Networking

The NGO Development Center aims to ensure sufficient and suitable resources for the NGO sector in order to cultivate best practices, enhance the performance of the sector, and increase the impact NGOs have – leading to sustainability of the sector as a whole. This is done through a series of interventions including the provision of up-to-date information pertinent to the NGO sector, development and adoption of principles of the updated Code of Conduct by NGOs, and effective partnerships between NDC and the representative NGO umbrella networks and unions.

We ensure learning from our programmes and projects, with periodic research and studies that ensure continuous development and adoption of best practices, all of which is updated periodically on NDC’s Masader (Arabic for ‘Resources’) portal. The Palestinian NGO Portal Masader, which is a one-stop-shop for all NGO related information, empowers the Palestinian NGO community by providing a focal point for sharing information, overcoming geographical constraints, providing up-to-date data on the sector, including funding opportunities, as well as acting as a networking platform. The Masader portal is NDC’s main mechanism in stimulating the adoption of best practices in the sector. The portal crucially provides an open and liberal platform for dialogue around the NGO sector in Palestine.

Through NDC’s convening ability, it was able to bring together various Palestinian NGO networks to launch the NGO Code of Conduct in 2008 together with the four NGO umbrella networks and unions. It is a pioneering self-regulating initiative that aspires to voluntarily commit NGOs to the Code of Conduct principles based on transparency, accountability and good governance. The Code of Conduct introduced ethical principles for NGOs to follow, and introduced sound administrative and managerial systems, procedures and tools, coupled with NDC’s technical assistance and coaching of NGOs in the West Bank and Gaza. By early 2024, 620 NGOs signed up, and over 130 received coaching and technical assistance through what is the first self-regulating initiative in the Arab world.

The Palestinian NGO Portal-Masader

The Palestinian NGO Portal-Masader is an electronic gateway specialized in serving and empowering the NGO sector. Through Masader, each NGO is able to publish and exchange its achievements (e.g. projects, programs, studies, researches, annual reports). Therefore, the portal provides a wealth of information and a substantial database on Palestinian NGOs. In addition, it provides an open and liberal platform for dialogue on
NGO sector in Palestine