Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and citizen-authority engagement: applying developing world solutions to Europe

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) often play an important role in the developing world, often taking the place of governments in managing and implementing health related programmes and policies. Limited financial resources within local authorities also enable NGOs to provide supplementary support, working from a “grassroots” level to ensure local communities receive the necessary support e.g. healthy housing and access to social care. NGOs may also act as an intermediary body between a local community and the local government, providing a neutral platform in which to create and facilitate ‘citizen-authority’ engagement. This model is particularly pertinent due to the recent U.K. Health and Social Care Bill 2011.Rapid urbanisation and the present economic environment have provided additional challenges and obstacles in the way health policy is formed and implemented. Reduced budgets, especially in the most deprived areas, during this time of substantial reorganisation require the whole city economy to consider delivering “more for less”. Citizen engagement could help to create relevant and sustainable health related programmes and policies, including “localising” top down/upstream policy decisions.This paper will discuss the transferability of NGOs working in developing countries and what lessons can be learnt to create citizen engagement in European local government policy making.