Changing roles of non-governmental organisations in education in Malawi

Sections 1 and 2 outline the history and current education activities of NGOs in Malawi, while section 3 examines the relationships between NGOs and government, covering both past and current levels of interaction and potential areas of conflict. Sections 4 and 5 examine the impact of NGOs on educational policy change, community empowerment, and civil society. Section 6 examines the relationship between NGOs and donors. Section 7 synthesizes key lessons learned: (1) The regulation of NGOs is weak. There is need for the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST) to regulate NGO operations without curbing their creativity in areas where government has limited capacity. MoEST should also monitor and supervise NGO activities to ensure coherence and harmony in the sector. (2) The superficial interaction between NGOs and MoEST eliminates opportunities for a much needed scaling-up of programs. (4) MoEST should accept the various roles NGOs can play (service provision, policy advocacy) even when these do not fall within policy frameworks. (5) NGOs should involve MoEST in their innovations in order to increase the prospects for national replication. (6) NGOs have not influenced government policy because their projects are small and have not been sustained after donor pullout. (7) Lack of credibility and transparency hampers the funding of NGO activities. The new NGO law requiring financial accountability will go a long way in restoring the confidence needed. (9) Education NGOs must network better to increase the policy impact of advocacy efforts.