Power Games - politics and donors, International Non-Government Organisations and states in international development in Cambodia 1991-2006

THESIS ABSTRACT This thesis investigates the impact of the interactions between states, donors and INGOs on outcomes in international development. States, donors and INGOs form the central framework of international development in what is essentially a closed system. The interactions between them are crucial to the effectiveness of this system in improving the well-being of the up to three billion people in developing countries who are its intended beneficiaries. Research which sees international development as an economic, technocratic and universalistic process has strongly shaped understanding of these interactions. Ongoing questioning of the success of the development project has given rise to a literature arguing that understanding the political dimensions of the development process is necessary for successful outcomes. However, there is little field evidence of the goals, strategies, motivations and capabilities that shape states, donors and INGO’s interactions in particular situations. The focus of this research is on the interactions between states, INGOs and donors in the disability sector of Cambodia between 1990 and 2006. It analyses data collected through semi-structured interviews, primary documents and secondary sources, using the establishment of the Disability Action Council, a semi-autonomous body set up in response to issues in disability service provision, as a key event. The fieldwork was designed to collect information on the goals, capabilities, motivations and strategies of donors, states and INGOs in the sector. The data was then analysed to establish how these factors shaped interactions between the three groups of actors and what the effects of these interactions were on development outcomes in the disability sector. The research demonstrated that interactions of the state, donor and INGOs in the disability sector contributed to dysfunctional development outcomes, which failed to meet the needs of people with a disability in Cambodia. Of the actors involved, the state was the most successful in achieving its goals. The research argues that a major factor in these outcomes was the failure of donors and INGOs to understand the political dimensions of development and to operate effectively within them. These findings are consistent with calls in the literature to strengthen research on development as a political process and for INGOs and donors to recognise the need to engage with the political sphere and develop the knowledge, theory and skills to do so effectively.