Human rights-based approaches (RBA) have become an important factor in international development policy, endorsed and adopted by leading non-governmental organizations working in development (development NGOs), bilateral development agencies, and UN agencies such as UNICEF, UNDP, and WHO. This research assesses the significance of the RBA trend by examining the reasons for RBA adoption, NGOs interpretation of the RBA, organizational changes after adoption, and implementation.The RBA is a conceptual framework with potentially radical and powerful implications for development practice. But this radical concept is found to lose much of its power as the new paradigm is transformed in practice through the interpretation of the RBA, organizational changes, and implementation.The full potential of RBA is diminished because NGOs interpret the RBA in ways that fit their organizational backgrounds and expertise. Three variants of the RBA are identified: popular, equity, and classical, emphasizing grassroots organizing, global advocacy, and international human rights standards, respectively. Organizational dynamics further limit the RBAs impact, as NGOs adopting the RBA have tended to manage change by modifying existing methods, rather than organizational transformation. Finally, the RBA is compromised in implementation at the country level. NGOs are found to have difficulty implementing strategies that change power relations, strengthen accountability, promote non-discrimination, and strengthen partnerships among NGOs. Six factors are found to affect the likelihood that an NGO will adopt a RBA: the percentage of annual revenue from governments, the number of NGO members in an international federation or family, the NGOs host country, the NGOs association with other organizations, its working methods, and the issue areas in which it works. Leadership also plays important roles in adoption.The study is based on statistical analysis of the factors affecting RBA adoption in the thirty largest international development NGOs; analysis of NGOs interpretation of the RBA and organizational change in three cases, ActionAid UK, Oxfam GB, and Save the Children Sweden; and a case study of implementation by the same three NGOs in Vietnam.
