Comments on: Why won’t programs work in Cambodia? http://lessonsilearned.org/2009/08/why-wont-stuff-work-in-cambodia/ NGOs, Voluntourism, Cambodia, and Life Lessons Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:18:00 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Daniela Papi http://lessonsilearned.org/2009/08/why-wont-stuff-work-in-cambodia/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Daniela Papi Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:13:06 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=110#comment-40 Yes, I very much agree and have written about that before. In this case, I am not even referring to repeating exact models, which unfortunately is too often the approach taken by many big NGOs. I am meaning the concept - the concept of working with communities who have come together to support their local education programs and are willing to put large efforts/funding behind it with additional support from NGOs. The overall concept is one which should work, though with different strategies for each area, in places that do indeed value and are looking to improve education and who are willing to work together to accomplish those goals. Due to the factors above including the NGO industry failure you listed (and many others), those types of successes are not as common in Cambodia. In some ways, we are trying to force a change which is not being demanded yet and in over NGO-ed areas, the demand has been replaced with a complacency to wait for an easier "free" option once a less-community-empowerment-focused NGO comes along. Yes, I very much agree and have written about that before. In this case, I am not even referring to repeating exact models, which unfortunately is too often the approach taken by many big NGOs. I am meaning the concept – the concept of working with communities who have come together to support their local education programs and are willing to put large efforts/funding behind it with additional support from NGOs. The overall concept is one which should work, though with different strategies for each area, in places that do indeed value and are looking to improve education and who are willing to work together to accomplish those goals. Due to the factors above including the NGO industry failure you listed (and many others), those types of successes are not as common in Cambodia. In some ways, we are trying to force a change which is not being demanded yet and in over NGO-ed areas, the demand has been replaced with a complacency to wait for an easier “free” option once a less-community-empowerment-focused NGO comes along.

]]> By: J. http://lessonsilearned.org/2009/08/why-wont-stuff-work-in-cambodia/comment-page-1/#comment-39 J. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:10:10 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=110#comment-39 I think you've left out the most fundmental point of all: simply that every context is different. Even the most basic interventions have to be implemented in nuanced ways depending on the local context. And some interventions that make perfect sense in one context (e.g. Nepal), flat won't work in another (e.g. Cambodia). I think you’ve left out the most fundmental point of all: simply that every context is different. Even the most basic interventions have to be implemented in nuanced ways depending on the local context. And some interventions that make perfect sense in one context (e.g. Nepal), flat won’t work in another (e.g. Cambodia).

]]> By: Daniela Papi http://lessonsilearned.org/2009/08/why-wont-stuff-work-in-cambodia/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Daniela Papi Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:09:30 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=110#comment-38 There are of course many other reasons why programs which have been piloted in multiple countries are sometimes less successful in Cambodia. A few more are: - Corruption - According to all of the major sources ranking countries about corruption, Cambodia is in the highest percentile re: corruption. The level of corruption an NGO in Cambodia must deal with depends on what the project is, the scope, how much materials and money are being brought in from the outside, and the government level with which the NGO works. - Too many OTHER NGOs setting a precedent of "giving" - with one of the highest NGOs per capita ratios in the world, limited regulation, and an excess of development money coming into the country, there are way too many NGOs giving things away, breeding dependencies, and creating a society fueled by hand-outs. I have put other thoughts about giving things away here (http://tinyurl.com/l27sju) and here (http://tinyurl.com/lhgasv). There are of course many other reasons why programs which have been piloted in multiple countries are sometimes less successful in Cambodia. A few more are:

- Corruption – According to all of the major sources ranking countries about corruption, Cambodia is in the highest percentile re: corruption. The level of corruption an NGO in Cambodia must deal with depends on what the project is, the scope, how much materials and money are being brought in from the outside, and the government level with which the NGO works.

- Too many OTHER NGOs setting a precedent of “giving” – with one of the highest NGOs per capita ratios in the world, limited regulation, and an excess of development money coming into the country, there are way too many NGOs giving things away, breeding dependencies, and creating a society fueled by hand-outs. I have put other thoughts about giving things away here (http://tinyurl.com/l27sju) and here (http://tinyurl.com/lhgasv).

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