Governance Innovation and Social Services Provision in Greece: Towards a New Policy Paradigm?

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Governance Innovation and Social Services Provision in Greece: Towards a New Policy Paradigm?

Journal Title: Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal - Year 2017, Vol 4, Issue 25

Abstract

Performance improvement comprises the key issue of public sector reform in Greece over the past three decades. A limited public sector performance, comprises both the inherent restrictions of social capital in Greece, characterized from its particularly low rates of trust and collaboration, the centralization in decision making, the cross-sector collaboration and the failure to integrate innovative policy tools for the design and provision of social services. Such inhibiting factors of performance essentially highlight governance deficits in the organization and the provision of municipal and especially of social services in Greece. In order to resolve these performance deficits in social services provision, various initiatives for the promotion of alternative governance models, as quasi markets, PPPs, contracting out, inter – municipal collaboration and social entrepreneurship, have been introduced from central government during the last ten years. Based on the combination qualitative and quantitative empirical data, research analyzes the prospects and the comparative efficiency of alternative governance models in the distinctive environment social services in Greece, by focusing on three (3) different categories of social services provided at municipal level: mental health, employment services for vulnerable groups and pre-school education. Alternative governance models are evaluated according to specific criteria regarding the innovation and the stability of their selected organizational design model, the effectiveness of the provided services, their impact on services’ accountability and transparency and the promotion of user and stakeholder engagement in decision making. Research assess the conditions under which alternative governance models could lead to the improvement of social services provision and contribute to the emergence of a new model of local governance in Greece, based on decentralization, public consultation and cross – sectoral collaboration.

Authors and Affiliations

Sifis Plimakis, Nikos Papadakis

Keywords

Greek public administration local governance social services decentralization cross-sectoral collaborative partnerships public consultation

EP ID EP331151
DOI 10.14738/assrj.425.4034.
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