Intermediary organization

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The term intermediary organization (English: Quango or qango ; French: autorité administrative indépendante , AAI ) describes an association that operates independently as part of a government mandate and is partially or fully financed by government funds or by the government in some other way, for example by filling offices Behind or straw men, is controlled indirectly. In terms of its legal nature, an intermediary organization is to be classified as a non-governmental corporation that is not incorporated into the state administration. An intermediary organization is pursuing a government mandate.

task

An intermediary organization is often used for international cultural relations or European politics. She is pursuing a government mandate. The transition to foreign propaganda is fluid. The purpose of mediating these tasks can be the participation of civil society or the economy or the camouflage of a cultural-political infiltration of foreign countries while at the same time pretending to be politically independent. Intermediate organizations are a tool of public diplomacy . These are associations that can neither be clearly assigned to the state-public, nor to the private sector or civil society. They are a response to the smooth transition in political implementation between state and private organizations.

Concept history

The term intermediary organization has been known in Germany since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany. The European Movement Germany has been institutionally supported by the federal government since 1949 .

The English term quango has its origin mainly in the United Kingdom and Ireland and stands for 'quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization'. The official name in the UK is non-departmental public body or NDPB. The term 'quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization' was invented by Alan Pifer of the Carnegie Foundation in an essay on the independence and accountability of publicly funded organizations in the private sector. Anthony Barker, a British participant at a follow-up conference on the subject, shortened the term to 'quango'. In Germany the term intermediary organization is used, usually referring to the intermediary organizations of the Federal Foreign Office.

The term describes a formal non-governmental organization (NGO) that carries out government mandates and is usually co-financed by the government or supported in some other way. In contrast, actual NGOs fund their work from donations or other regular funding from the public or other organizations that support their cause. Numerous intermediary organizations have emerged since the 1980s.

A special feature in the original definition was that the intermediary organization should not be formally part of the state structures, i.e. not integrated into state institutions.

In the UK it has been expanded and applied to organizations providing health and education services. This spawned the related acronym qualgo , a 'quasi-autonomous local government organization'.

Intermediary organizations in the EU

Germany

Intermediate organizations emerged in the emerging participation of the population in political decisions after the end of cabinet politics . For example, the German Fleet Association, funded by the German government, or the Pan-German Association were very effective . In the 1930s, intermediary organizations were established within the framework of foreign cultural policy , such as B. founded the German-English Society or the German-French Society .

The term intermediary organization has been used in Germany for many years. Daily newspapers use the term and thus refer to the intermediary organizations of the Federal Foreign Office. The intermediary organizations of the Federal Foreign Office mediate between governing politics and international cultural work and European civil society . The agreed political goals are implemented by the intermediary organizations. The largest non-governmental intermediary organization is the Goethe-Institut . It is commissioned by the federal government to pursue cultural-political tasks abroad. However, it fulfills these tasks independently and on its own responsibility and is not a department of the Foreign Office or institutionally subordinate to it. However, there is a " target agreement " in the form of a contract. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the largest funding organization for international university cooperation, and the Institute for Foreign Relations are also intermediary organizations for foreign cultural and educational policy, but institutionally independent. In questions of European politics, the European Movement Germany is an intermediary organization. The legal form of all named organizations is the registered association . Another possible legal form is that of a non-profit foundation, such as the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation , which was set up by the Federal Republic of Germany to promote international research cooperation.

United Kingdom

In 2006 there were 1,162 quangos in the UK, which cost the taxpayer £ 64 billion. Since the coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats came into power in 2010, more than 80 of these government-sponsored organizations have been abolished. The motive was the reduction of the general government deficit. Nevertheless, there are still over 1000 intermediary organizations (Quangos).

Ireland

In Ireland there were more than 800 intermediary organizations in 2006, 482 nationally 350 at local level, with a total of 5,784 employees and a total budget of 13 billion euros.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.enzyklo.de/Begriff/Mittlereinrichtungen
  2. ↑ http://www.bpb.de/popup/popup_lemmata.html?guid=WGH363
  3. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/05/opinion/l-letter-on-quasi-public-organizations-whence-came-the-quango-and-why-969587.html?pagewanted=1 Letter: On Quasi-Public Organizations; Whence Came the Quango, and Why - New York Times Opinion page by Alan Pifer
  4. ↑ Wettenhall, R 1981 'The quango phenomenon', Current Affairs Bulletin 57 (10): 14-22.
  5. ↑ "You've Been Quangoed!" by Roland Watson
  6. ^ The Times "New body's waste plea." (April 18, 1986): NA. Newspapers Online. Gael. Gale Document Number: CJ117886677. Retrieved 5 Apr, 2008. "... London Waste Regulation Authority, the first 'qualgo' formed after abolition of the Greater London Council, ... The new body is a joint board of councilors from London boroughs. 'Qualgo' stands for 'quasi-autonomous local government organization ', the municipal equivalent of a quango, in which members are appointed by other councilors. "
  7. ↑ http://www.mydict.com/Wort/Mittlerorganisation/
  8. ↑ Scherz-Schade, Sven: Intermediate Organizations ( Memento of March 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), in: Kleines Lexikon KulturPolitics (PDF; 22 kB).
  9. ↑ Focus: THE UNSEEN GOVERNMENT OF THE UK ( Memento from July 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  10. ↑ One by one, the quangos are abolished. But at what cost? , N Morris, The Independent, July 27, accessed August 15, 2010
  11. ↑ According to a survey carried out by the think-tank Tasc in 2006. Focus: What's wrong with quangos?  - The Sunday Times newspaper article, 29 October 2006