A Substitution Effect occurs when an organization takes over for local capacity and reduces or replaces local efforts.

Substitution Effects free up resources to pursue conflict

Governing authorities in conflict situations often see the resources of interveners as supplementary to their own. They also understand the value systems of the NGOs and how to manipulate them.

An authority does not need to appropriate resources directly to make good use of them. If an authority simply drops responsibility for a service (often bit by bit, over time), they know that NGOs will pick it up and continue to provide the service. A government may then claim that they are fulfilling their responsibility by engaging with NGOs to provide for its citizenry.

In a context of conflict, this frees up resources that can be put into security or fighting forces. In extreme cases, the resources freed up have been used to pursue violence against the people now unsupported by their own government.

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Related Topics
Substitution and legitimacy
Why do negative Substitution Effects happen?
Using Substitution Effects
Resource Transfers