ABSTRACT The increasing role of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the development of communities and the attention they attract globally have made them indispensable in the current political, social and economic dispensation in Ghana and the world at large. However, the question of the impact of NGOs‟ projects or interventions on rural communities has been a major issue of concern. This study, therefore, sought to do an impact assessment of the projects or interventions that communities benefited from NGOs in the Kpando Municipality. The research is a case study research which collected both qualitative and quantitative data on the phenomenon. Questionnaires were administered, focus group discussions were held and respondents were observed and engaged in open discussions for inferences to be made from their statements and conclusions to be drawn. The study revealed that whereas some projects of NGOs benefited communities for a long period of time (long-term impact) others only benefited the communities for a short time (short-term impact). Two main factors discovered to have accounted for the short-term impact of NGO projects are implementation inefficiencies and lack of effective participation of the local people in the activities of the NGOs. The latter is mostly caused by the fact that majority of the people are not aware of the existence NGOs and their projects. For rapid and sustainable development of communities, there must be a conscious effort by development agents to implement projects that will bring long-term impact on communities. To promote the long-term impact of NGOs‟ projects, the study recommends that NGOs practise Community-NGO-Donor networking during the initiation and implementation of projects. Also, all citizens of Ghana as well as people across the globe should support NGO-centred development by contributing their resources to support local NGOs.
