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ABSTRACT
The operational environment of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Brazil has undergone several changes since the 1990s that deepened in the last decade, especially for a group of organisations that are the focus of this study: CSOs working for the promotion and defence of rights (AHRCSOs – advocacy and human rights CSOs). This article examines these recent changes, detailing the main limitations and conditions imposed on AHRCSOs by analysing their organisational and cultural characteristics. The organisational field of AHRCSOs is fluid and dispersed, and several organisations perform different activities. The article traces the history of these organisations and the foundations that led them to build their shared identity project. It then discusses AHRCSOs’ organisational features and culture, in relation to the changes faced by the field and the challenges to be met. The closing remarks point to the need for changes in the culture and operations of these organisations in order to guarantee their sustainability of funding, as well as their capacity for social dialogue and intervention.
L’environnement opérationnel des organisations de la société civile (OSC) au Brésil a connu plusieurs changements depuis les années 1990, changements qui se sont intensifiés durant les dix dernières années, en particulier pour le groupe d’organisations sur lequel se penche cette étude : les OSC qui se consacrent à la promotion et à la défense des droits (OSC de plaidoyer et de défense des droits de l’homme — OSCPDDH). Cet article examine ces changements récents, présentant de manière détaillée les principales limites et conditions imposées aux OSCPDDH en analysant leurs caractéristiques organisationnelles et culturelles. Le terrain organisationnel des OSCPDDH est fluide et dispersé, et plusieurs organisations effectuent des activités différentes. Cet article retrace l’histoire de ces organisations et les fondations qui les ont amenées à bâtir leur projet commun d’identité. Il traite ensuite des caractéristiques organisationnelles et de la culture des OSCPDDH, par rapport aux changements auxquels est confronté le terrain et aux défis à relever. Les remarques finales indiquent la nécessité d’effectuer des changements au niveau de la culture et des opérations de ces organisations afin de garantir leur durabilité sur le plan du financement, ainsi que leur capacité de dialogue et d’intervention sociaux.
Desde 1990, el ambiente operativo de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil (osc) de Brasil ha experimentado diversas transformaciones que se profundizaron durante la última década, especialmente en el caso del grupo de organizaciones que constituye el centro del presente estudio: las osc que trabajan para promover y defender los derechos (oscidh, es decir, osc de incidencia y derechos humanos). En este sentido, a partir del análisis de las características organizacionales y culturales de éstas, el artículo examina los cambios recientes, detallando las principales limitaciones y las condiciones impuestas a las oscidh. Resulta evidente que el ámbito organizacional de las oscidh es cambiante y disperso, a lo cual se agrega el hecho de que varias organizaciones realizan distintas actividades. El artículo revisa la historia de estas organizaciones y los preceptos que les permitieron construir su proyecto de identidad compartida. Asimismo, considera los rasgos y la cultura organizacionales de las oscidh en relación con los cambios enfrentados en este ámbito y los retos que deberán afrontar. El último apartado señala la necesidad de impulsar cambios en la cultura y el aspecto operativo de estas organizaciones, en aras de asegurar su sostenibilidad financiera y su capacidad para el diálogo y la intervención sociales.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Patricia Mendonça is Professor of Public Policy and Management at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities – EACH – of the University of Sao Paulo – USP. She holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the Federal University of Bahia (2000), a MSc in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries from the London School of Economics (2003), and PhD in Public Administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas (2009). She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Essex (2010), studying social movements, political projects, and new ways of organising. Her research interests include civil society organisations and alternatives forms of organising, partnerships, and international development cooperation.
Mário Aquino Alves holds an undergraduate degree in Law (1996) from Universidade de São Paulo and an undergraduate degree in Public Administration (1991), Master’s (1996) and Doctor’s degree (2002) in Business Administration from FGV-EAESP. He was Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Voluntary Organisation at the London School of Economics, and Visiting Fellow at HEC Montréal. He is currently Associate Dean for the Graduate Program on Public Administration at Fundação Getulio Vargas-SP. He has experience in public administration and non-profit management, with research interests in civil society, public policies, qualitative research methods, and discourse and narrative analysis.
Fernando Nogueira is a lecturer at FGV-EAESP. He has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration (1998), a Master’s degree (2006) and a PhD (2014), both in Public Administration and Government, from FGV-EAESP. He was a visiting researcher at the New School in New York, USA. He currently teaches nonprofit management at FGV-EAESP. He was the Associate Editor of GVcasos, Brazil’s first academic journal exclusively devoted to teaching with cases. His areas of academic interest are the study and management of non-profits and membership-based associations, philanthropy and grant-making, public policy and management, and continuity and discontinuity in public policy.