Regulation, Evaluation, and Certification of NGOs in the P.R. China

Abstract

This paper looks at the regulation and evaluation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the People’s Republic (P.R.) of China as a means to build trust with the public, the government and the corporate sector. It puts special emphasis on the analysis of NGO certification systems in different countries and regions, with reference to the principles and good practices laid out by the International Committee on Fundraising Organizations (ICFO). NGO self-regulation accompanied by third-party evaluation and monitoring is a trend increasingly embraced in both developed and developing countries. Taking into account the situation in mainland China, it seems that having the government taking the lead in steering and providing initial support to such a certification scheme is unavoidable. In the P.R. China, the likely scenario for the NGO sector is that state authorities will take the lead in designing NGO evaluation and certification systems. However, the relevant authorities seem inclined to engage in a process of consultation and draw on academic expertise and international experience.