Power in Sport-for-Development partnerships: an analysis of the relations and practices between two International Non-Governmental Organisations and their partners in Cameroon

Sport has been promoted globally as a legitimate means to help improve global health, education, development and peace. Despite such growth, a prominent criticism of the SfD sector is that SfD practices (as with international development more broadly) may be exacerbating unequal power relations between the 'Global North' and the 'Global South'. In particular, criticisms centre on the one-way exchange of tangible and intangible resources (e.g. money, people, equipment, ideologies) from donors in the 'Global North' to partners and programme recipients in the 'Global South'.
Drawing on a theoretical framework - guided by Giulianotti's (2011a) 'ideal type' SfD organisational models, Lukes (1974, 2005) radical view of power, Coleman's (1988, 1990) social capital theory, as well as broader concepts related to power - the purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth examination of the relationships and practices between two 'Global Northern' International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) and their local 'in country' partners with whom they deliver SfD programmes in Cameroon, Central-West Africa. Specifically the purpose of the study was to outline and critically examine the 'formal discourse' of two SfD INGOs with regard to their presence and intentions in Cameroon, and contrast the 'Global Northern' discourse with localised Cameroonian SfD practitioner perspectives to explore the issues, responses, conflicts and contradictions relating to the relationship with the INGO and its practitioners and also to examine any issues, responses, conflicts and contradictions regarding the day-to-day delivery of the INGO SfD programmes in Cameroon.
This study adopted a multifaceted qualitative methodology which included a comparative case study design, four months of ethnographic field work in Cameroon, Qualitative Document Analysis (QDA) of key INGO documents and over seventy interviews with INGO and Cameroonian SfD practitioners. The data helped draw crucial attention to questions about power relations within the SfD sector, notably 'how' and 'why' power distribution transpired within the case study partnerships. Findings of this thesis brought to the fore a range of contradictions between the stated intentions of the INGOs and their day-to-day practices following examination of the 'formal discourse' examined (e.g. INGO programme documents, INGO websites, and interviews with INGO staff). Findings - from a localised Cameroonian perspective also highlighted a range of challenges as well as benefits with regard to the relationship with the INGO and the delivery of the INGO programme. On one hand, findings showed that post-colonial residue is ubiquitous within the case study SfD partnerships - for example the cultural views and norms of Cameroonian SfD practitioners have been caused through post-colonial influences and agenda-setting tendencies of the INGOs. However, importantly, findings also revealed that Cameroonian SfD practitioners are not purely passive recipients of power, but showed awareness of post-colonial residue in Cameroon and responded proactively - albeit within the constraints of the partnership structure - to seek out strategies for personal and professional gain.