Document Type : Research articles

Authors

• Maryam Saber ¹
• Hassan Eftekhar ¹
• Mohammad Hossein Taghdisi ²
• Ali Akbar Haghdoost ³
• Tayebeh Fasihi Harandi ⁴
• Davood Shojayzadeh ¹

¹ Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran

² Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran

³ Modeling in Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran

⁴ Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, IR Iran

Abstract

Background: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are one of the essential measures of modern governments’ management to improve social, political, and developmental activities. They play an important role in the process of development in most countries. Objectives: The present study was conducted to design and validate the checklist of NGOs’ practice in Kerman (Iran) where the scope of their activities is increasingly more diverse and complex. The availability and access to a valid and reliable instrument is essential for intervention and promotion of non-governmental organizations. Methods: The checklist was designed and validated from the literature review, existing reports, and current statutes of NGOs. Con- tent and structure validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis), and internal consistency were used to measure the psy- chometric components of the checklist. Our sample consisted of all 150 licensed NGOs in Kerman, and sampling was conducted from April 2014 to September 2015. Results: While the checklist showed acceptable content validity, exploratory factor analysis revealed 3 factors: (a) social influence,
(b) social structure, and (c) participatory experience. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that fit indices were acceptable as χ2 =1.65, CFI = 0.79, AGFI = 0.74, GFI = 0.82, and RMSEA = 0.1. The Cronbach‘s alpha was 0.7.
Conclusions: Our results revealed that the checklist psychometric properties were acceptable. This checklist can be a start point for developing standard tools in the field of non-governmental organizations’ activity. In addition, this tool can be a guide for the evaluation and enhancement of NGOs’ activity.

Keywords

• Checklist
• Non-Governmental Organizations
• Non-Profit Organizations