The Role and Performance of Palestinian NGOs in Health, Education and Agriculture – World Bank report

Executive Summary

This study investigates the role and performance of Palestinian NGOs (PNGOs) as service providers in three sectors – health, education and agriculture. It provides systematic information on the work of PNGOs, identifies areas of strength and weakness and suggests how their contribution to service delivery and the socio-economic development process might be improved.

The work on this study was initiated in late 2004/early 2005, a time when Palestinians were facing a number of difficult challenges, including a faltering peace process and political instability, a deeply depressed economy, reduced levels of per capita income and great financial scarcity. Dependency on donor funding had also escalated making Palestinians the recipients of one of the highest levels of per-capita Official Development Assistance (ODA).  Nevertheless, the period was also characterized by a degree of hope associated with the Israel’s impending ‘disengagement’ from Gaza and parts of the West Bank (WB), and the prospect of enhanced levels of donor and private investor contributions to a process of economic reconstruction. In this context the Palestinian Authority (PA) was leading the consultative preparation of a Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP).