F1HH 5095 - NGO & Management

“NGO & Management” is a three-fold dimension module. First, the module offers a first mapping of the NGOs field, pointing the different challenges these ‘atypical’ organizations are facing. Independently from their thematic arena (emergency, advocacy, environmental, etc.), the module intends to offer grids to illuminate how NGO position themselves in the arena of the nonprofit organization sector. Specifically, this course intends to highlight the different characteristic of NGO business models, in term of types of resources mobilized, and expenditures. Second, this module is an opportunity to itemize and reflect on how these NGOs manage micro-phenomenon such as governance, accountability, or professionalization. Finally, this course will be an opportunity for students to apprehend how NGO are facing the global stakes of the international aid sector, such as the urge to decolonize practices and start a real ecological transition. In addition, the module grants access to external NGOs practitioners with whom students will exchange during classroom.

Learning Outcomes:

• Map the NGO’s field, both in western countries and internationally, and identify NGO types, understand the different typologies of NGO, and reflect on their suitability and sustainability.
• Apprehend their business models by analyzing changes in resources and expenditure, both financial and human, and their governance arrangements.
• Understand phenomenon such as professionalization, accountability and how they may impact NGO’s missions.
• Acknowledge the specific challenges faced by these organizations, particularly in terms of the transformation and decolonization of the global architecture of international aid.
• Understand how NGOs reconcile ecological transition and humanitarian imperatives .

Professional Skills (please list some of the professional skills that students will develop in this course.

• Draft accurate questions related to performance measurements, governance, network, funding, discourse, rhetoric, and strategies of these NGOs.
• Raise and make intelligible the significant challenges that the NGO is facing / might face.
• Present the findings of their work in front of a jury, by showing their good understanding of the NGO as well as “taking some distance” to the case study.

The course assumes prior reading and an active interest in news affecting NGOs and more broadly, actors of the international aid sector.

Courses will be split into different sessions:

• Academic readings.
• Theoretical with presentation of a few critical concepts.
• Practical examples to illustrate concepts and launch discussions.
• students research shared with other.
• Real case-studies where the students will have the opportunity to prepare and interact with the CEO of a NGO, based on the readings of secondary sources including NGO Annual report.

Students receive feedback on their presentations and their investment in class, which will be evaluated according to several criteria, shared during the first course, including:

• Their capacity to disclose their understanding of the specific issues of the INGO, the challenges the organization is facing and the suggestions they may think of to solve these challenges.
• Their understanding and “reflexive /critical” stance of the material collected to answer the case study.

Students will prepare each class individually or in teams. Material will be available on Moodle. Can be readings, videos, pre-registered capsules.

In teams, student will work on a defined case study applied to the topic of each class.

They will be evaluated on 3 elements:

• 10%: class open participation and individual contributions during classes (knowledge management presentations, volunteering on individual cases presentation).
• 40%: teamwork presentation (5 students/group) based on a case study, designed to make participant think about the strategic approach on NGO business models and stakes.
• 50%: a written individual assignment at the end of the course.

• In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 60 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 30 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 30 hours a semester
• Other: present a case or a knowledge management in Class – at least one per semester – 4 hours a semester