NPO Performance in Reproductive Health Sector of Low and Middle Income Countries: What is the Influence of the Wider Policy Context?

Abstract

Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) are increasingly being promoted as preferred providers to replace weak government services in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC) but results on ground show mixed performance. The variation in national policy contexts is one explanation for uneven NPO performance but has been under-explored in reproductive health literature. This paper collates gray and published literature providing an overview of how policy context impacts on NPO performance in reproductive health. Socio-political context, state policies and donor dependency indirectly influence NPO working by shaping operational space, autonomy, networking and mandate. These influences need to be recognized and modified so as to enable NPOs to better achieve their attributed characteristics of client responsive and quality services aimed at marginalized populations. Policy measures are needed to build better policy space and regulatory frameworks for NPOs, state-NPO collaboration forums, and greater reliance on internal funding.

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