Is NGOs’ engagement in policy formulation a pathway for participation in policy implementation? A case-study of non-profits in Spain

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have emerged as indispensable stakeholders during policy-making, contributing significantly to the formulation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies. This paper examines the multifaceted role of NGOs during the policy formulation and implementation phases, shedding light on their capacity to bridge the gap between government agencies and the communities they serve. We inquire the extent to which NGOs which are active during bill discussions in Parliament also performs implementation tasks once the policy is adopted. We construct a typology of the different roles that non-profits perform during the formulation and implementation of public policies and analyse the extent to which an active stake during policy formulation also leads to implementation responsibilities such as information provision, service provision or policy evaluation. We study the case of Spanish non-profit organisations that participated in policy formulation during the past legislature (2019-2023). We conduct an original survey to 450 NGOs, encompassing a diverse range of sectors and geographical locations in Spain. The survey seeks to explore the extent of NGO involvement in policy implementation after being a stakeholder in parliamentary policy debates, the challenges they face, and the impact of their engagement on policy outcomes.