcome these opportunities, they also face a number of dilemmas if they are to maintain their autonomy, distinctiveness and legitimacy with respect to funding bodies, members and users. This project will explore how NGOs experience these dilemmas and the strategies they adopt to address them in three countries with contrasting histories of governance and non-governmental action - Bulgaria, Nicaragua and the UK. The research will be conducted in collaboration with partners at the New Bulgarian University in Sofia, Bulgaria and the University of Central America in Managua, Nicaragua. It will focus on four locality case studies, each set within their national context, to explore, together with participants from NGOs, the challenges they face and their strategies for working in these new spaces. The research methods will include interviews with a range of stakeholders, inquiry groups, a web-based knowledge exchange and an inter-site video conference. The research will also analyse quantitative material in the research sites and countries to contribute to country specific data bases of non-governmental action.

Semi-structured interviews and inquiry groups