scholarly journals NEW SPACES IN THE PUBLIC ARENA: LEARNINGS FROM GIPUZKOA

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (6) ◽  
pp. 118-132
Author(s):  
Felix Arrieta ◽  
◽  
Ainhoa Izaguirre ◽  
Martín Zuñiga ◽  
◽  
...  

The difficulties that European Welfare States are experiencing in order to respond to emerging social needs are making a re-configuration of the welfare system inevitable. In this sense, spheres such as the third sector are gaining special attention due to their role in the provision of welfare. This paper qualitatively addresses the interaction between public administration and the third sector using the example of welfare provision in the Province of Gipuzkoa. Specifically, our research focuses on the existing instruments for this interaction and the existing spaces for representation and interaction between both. By means of a participatory approach based on qualitative techniques, professionals from the public administration and the third sector were given voice. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with nine participants considered by the research team as references in the field of the third sector. To complement and advance in the understanding of the information obtained, three discussion groups were also set up: two were formed by participants who are in charge of third sector organizations; and the third was made up of technicians from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Altogether, the results obtained illustrate much confusion between both actors concerning how their relationships should be built, as traditional ways seem insufficient. Although the creation of the civil dialogue table seems like an alternative, it presents several difficulties in terms of ensuring the representation of all third sector organizations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-372
Author(s):  
Felix Arrieta ◽  
Ainhoa Izaguirre ◽  
Martín Zuñiga

The role of the third sector in the provision of welfare and its relationship with public administration have been gaining importance in political debates because of the difficulties that welfare states have in responding to emerging social needs. The ‘Gipuzkoan model’, based on a public‐private collaboration between third sector organisations and the public administration in Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country in Spain, has been drawing attention over the past 40 years. However, there is a debate concerning the role that each actor should play in the implementation of welfare policies. This article analyses, from a qualitative point of view, the role of the third sector in designing and providing public policy tools for the region within the context promoted by the Gipuzkoan model of public‐private collaboration. The results obtained illustrate a multifaceted scenario in which different visions converge around the same question: How should this collaboration be developed and what future awaits the third sector?


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-284
Author(s):  
Marta Enciso-Santocildes ◽  
Ana Vidu ◽  
Laura Gómez-Urquijo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show the positive effects of a cross-sector collaboration between public administration and third sector in the Basque Country. Solidarity within European society is a concern increasingly addressed from broader perspectives in broader territories. Civil society involvement has also reached public administrations. The European Commission H2020 project, SOLIDUS Solidarity in European societies: empowerment, social justice and citizenship (2016–2018), responds to the need to build a “renewed” Europe after the economic crisis, addressing social areas as employment, education, housing, health, civic engagement. Design/methodology/approach The communicative methodology (CM) has been used in this research paper, including qualitative fieldwork involving representatives of third-sector organizations. The CM already showed its impact on society, through several research projects in which it has been applied. CM is based on including stakeholders’ voices into research from the initial design until the end, responding their needs from research evidence. Thus, it contributes to put in common the knowledge of experts and stakeholders. Findings Searching for successful practices of social innovation, this paper analyzed which elements enable such relationships between public administration and third-sector organizations to promote successful public policies. Even some risks and barriers have been highlighted, the authors’ specific aim focuses on the positive aspects. Therefore, it shows drivers for a most efficient way of public management, which could potentially be extrapolated to other contexts. Some of these drivers are the following: support and collaboration between sectors, institutional trust, co-creation, active participation of the third sector, solidarity and commitment, efficient social policies and workers’ professionalization. Originality/value This paper contributes to returning to institutions and society the atmosphere of trust that the crisis context has damaged. The Basque Countries’ comprehensive model of action proves to attend citizenship contributing to a better society, from engaging a successful collaboration across sectors. The creation of two models of collaboration helps to progress in the positive interaction between the third sector and government. This paper is also original because it gives voice to people directly involved on the field and uses their knowledge to describe drivers and assess collaboration and participation of the third sector. Peer review The peer review history for this paper is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2019-0378


