In praise of the rights-based approach
There are countless NGOs in every country providing clothing, shelter, food, education, health care etc. to those who sorely need it. No doubt the work they do makes a huge difference the the millions who receive their aid. But when you really think about it, are these efforts just short term fixes, and possibly even a long term hindrance?
Surely these functions are those of the government? By providing these services, the government is being let off the hook. Many rights-based NGOs take this approach. Instead of getting their hands dirty and actually helping those they want to help, they bully the government through the courts and public opinion to do its job. Forcing the government to do its job, thereby gaining the capacity required to do the job properly ensures the problem is sorted out for the long term. My hypothesis is that the rights-based approach gets more value for each dollar spent, measured by any metric (except timing and kudos in the press).
NGOs that take this view are likely to have an interesting time raising money for their cause. Would a company be a significant donor to an fiesty-government-suing-NGO if it was expecting to win a government contract? Obviously not. The money would have to come from the outside.
