Service provision by international non-governmental organizations in areas of limited statehood. An examination INGOs’ impact on sustainability in education provision in the Kingdom of Cambodia

Abstract

This thesis illuminates the diversity of INGOs’ behaviour as service providers. The study captures how different types of behaviour, working modes, impact the production of sustainability. The author outlines in this thesis how different behavioural approaches interact with the three identified dimensions of sustainability in the field of education provision. Further, the research was set in an area of limited statehood (ALS) as these are characterized by the lack of governmental oversight and regulation, which amplifies the need to understand how public services are being provided to beneficiaries; this thesis is set in the Kingdom of Cambodia’s education sector. In order to achieve this insight into INGOs as service providers in an ALS, qualitative methods were applied, and interview-based research was conducted. The researcher interviewed 18 individuals associated with 10 organizations during her fieldwork in Cambodia. Through the Dora Plus short-term mobility stipend, granted by the Archimedes Foundation and the European Union Regional Development Fund, the researcher was able to travel to Cambodia to conduct fieldwork. Through fieldwork, the researcher was able to gain knowledge of the context in with the education provision is taking place and is therefore able to produce case-specific results. The results are not only defined through highlighting the working modes’ effect on sustainability production, but through the creation of a nuanced understanding of INGOs’ behaviour. This research project was able to underline the differences in INGOs’ behaviour and outline why these differences matter to the service provision.