Managing human resources in International NGOs

The “associational revolution” and the ongoing proliferation of nonprofits translates to increasing numbers of individuals working within the third sector across the globe (Salamon, 1994). International aid is a multi-sited, multi-level phenomenon that cannot be fully understood based on how it appears in any one location or particular level (Gould, 2004). The “aid industry” includes both longterm international development work that attempts to address structural inequalities like poverty, corruption, or environmental degradation, as well as shorter-term humanitarian relief work that serves communities in need following natural or civil disasters (Hancock, 1989; Van Rooy, 1998). The industry exists largely in lower-income contexts, and is comprised of individuals from a wide range of occupations (e.g. education, agriculture, health). Aid is carried out through nonprofit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that range in size from small community-based organizations (CBOs) to multi-national international NGOs (INGOs), both secular and faith-based, as well as multilateral and government agencies (e.g. United States Agency for International Development [USAID], the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development [DFID]) and for-profit companies (e.g. Chemonics, Development Alternatives Incorporated).