<P> While overhead costs can be a legitimate concern, a sole focus on them can be counterproductive . Research published by the Urban Institute and the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford University have shown how rating agencies create incentives for non-profits to lower and hide overhead costs, which may actually reduce organizational effectiveness by starving organizations of the infrastructure they need to effectively deliver services . A more meaningful rating system would provide, in addition to financial data, a qualitative evaluation of an organization's transparency and governance: (1) an assessment of program effectiveness; (2) and an evaluation of feedback mechanisms designed for donors and beneficiaries; and (3) such a rating system would also allow rated organizations to respond to an evaluation done by a rating agency . More generally, the popular discourse of non-profit evaluation should move away from financial notions of organizational effectiveness and toward more substantial understandings of programmatic impact . </P> <P> In the March 2000 report on United Nations Reform priorities, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan wrote in favor of international humanitarian intervention, arguing that the international community has a "right to protect" citizens of the world against ethnic cleansing, genocide, and crimes against humanity . On the heels of the report, the Canadian government launched the Responsibility to Protect R2P project, outlining the issue of humanitarian intervention . While the R2P doctrine has wide applications, among the more controversial has been the Canadian government's use of R2P to justify its intervention and support of the coup in Haiti . Years after R2P, the World Federalist Movement, an organization which supports "the creation of democratic global structures accountable to the citizens of the world and call for the division of international authority among separate agencies", has launched Responsibility to Protect - Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS). A collaboration between the WFM and the Canadian government, this project aims to bring NGOs into lockstep with the principles outlined under the original R2P project . </P> <P> The governments of the countries an NGO works or is registered in may require reporting or other monitoring and oversight . Funders generally require reporting and assessment, such information is not necessarily publicly available . There may also be associations and watchdog organizations that research and publish details on the actions of NGOs working in particular geographic or program areas . </P> <P> In recent years, many large corporations have increased their corporate social responsibility departments in an attempt to preempt NGO campaigns against certain corporate practices . As the logic goes, if corporations work with NGOs, NGOs will not work against corporations . Greater collaboration between corporations and NGOs creates inherent risks of co-optation for the weaker partner, typically the non-profit involved . </P>

What is the goal of connecting with non-governmental organization