Publisher's Synopsis
The book is addressed broadly to those concerned with development and specifically to institutional economists concerned with collective action issues and the role of NGOs in fostering development and collective action. The book breaks new ground in several ways. First, in developing a conceptual framework within which to view the role of governments, markets and NGOs in a comparative economic context. Second, by systematically providing empirical evidence to highlight various points identified in the conceptual framework. These include showing that rural communities have considerable raw potential for collective action but that this is not realized due to the lack of a catalyst; in showing that while collective action can spontaneously arise, that this is often not the case and that development NGOs can often play a critical and cost-effective role in mobilizing communities to engage in collective action; in showing that successful social mobilization has to do with the approach development NGOs have to communities and that working through entrenched rural leadership undermines project success and collective action; in showing that there are considerable opportunities for collaboration between development NGOs and government line departments.
