French NGOs in the global era: a distinctive role in international development

Northern non-governmental organisations are widely assumed to be getting 'too close for comfort' to their own states. Yet how true is this assumption in the case of French NGOs active in overseas development work? Have they struck up a new rapport with France's highly centralised state? Have they professionalised and taken on a service delivery role on behalf of their own government? These questions are central to this book, which is the first to explore systematically the changing priorities, procedures and practices of French NGOs. Drawing on extensive interviews, this much-needed survey uses Resource Dependence theory and a case study of NGO field-work in Cameroon to shed new light on the behaviour of these increasingly important actors. With its strong comparative dimension, its helpful annexes and its blending of theory and practice, this carefully researched book will be essential reading for specialists in, and students of, politics, sociology, French and development studies