A Beethamite framework for NGOs DSA Annual Conference 3 November 2012 Erla Thrandardottir 1

The questions Literature dilemma? National-international gap? Beethamite framework? 2

Various approaches to NGO legitimacy market model – services, performance, accountability, credibility – Problem: excl. advocacy and political side of NGOs social change model – association, bottom-up, accountability, democracy – Problem: overlooks darker side of NGOs new institutional model – norms, NGOs as legitimacy gap fillers for IGOs – Problem: NGOs often not unit of analysis critical (development) model – empowerment, donors agendas, politics – Problem: over-reliant on neoliberal agenda for context? 3

Beethams criteria operationalised for NGOs 1.Legitimacy as derived from rules – How do NGOs claim legal validity? (internal/external) 2.Legitimacy as justifiability of rules – What are the internal legitimation processes of NGOs? – Authoritative sources & Justifiable content 3.Legitimacy through expressed consent – In what capacity do NGOs present their legitimacy claims? – What is the (moral) authority of NGOs legitimacy claims? 4

Applying Beetham's legitimacy criteria to NGOs NGOs power to – Target audience: external (politicians, corporations, general public, global institutions, beneficiaries) NGOs power over – Target audience: internal (members, staff, supporters, and to some extent beneficiaries) 5

Case studies Amnesty International: Membership NGO Cafod: Faith-based NGO Greenpeace: Environmental NGO 6

Conclusion Look at the normative structure of power and how it is socially constructed Misleading to separate discussions on national and international units of NGOs International legitimacy of NGOs rather than legitimacy of International NGOs 7

Thank you for your kind attention 8