Between a Rock and a Hard Place examines Africa's NGO boom of the late 1990s. In spite of the high expectations placed on African NGOs during this period, these organizations remain poorly understood. Today, Africa's NGO boom has been followed by a bust—as the fickle development industry moves its money to other types of institutions. In spite of this funding bust, the explosion of NGOs in Africa during the 1990s transformed African societies and economies in fundamental ways. In the wake of Africa's NGO boom, it is imperative that these transformations be understood and placed in historical context. Such an understanding will help us to learn from the mistakes of this brief historical period—as well as to build on its opportunities. The case studies presented in the body of this work provide the missing details of this historical moment.

Through these case studies, this book examines two questions that are fundamental to development and governance in Africa—and around the world:

1. The nature of the relationship of NGOs to Civil Society; and
2. The effectiveness of NGOs at promoting economic development with equity.