The role of civil society organisations in supporting social welfare services in the Iraqi society

Civil society organizations are currently recognized as one of the primary agents of social welfare and service delivery in most developing countries. Non-governmental organizations indeed have participated in many social and service activities and have played an essential role in social welfare in many parts of the world. This research is based on qualitative research conducted in Erbil, Iraq, in 2022. It is aimed to analyze the thoughts and opinions of various non-governmental organizations' employees and some government officials about the role and effects of these institutions in the provision of different public services and social assistance in the Erbil region. Direct interviews were conducted with 25 participants selected from non-governmental organizations in Erbil and the Federal Social Welfare Institution. Data analysis for this study was carried out with the descriptive qualitative analysis method. After all, transcripts were coded, and the codes were used to generate the themes identified in the conversations. Finally, themes are presented with sample data in the conclusion section. Qualitative analysis of the interviews includes the creation of the categories, sub-categories, and super-categories to which the statements of the participants were assigned. Seven response axes were reported in the interviews. This research consists of three main parts: The first part consists of the introduction, which includes the explanation of the research problem and questions, the importance of the research, the research objectives, and the basic concepts of the research. The characteristics of non-governmental organizations and in the context of Northern Iraqi society in general, field and social welfare activities, and previous studies with theories related to the research subject were evaluated. In the second part, detailed information about the research methodology is presented. The third part consists of the presentation and analysis of the research data. The last section includes the results and recommendations of the study. KEYWORDS: Social welfare, Civil society, Civil society organizations, Social work.