Understanding the Effectiveness of NGOs in the Environmental Sustainable Development of the Central Province in Iran by Survey Research

Given the shift in biological challenges model in the central province in Iran during the last three decades and the priority of environmental crisis management, utilizing NGOs potential as a non-expensive and universal approach has become a necessity. The present research, based on this fact, aimed at semantical reconstruction of the effectiveness of NGOs in environmental sustainable development of the central province in Iran and its results by survey research.

Statistical population includes all active environmental NGOs in the central province with 30 of which semi-structured interviews were carried out. Systematic Struss and Corbin method was used to analyze data.

From data coding, 114 primary codes, 28 subcategories and 11 major categories were extracted and provided in a survey-paradigm model including causal, intervening, background conditions, approaches and results. Causal conditions including structural factors and agency factors; background conditions including unpleasant lived experiences in NGOs and environmental protection network; and, intervening conditions including knowledge and technological management, training and experience exchange were classified. Activists in environmental NGOs try to influence environmental sustainable development through organizational strategies and interactions with the government.

The results showed that organizational strategies in the form of innovation, encouraging green economy activities and symbolic activities and strategies for interaction with government including desecuritizing the activities of NGOs, intervening in decision-making governmental institutions, seeking support from governmental and public institutions help environmental NGOs in achieving their objectives in environmental sustainable development.