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-161
Author(s):  
Luca Raffini ◽  
Anna Reggiardo ◽  
Andrea Pirni

Abstract Social innovation should represent a step forward activation policies, promoting a new balance between economic development and social cohesion, reducing inequalities and vulnerability. The Third sector is a privileged sphere of social innovation: there are many expectations on its ability to provide innovative answers to unaddressed social needs; one area of its intervention are youth policies. In Italy, the Third sector reform established new provisions on volunteering, civil service and social entrepreneurship, which should primarily benefit the youth. It allows to explore the double face of the Third sector transformation and of the European rhetoric on social innovation. On the one side institutions are trying to recognize emerging grass-root practices which combine social involvement, professional fulfillment and political action in order to respond new societal challenges. On the other side, the market is still fundamental in practices and discourses around social innovation, that maintain many contradictions of the activation policies.


2013 ◽  
pp. 83-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Belzunegui-Eraso ◽  
Amaya Erro-Garcés ◽  
Inmaculada Pastor-Gosálbez

This chapter examines the role of telework as a driving force behind third sector activities and in the creation of networks and links between organizations in that sector. Telework as a tool has generated considerable change in the traditional organization of work. Its effectiveness lies in its ability to respond more quickly to customer requirements and to users and beneficiaries of third sector and social economy organizations. Online connections and services provided by telework have also led to a greater density of contacts between organizations in the third sector, which promotes the transmission of information and collaborative practices in providing services to the public.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Chadborn ◽  
Chris Craig ◽  
Gina Sands ◽  
Justine Schneider ◽  
John Gladman

Aim This exploratory study of commissioning third sector services for older people aimed to explore whether service data was fed back to commissioners and whether this could improve intelligence about the population and hence inform future commissioning decisions. Background Third sector services are provided through charities and non-profit community organizations, and over recent years services have developed that assess and advise people for self-management or provide wellbeing support in the community. Third sector services have an opportunity to reach vulnerable populations and to provide intelligence about them. Some third sector services are state funded (commissioned) in the United Kingdom. While evidence is available about the commissioning of statutory health and social care, as well as private providers, there is limited evidence about how third sector health services are funded. Methods Participants were recruited from commissioner organizations and third sector organizations, both with an interest in supporting the independence, self-management and wellbeing of older people. Organizations were recruited from five purposively selected sites within one region of England (East Midlands). Semi-structured interviews explored the relationships between commissioners and providers and the nature of funding arrangements, including co-production. Interviews also explored collection of data within the service and how data were fed back to commissioners. Focus groups were held with older people with the potential to benefit from wellbeing services. Results Commissioning arrangements were varied, sometimes complex, and often involved co-production with the third sector. Commissioners valued third sector organizations for their engagement with the local community, value for money, outreach services and ability to provide information about the community. Assessing the needs and outcomes of individuals was integral to delivery of support and advice to older people. Diverse approaches were used to assess an individual’s needs and outcomes, although there were concerns that some assessment questionnaires may be too complex for this vulnerable group. Assessment and outcomes data were also used to monitor the service contract and there was potential for the data to be summarized to inform commissioning strategies, but commissioners did not report using assessment data in this way, in practice. While the policy context encouraged partnerships with third sector organizations and their involvement in decision making, the relationship with third sector organizations was not valued within contract arrangements, and may have been made more difficult by the tendering process and the lack of analysis of service data. Conclusion This exploratory study has demonstrated a diversity of commissioning arrangements for third sector services across one region of England. Most commissioners invited co-production; that is, the commissioners sought input from the third sector while specifying details of the service. Service data, including assessments of needs and outcomes, were reported to commissioners, however commissioners did not appear to use this to full advantage to inform future commissioning decisions. This may indicate a need to improve measurement of needs and outcomes in order to improve the credibility of the commissioning process.


