ABSTRACT
The 1980s had been a golden era for what was then known as the 'non-governmentals'. It all came to a head in the second half of the 1990s, although the underlying roots have a far earlier origin. From relative obscurity, non-governmental organisations (NGO) became a centre of attention. The severe recession created by the globalisation adventure had the same effect on NGOs as it did on their main sparring partner, the corporate sector. Particularly dire was the situation of the Northern transnational agencies—or what were known as 'development non-governmentals' or 'private foreign aid agencies'. Meanwhile the agencies fell prey to a serious case of measurement neurosis. New and expensive forms of accounting were introduced just at the time the agencies were cutting and downsizing. Of the large agencies, TransFam adopted the most radical approach of all, a one-person one-vote system across their one million members.
