At a time when social divides are deepening and trust in institutions is eroding, the role of civil society has never been more critical. Across Europe, NGOs serve as pillars of democracy—defending human rights, fostering inclusion, and holding power to account. But too often, their potential is hindered by systemic challenges. 71% of small and medium-sized organizations in our new survey cite gaps in quality management as a barrier to greater impact. CoQuality (a European network promoting quality culture in the third sector) and Civil Society Europe (CSE) joined forces in 2024 to assess how NGOs perceive and prioritize quality standards, and learn about shared challenges in our survey  “QUALITY STANDARDS AND QUALITY COMPLIANCE FRAMEWORKS FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS”

Our findings reveal both urgent needs and transformative opportunities.

Why This Matters

Quality management is beyond compliance—it’s a catalyst for transparency, efficiency, and impact. For NGOs, it means better services for beneficiaries, stronger accountability, and resilience amid growing societal challenges. This modest survey highlights both the urgency and opportunity to empower civil society through tailored quality tools and collaborative learning.

Key Findings

1. Awareness Gap: 76% of NGOs lack knowledge of existing quality tools (e.g., Theory of Change, benchmarking frameworks…), limiting their ability to improve processes.
2. Mismatch between offer and demand: Most CSO´s that have used quality management tools consider that they are not adapted to the size of the organisation or to the type of activities they engage in.
3. Cost as a Barrier: 78% cited high implementation costs as the leading challenge, followed by tools’ lack of adaptation to the sector (48%).
4. Demand for Learning Spaces: 90% of respondents called for shared platforms to exchange best practices and build quality-management skills.
5. Priority for Progress: 86% ranked quality management as a top priority, linking it to transparency, accountability and strategic planning.

How CoQuality is Responding

The survey’s recommendations align with our mission to bridge these gaps:

• Tailored Tools: Developing and sharing adaptable quality frameworks and tools for NGOs.
• Learning Networks: Convening webinars, roundtables, and peer to peer exchanges to share best practices.
• Expanded Research: A broader survey is fundamental to include a wider range of organizations from different European regions increasing our understanding of quality and challenges. Coquality has partnered with The Learning Lab to undertake the study. “Challenges and differences in quality in third sector organisations at European level”. 
• Advocacy: Partnering with platforms like CSE and others to reinforce civil society’s role, demand systemic changes, and amplify quality standards —ensuring better services for those most in need.

Find more about our activities, join our newsletter and explore how quality can transform your organization’s impact. More information on CoQuality can be found at www.coquality.org.