Policy of NGOs on democratic governance case study of democratic governance facility (DGF) Uganda

Abstract

The absence of democratic governance is one of the key factors that affect the development processes of Africa. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) contribution to set proper policy on democratic governance is significant. The study is a case study on Democratic Governance Facilities (DGF) of Uganda. Democratic Governance Facilities (DGF) is an organization that works on policy and implementation of projects, which have direct, or indirect relationship to democratic governance activities in Uganda. In different way to ordinary NGOs, the organizational structure and the manpower of Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) is unique. By structure it looks like Inter Governmental Organization (IGO). However its activity and policy implementation explained it as NGO. DGF board of directors is Ambassadors of different European countries (including Norwegian Ambassador) and the representative of European Union to Uganda. This thesis elaborates the theoretical background of main pillars or principles of democratic governance plus promoting democracy. Based on these principles, NGOs` policies and contributions to an improvement of democratic governance are evaluated. Even though both governmental and non-governmental organizations have roles to set proper policy on democratic governance projects, there are some areas of policies that NGOs have disregarded. The North promotion of democracy to South through NGOs has a number of discrepancies. This thesis will go through on those policy discrepancies from the theory of promoting democracy and main principles of democratic governance point of view. Therefore the thesis indicates those disregarded areas of policies from the two theoretical background point of view and it proposes the possible ways of improvement.