Effectiveness of resource management of Lebanese NGOs in response to COVID-19 and the Syrian crisis

Lebanon faced the COVID-19 pandemic amid a major protracted refugee situation with approximately one million Syrians, alongside political, economic, and health system fragility. NGOs, historically central to Lebanon’s social support, encountered increased demand for aid while grappling with constrained resources. This study investigates how COVID-19 influenced Lebanese NGOs’ activities serving Syrian refugees and host communities, what resource managerial practices NGOs should adopt during crises, and which management strategies are advisable in refugee contexts. Grounded in Resource Dependence Theory (RDT), the research explores organizational survival amid exogenous shocks and scarce resources. The purpose is to understand effects on operations and identify effective practices for future crises. Research questions: RQ1: How did COVID-19 influence the activities of Lebanon NGOs during the refugee crisis? RQ2: What resource managerial practices must be identified by NGOs during crises? RQ3: What management strategies should be taken by NGOs during the refugee crisis? The study’s significance lies in informing crisis preparedness and response for NGOs supporting refugees and vulnerable host communities.

Context: After Lebanon’s first COVID-19 case on February 21, 2020, government responses inadequately covered vulnerable groups including refugees. UNHCR expanded preparedness (isolation facilities, hospital capacity, testing/treatment coverage, community engagement). Pandemic-related job/income losses heightened vulnerabilities in both refugee and host populations. Exogenous shock framing: COVID-19 is conceptualized as an exogenous shock creating unpredictable risks, constraining access to vital resources and necessitating strategic and operational adaptations. Theoretical framework: Resource Dependence Theory (Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978) explains NGOs’ reliance on external resources amid scarcity and environmental constraints. Prior RDT applications to non-profits include funding, planning, performance, governance, collaboration, and policy engagement. RDT highlights dependency relationships among NGOs, state institutions, donors, business environments, and communities; accountability and communication support collaboration and resource acquisition. Prior evidence on NGO impacts: Lockdowns hindered service delivery, needs assessment, and beneficiary contact; demand for services rose while financial and human resources declined; fundraising events were canceled; staff/volunteer capacity decreased; HRM challenges included remote work, stress, reduced socialization, and pay cuts. Some philanthropic foundations increased flexible support. NGOs adapted via new service models, digital tools, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and technology-enabled delivery; remote monitoring and virtual support were useful. Fundraising strategies diversified to include emergency appeals and digital tools; organizations with low reserves faced more severe operational disruptions. Synthesis: Literature indicates COVID-19 pressures NGOs’ finances, human resources, and service capacity but also accelerates strategic, technological, and collaborative adaptations, aligning with RDT’s emphasis on managing dependencies and environmental uncertainty.

Design: Inductive qualitative multi-case study to evaluate COVID-19 effects on NGOs and identify resource managerial practices during refugee crises. Sampling: Two non-probability techniques—expert purposive sampling of informed NGO representatives and snowball sampling. Convenience sample of 40 NGOs (12 international, 28 local) across diverse domains (disability services; scouts/youth; emergency relief; education/literacy; social justice and empowerment; emergency/disaster response and health; women and girls’ protection; policy and human rights). Organizational sizes ranged from micro to large. Data collection: Semi-structured interviews conducted via telephone and in-person. Attempted 60, completed 40 interviews. Confidentiality maintained; participants coded (e.g., NGO1, NGO2). Interviews audio-recorded, transcribed, and participant-checked. Data analysis: Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) using NVivo 12. Data coded and categorized by similarity/difference with direct quotations used to illustrate themes. Three main themes identified: (i) influence of the pandemic on NGO activities; (ii) effective strategies to fill gaps; (iii) evaluation of achievements and service gaps during COVID-19. Rigor enhanced via transcription checks and systematic coding. Ethics: Approved by Cyprus International University ethics committee; verbal informed consent obtained; procedures followed the Declaration of Helsinki.