Author(s):  
Alex Murdock ◽  
Stephen Barber

What is the state of what can be described as management in the third sector? At its heart, it discusses the long-held assertion that these organizations are reluctant to accept the need for ‘management’. After all, what makes third sector organizations different, by their own estimation, from their commercial equivalents is the deeply embedded concepts of mission and values together with a distinctly complex stakeholder environment. For all that, there are also “commercial” pressures and an instinct for survival. To serve the mission necessarily needs resources. And there is a perennial tension in high-level decision-making between delivery of the mission and maintaining solvency. Third-sector organizations, like any other, are innately concerned with their own sustainability. It is here that the analysis is located and there is an opportunity to examine the topic theoretically and empirically. By introducing the concept of the “Management See-Saw” to illustrate the competing drivers of values and commercialism before exploring these identified pressures through the lens of three real-life vignettes, it is possible to appreciate the current state of play. Given all this, it is important for modern organizations to be able to measure value and impact. From a managerial perspective, the reality needs to be acknowledged that this environment is complex and multi-layered. In drawing the strands together, the discussion concludes by illustrating the importance of leadership in the sector, which is a powerful indicator of effectiveness. Nevertheless, with a focus on management, the core contention is that management remains undervalued in the third sector. That said, commercial focus can increasingly be identified and the longer term trend is squarely in this direction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (88) ◽  
pp. 9-27
Author(s):  
Fernando M. Ramos ◽  
Roberto Carlos Klann

Abstract This study intends to evaluate the relationship between the quality in accounting information and the organizational characteristics of Third Sector entities. The methodology is designed to follow a descriptive, documental and quantitative approach. The universe of the study is composed of Third Sector organizations, formally constituted in the Brazilian scenario. The target population has included organizations with OSCIP and UPF specifications. The 18,553 entities, which existed during the study, were investigated. The research used a probabilistic sample of 392 entities. The results indicate a predominance of the institutions established under the legal form of association. As for the size, the foundations are the larger ones. Regarding the quality of accounting information, we have identified a lower reported information quality index, when compared to the second sector. Finally, the results showed that the organizational characteristics of size, creation time and qualification as OSCIP have significant and positive influence on the quality of accounting information of the entities that we analyzed. This led to the conclusion that the non-profit organizations and regulatory organs need to make improvements regarding the accounting information reporting process, as well as the awareness of the importance of these reports for the decision-making process and public accountability. This study contributes to the discussion about the characteristics of the third sector organizations that relate with the quality of the accounting information reported by these institutions in the Brazilian scenario. It is the first study that analyzed this relationship in Brazil.


Author(s):  
Ichiro Tsukamoto ◽  
Mariko Nishimura

The aim of this research is to examine and compare the shifting relationships between third sector organizations and local government under the current public service reforms in Japan and the UK. In both cases, institutional isomorphic tendency amongst third sector organizations can be found. However, in the case of UK, more formalized partnership frameworks set by central government as well as contractual relationships has an impact on this tendency. Contrastingly, Japan partnerships tend to be individualized. In this regard, the contracting framework seems to have more impact on behavior of the third sector organizations than partnership frameworks. In addition, the aspect of co-governance of the third sector organizations has been less developed than in the third sector in the UK. This affinity seems to be associated with the lack of sense of identity as a sector and also the lack of strong third sector organizations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (Especial 2) ◽  
pp. 159-165
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Gianfelice ◽  
Silvio César Nunes Militão

This text presents partial data from our master's research whose objective is to map the academic productions, since 1998, on the partnerships established between the public and private sectors in the field of pre-school education, specifically in the nursery, where children from 0 to 3 years. We will then present the results of a bibliographic survey of studies whose theme is the partnership between the public and private sectors, published in periodicals in the area of education. The results show that this practice has become commonplace in cities in Brazil, since the municipalities run counter to the fiscal responsibility law, and can not exceed the public spending ceiling. We conclude that it has been a plausible solution for municipalities. However, the transfer of resources to the third sector ends up generating very high expenses for the public coffers.


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