ABSTRACT
As with most sectors, the voluntary sector covering nongovernmental agencies is not uniform. However what makes it even more ambiguous is the disparity of organisations covered by this sector and how they might de®ne themselves. The nature of this particular sector is even more dif®cult to describe because it is extremely fragmented and continuously and rapidly changing. What is more, there is little if any agreement on the role of this sector, which is also continually changing. Although, there is no set de®nition for what exactly the sector is, grouping the diversity of organisations into a sector acts as a useful reference point from which to analyse the numerous organisations and projects that exist.
