Atlas: Nonprofit Organizations in Regional and Civil Society Development: estonian case and results of studies by Helmut Hallemaa

Atlas home || Conferences | Abstracts | about Atlas

ISTR Sixth International Conference
Toronto, Canada / July 11-14, 2004
Contesting Citizenship and Civil Society in a Divided World

	Conference Homepage
	Abstracts

Nonprofit Organizations in Regional and Civil Society Development: estonian case and results of studies
by
Helmut Hallemaa
Riia 55 - 48 Viljandi ESTONIA 71020

Nonprofit Organizations in Regional and Civil Society Development: Estonian case and results of studies Helmut Hallemaa This paper characterizes the development of Civil Society (CS), nonprofit sector (NPS), nonprofit organizations (NPO), nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and civil society organizations (CSO), but first and foremost role, possibilities and scope of NPO-s and NGO-s in regional development (RD) and community development or local development (CD) of Estonia. The Republic of Estonia is a small once-independent country in the North-East Europe, joining NATO in 2004 and EU on 1st of May 2004. Process of rebuilding and developing of economy, institutional structure and society and building up CS in Estonia has run a bit more than ten years. We describe and characterize the development and sustainability of CS and CSO or NPO by the use of traditional SWOT – analyses method, well-known in strategic development planning.

Table 1 Development and dynamics of nonprofit sector in Estonia, 1998 – 2003: nonprofit organizations* (NPO) – nonprofit associations (A), foundations (F) and churches and religious organizations (C & R) – registered in official state registers (Hallemaa, 2003) ============================================================== Date A F C & R NPO Number % Number % Number % TOTAL ______________________________________________________________ 01.01.1998 7 037 91,84 65 0,85 560 7,31 7 662 01.01.1999 12 342 94,72 122 0,94 566 4,34 13 030 01.01.2000 12 401 93,36 306 2,30 576 4,34 13 283 01.01.2001 13 666 93,51 372 2,55 576 3,94 14 614 01.01.2002 15 886 94,00 436 2,58 578 3,42 16 900 01.01.2003 17 893 94,11 505 2,66 615 3,23 19 013 * Today is out of statistics of NPO very numerous number of informal societies ______________________________________________________________ We have fixed earlier, that there are some several understandings and conceptions, what is, what contains and how wide is CS scope: 1) CS as an area of close and direct equivalent co-operation between public, business and NPS; 2) CS as third sector; 3) CS as all the society with transformed society, co-operation principles and governance. The Estonian NGO- s, NPO- s and CSO- s prepared in the end of 1990’ s Approval of the Estonian Civil Society Development Concept (EKAK; 2001). The EKAK has adopted by the 1st General Assembly of Roundtable of Estonian NPO-s in the beginning of 2001 and handed over to the Parliament of Estonia in May 2001. Estonian parliament Riigikogu adopted it as state document and long-term instruction on 12 of December 2002 (Estonian …, 2002). But in processing of the EKAK in parliament in close cooperation with NPS and authorities there was made some compromises, which deformed description and understanding of scope and content of Estonian CS. In Approval of the EKAK (2001), the CS of Estonia has described as all the society. But in real, adopted concept EKAK (2002), the content of CS fixed as third sector.

Regional differences in development levels are typical both to the developed and to the underdeveloped countries. During the period of once-independence Estonia has progress in development, in generally. But the differences in development levels between social groups and different regions have grown abnormally great. It seems particularly in connection with European Community. It influences also the regional development of CS, NPS and NPO. There are extremely big differences between regions of Estonia by structure, number and characteristics of development of NPO and NPS (Table 2). The same tendencies we can see in RD and CD of Estonia. NPO and CSO have played essential role in RD and CD. This role has grown rapidly during the few last years and must continue to grow up, particularly in CD. NPS play also a role in total paid employment, as in all countries. All European and other countries use regional policy in several ways. In Estonia, today is needful to increase essentially size and capacity of stimulative regional policy, based on support for enterprises and also for NPO-s.

For characterizing role, possibilities and scope of NPO in RD, we have examined and made statistical analyses for weighted average indexes. For such we have taken relatively integrated indexes, describing development potential, level and possibilities of regions on one hand and strength and development of NPO and CS on the other hand: (1) personal income tax received into local budget per inhabitant (PIT/inh) and (2) NPO or CSO per 1000 inhabitants (NPO/R). We have calculated weighted average indexes as well as by Estonia, its counties (15) and local administrations (247) and in different years 2000, 2001 and 2002, summarized in table 2 (by Hallemaa, H.). For statistical analyses and data processing we use program STATISTICA 6.0. Normality of variables was checked by Lillifors' and Shapiro-Wilk's tests. For all variables the distributions were skewed towards smaller values, hence nonparametric methods were used. Spearman Rank Order Correlations by counties of Estonia between NPO/R and PIT/inh were significant (p<0.005) and varied between 0.73 (2000) and 0.83 (2001) (table 3). The same figures by local administrations of Estonia are: 1) 2000 - 0.48; 2) 2001 - 0.46; 3) 2002 - 0.52. It means, that they are not so strong, but they are extremely authenticity (p<0,000001 at all three cases). For statistical analyses and researches we also use more complex indexes and data (financing of activities of NPO, salaries, payments of social tax, focal indicators of the Regional development Strategy of Estonia and so.). There are different several participants, social partners and doers in CD. We shall treat acting groups in CD (AGCD). There are and we have characterized main sources of direct funding for CD. We have started to describe and map several different types and models of CD.

Tabel 2 Weighted average indexes by Estonia and its local administrations (valid N; local a.) in 2000, 2001 and 2002 - NPO or CSO per 1000 inhabitants (NPO/R) and personal income tax received into local budget per inhabitant (PIT/inh) (by Hallemaa, H.) =============================================================== Mark & year Valid Average Min Max No. of local a. (index) N by Estonia by local a. under average _______________________________________________________________ NPO/R 2000 247 9,08 0,0 35,4 216 NPO/R 2001 247 10,69 0,0 51,6 216 NPO/R 2002 247 12,42 0,0 56,7 210 PIT/inh 2000 247 2680,6 537,7 5209,8 167 PIT/inh 2001 247 2889,9 554,7 5474,0 174 PIT/inh 2002 247 3200,7 653,4 6673,1 179 _______________________________________________________________ Table 3 Spearman Rank Order Correlations (Correlation coefficients) between weighted average indexes by counties of Estonia in 2000, 2001 and 2002 (by Hallemaa, H.) ================================================== NPO/R 2000 NPO/R 2001 NPO/R 2002 __________________________________________________ PIT/inh 2000 0.728571 0.757143 0.764286 PIT/inh 2001 0.789286 0.825000 0.839286 PIT/inh 2002 0.707143 0.757143 0.760714 __________________________________________________ As a conclusion: Development of NPO and NPS and support of this development by public sector is of great movement for process of building up CS and guaranteeing CD. NPO and CSO have played and play essential and growing role in RD and particularly in CD. There are extremely big differences between regions of Estonia by development of NPO and NPS and also in RD and CD. The regional policy is needed in each country, especially in Estonia. For characterizing role, possibilities and scope of NPO in RD and CD, we can examine and make statistical analyses for weighted average indexes.

Date received: October 5, 2003