In Spring 2016, a team of students from Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, with faculty member Silva Hamie, sought to answer the question:
To what extent are NGOs in Jordan instrumental in responding to the Syrian refugee crisis?
The Syrian refugee crisis has spurred donors from around the world to provide support to the government of Jordan through non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Some of these entities lend aid in the form of expertise, while others contribute funding.
This ConDev-funded capstone project addresses the NGOs’ response to the refugee crisis in Jordan amid criticism that the humanitarian response has been poor and uncoordinated (Guterres, 2015). In particular, this study will examine:
- How main NGOs have been responding to the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan,
- Whether their areas of operations and activities affect their performance,
- How these NGOs prepare their staff (using formal and informal training, skill development, and previous experiences with aiding refugees and/or delivering similar programs) to respond to refugee needs, and
- To examine the quality of the programs offered by these organizations.
The findings of this study will provide standards for training and learning practices as well as additional recommendations specific to NGOs.
Through this Capstone course, students applied their knowledge to produce the following policy brief and publication.
Policy Brief:
Carlos F., Jaloway, K., Jones, A., Mason, M., Shtepani, C., Shuler, M., Spiva, R., Ward, J., with Drs. Silva Hamie and Leslie Ruyle. (2016). “NGOs in Jordan and the Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis.” Policy Brief. Bush School Capstone. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TGZX.pdf
Publication:
Carlos F., Jaloway, K., Jones, A., Mason, M., Shtepani, C., Shuler, M., Spiva, R., Ward, J., with Drs. Silva Hamie and Leslie Ruyle. (2016). “Do NGOs Deliver? The Role of NGOs in Responding to the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan.” Final Report. Bush School Capstone. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TGZR.pdf