- Theme 1: Influence of COVID-19 on NGO activities • Financial resources: Reported fund reorientation toward global COVID-19 needs; fund shrinkages; limited budgets, inflation, supplier closures, and scarcity of items. Some NGOs saw additional funds for equipment/materials and increased donors/beneficiaries, but overall funding uncertainty constrained response capacity. • Human resources: Safety concerns, inability to hold meetings, and depletion of human/material capacity. Remote work and coordination challenges reduced efficiency; fear of infection within teams. • Service provision: Delays, cancellation/postponement of activities, limited reach to beneficiaries due to lockdowns, weak infrastructure, and community resistance or skepticism toward COVID-19 measures hindered service delivery. - Theme 2: Effective strategies for supporting refugees and host communities • Improved communication: Expanded communication with refugees/hosts (awareness sessions), within staff (needs assessments and data collection), with local authorities (coordination and role distribution), and with donors (relationship building to secure funds). • Reorientation of programs/activities: Reprioritized objectives based on needs assessments (e.g., food distributions; delaying non-life-saving activities) to address urgent demands. • Technology use: Shift from face-to-face to virtual modalities (online beneficiary contact; Zoom meetings for coordination and program continuity). • Employee motivation and support: Enhanced attention to staff safety, protective measures, and trust-building to maintain morale and performance. - Theme 3: Evaluation of achievements and service gaps • Achievements: Introduction of innovations and organizational agility; training/workshops improved response; skilled and flexible staff; increased organizational capital and projects; formation of local crisis cells with municipalities, activists, and medical staff improved response coordination. • Gaps: Need for faster response. Barriers included time needed to study local/regional context, limited/ambiguous information and uncertainty about duration, weak infrastructure, limited resources/funds, inflation, and delayed governmental decisions. Performance evaluation systems were used, but capacity constraints limited timeliness. Quantitative/context points: 40 NGOs interviewed (12 international, 28 local); themes aligned with RDT regarding resource pressures from internal (employees/volunteers) and external (funding shocks) stakeholders. Some NGOs experienced increased donors/beneficiaries post-pandemic onset, but most faced constraints.

Findings address the research questions by demonstrating that COVID-19, as an exogenous shock, significantly constrained Lebanese NGOs’ financial and human resources and impaired service provision (RQ1). Effective resource managerial practices identified included enhanced stakeholder communication, strategic reorientation of programs, accelerated digitization for service delivery and coordination, and employee support initiatives (RQ2). Recommended management strategies for refugee-crisis contexts emphasize needs-based reprioritization, collaboration with authorities and donors, and building organizational agility and capacity for rapid response (RQ3). These results corroborate Resource Dependence Theory, showing how NGOs navigated environmental constraints and dependencies through communication, accountability, and collaboration to access critical resources. The study contributes to literature by contextualizing RDT within a compounded crisis (pandemic plus protracted refugee situation), highlighting that timely, data-informed adaptations and stakeholder-engaged strategies can mitigate shocks. Nonetheless, structural limitations (infrastructure weaknesses, information uncertainty, and delayed policy actions) reduced response timeliness, underscoring the need for systemic improvements and preparedness planning.

COVID-19 adversely affected Lebanese NGOs’ financial and human resources and their ability to meet heightened needs of Syrian refugees and host communities. NGOs responded by strengthening communication with stakeholders, reorienting programs to urgent needs, adopting virtual work/technology, and supporting and protecting employees. These adaptations fostered innovation and agility, increased credibility, capital, and project portfolios in some cases, and improved coordination (e.g., crisis cells). However, responses were often not timely due to limited information, infrastructure constraints, funding shortages, inflation, and delayed government decisions. The study advances understanding of NGO crisis management within RDT and proposes practical strategies, emphasizing that future approaches should integrate both pandemic-related measures and ongoing refugee needs. Future research should broaden scope and methods to strengthen generalizability and inform comprehensive crisis preparedness and sustainability strategies for NGOs.

- Sample composition: Majority local NGOs (28 local vs 12 international); findings may not generalize to international NGOs or different contexts. - Context specificity: Single-country (Lebanon) focus with unique economic, political, and infrastructure conditions limits broader generalizability. - Data collection constraints: Lockdowns and restrictions limited scheduling and number of face-to-face interviews; reliance on semi-structured interviews only. - Single analysis method: Only thematic analysis; no triangulation with methods like focus groups or observation. - Qualitative, contextual design: Findings are context-bound; recommend mixed-methods with larger samples and inclusion of other stakeholders (government, donors) in future research.