Legal Definitions - quango

A QUANGO stands for a Quasi-Autonomous Nongovernmental Organization.

A QUANGO is an organization that is not a direct part of a government department or ministry, but performs public functions. It typically receives significant funding from the government and operates under a government mandate, yet it maintains a degree of independence in its operations and decision-making. These bodies are often created to provide expert advice, regulate a specific sector, or deliver public services, while being kept at arm's length from direct political control.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of a QUANGO:

• Example 1: A National Arts and Culture Funding Body

  Imagine a country's "National Endowment for the Arts and Culture." This organization is established by an act of parliament, receives its core funding from the government's cultural budget, and is tasked with promoting arts and culture, distributing grants to artists and cultural institutions, and advising the government on cultural policy. While it operates under a government mandate and is accountable to a relevant ministry, its board of trustees (often appointed for their expertise, not political affiliation) makes independent decisions on grant allocations and specific cultural initiatives, free from direct day-to-day political interference.

  This illustrates a QUANGO because: It is nongovernmental as it is not a direct government department. It is quasi-autonomous because it is government-funded and mandated to perform a public service, but it exercises independent judgment in its grant-making and advisory roles, maintaining a degree of separation from direct political control.

• Example 2: A Public Broadcasting Standards Authority

  Consider a "Broadcasting Standards Authority" established to ensure fairness, impartiality, and quality in public and private broadcasting. It is funded by a levy on broadcasters and some government subsidy, and its members are appointed by the government. However, the Authority operates independently when investigating complaints, issuing guidelines, and imposing sanctions on broadcasters for breaches of standards, without direct political instruction on individual cases.

  This illustrates a QUANGO because: It is nongovernmental as it operates outside the direct structure of a government ministry. It is quasi-autonomous because it is government-created and funded, but makes independent regulatory decisions based on its statutory powers, maintaining a distance from political influence in its day-to-day enforcement of broadcasting standards.

• Example 3: An Independent Environmental Monitoring Agency

  Let's say a country has an "Independent Environmental Monitoring Board." This board is set up by the government to monitor compliance with environmental regulations by industries, conduct independent research on environmental impacts, and publish reports on the state of the environment. It receives government funding and its mandate comes from legislation, but its scientists and experts operate independently in collecting data, conducting analyses, and reporting findings, even if those findings are critical of government policy or industry practices.

  This illustrates a QUANGO because: It is nongovernmental as it is not a direct part of the Ministry of Environment. It is quasi-autonomous because it is government-funded and mandated to perform a public function, but its scientific and reporting functions are carried out with a degree of independence to ensure objectivity and credibility, rather than being subject to direct political direction.