Navigating the Middle Ground: Roles of Ethnic Hmong NGO Field Workers as Local Development Brokers in Laos

Purpose: This article explores the roles of INGO workers with an ethnic Hmong background in Laos through the concept of “local development brokers,” examining how their brokerage unfolds across multiple interfaces—with communities, country offices, and government authorities. Originality: This study provides a more nuanced understanding of development brokerage by employing interface analysis to examine the incompatibilities faced by field-level NGO workers and how they negotiate across different local actors. It highlights how ethnic identity and organizational resources shape their brokerage practices within complex institutional settings. Methodology: A qualitative approach was employed, drawing on in-depth interviews with five Hmong INGO field staff and one international staff member. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling, and data was analyzed using inductive open coding. Result: Hmong field workers based in the field office act as interpreters, knowledge brokers, and trusted interlocutors at the community level. Their shared ethnic identity fosters trust and facilitates access to Hmong communities. Their understanding of field realities enables them to advocate community priorities to staff at the country office in Vientiane. While maintaining cooperative ties with local government officials under strict government oversight, field workers exert subtle power over them by leveraging organizational resources to facilitate project implementation. Conclusions and Implication: The study reveals how brokerage is shaped by ethnic identity, organizational resources, and the political contexts in which development unfolds. Recognizing the tensions, roles, and negotiations of field level brokers is essential for designing more contextually grounded and politically attuned development interventions.