Operational research in non-governmental organisations: necessity or luxury?

visibility and credibility, better knowledge of the scientifi c literature among fi eld staff, facilitation of networking and partnerships and improvements in data collection, monitoring and feedback. What are the key elements to building OR within an NGO? Our experience has been described elsewhere;2,3 these include: establishing a ‘critical mass’ of dedicated human resources; developing an OR policy guideline (a road-map); defi ning a mechanism for generating programme-relevant research questions and integrating them into annual plans; establishing a research registry to avoid duplication of studies; and strong dissemination, including publishing in peer-reviewed journals.6 These aspects need to be accompanied by capacity building approaches that are practical and output based.7 Despite a plethora of over 37 000 NGOs globally involved with activities at various levels of society,4 the complimentary role OR can play in making their actions more effective is poorly understood and utilised. Implementing NGOs have a vital role to play in changing society for the better. Integrating OR into that vision will not only help to know objectively what is happening on the ground, it will also make them more effective advocates to demand improvements and accountability from policy makers and governments. Operational research is not a luxury; it should be an integral part of all NGOs’ programmes.