The governance of civil society organizations in the context of Lebanon -

Abstract

With the booming of civil society organizations in Lebanon, exploring the governance of such institutions has become essential. However, as a factor limiting these changes, those organizations still go by an archaic law, dating from the Ottoman Empire, which does not carry a section on the internal governance of such institutions, and thus limiting their accountability, transparency and the follow-up of their activities and processes. For the purpose of identifying the components which could constitute an ideal model or theory for Lebanese CSOs, on which this study is based, a review of the history, definitions and theories-models was performed. Then, multiple methods were used, ranging from secondary data gathering to primary research methods to secondary research tools. The secondary research methods involved extracting all the information from previous research around governance within CSOs in different contexts, which constituted the bulk of the literature review. It revolved around the history, multiple definitions, models, and theories related to governance. This data was used to identify the roots of the concept, its constituents, and its meaning. Furthermore, the data was used to build and structure the primary research methods (interviews and surveys) which involved questions regarding the components of governance, the relationship between governance actors, the structure of the governing entity… etc. The interview and survey were conducted with high level officials (board members and-or directors) at multiple CSOs in Lebanon concerning their perception of internal governance within their respective organizations. A total of 74 surveys and 23 interviews were conducted. This information was used to identify the gap constituting the missing components of governance within Lebanese CSOs and the perception and understanding of the concept of governance by actors involved in it. Ultimately, such a gap will help determine what is missing and what is there within Lebanese CSOs to build the ideal model