Quango

In both the United Kingdom and Ireland, a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation (quango or QuANGO, less often QANGO or qango) is an organisation to which a government has devolved power. In the United Kingdom this term covers different "arm's-length" government bodies, including "non-departmental public bodies", non-ministerial departments, and executive agencies.

The Forestry Commission, which is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in England and Scotland, is an example of a quango.

History

The term "quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation" was created in 1967 by the Carnegie Foundation's Alan Pifer in an essay on independence and accountability in public-funded bodies incorporated in the private sector. This term was shortened to "quango" by Anthony Barker, a British participant during a follow-up conference on the subject.

It describes an ostensibly non-governmental organisation performing governmental functions, often in receipt of funding or other support from government, while mainstream NGOs mostly get their donations or funds from the public and other organisations that support their cause. Numerous quangos were created from the 1980s onwards. Examples in the United Kingdom include those engaged in the regulation of various commercial and service sectors, such as the Water Services Regulation Authority.

Quango (disambiguation)

Quango or Qango may refer to: