Rik van Berkel

The Provision of Income Protection and Activation Services for the Unemployed in ‘Active’ Welfare States. An International Comparison

This article discusses reforms of the design of the organisational arena for policy implementation and service provision in European welfare states, focusing on the policy areas of income protection and activation. First, it discusses and compares recent reform programmes in four countries: the UK, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. The comparison shows that these reforms share some common characteristics: the establishment of one-stop agencies, decentralisation, the introduction of quasi-markets for the provision of activation services, a reduction of the role and influence of social partners and the use of new public management instruments in managing public agencies. Secondly, the article argues that these reforms are not merely reflecting new ways of thinking about organising the public sector and providing public services, but should also be interpreted as responses to policy administration and implementation problems arising in the process of making welfare states more activating.

The marketization of activation services: a modern panacea? Some lessons from the Dutch experience

The introduction of market mechanisms is a crucial part of the new modes of governance emerging EU-wide in order to modernize the public sector. This article focuses on the introduction of marketization in the provision of activation services. The article draws on the Dutch experience, where activation services have been provided by private for-profit companies for several years now. In the first part, the emergence of new modes of governance is put in the context of welfare-state reforms aimed at making the welfare state more activating. Then, the marketization of activation services in the Netherlands is discussed as part of a wider institutional-reform process. Next, an assessment is made, based on several empirical sources, of the alleged advantages of the introduction of market mechanisms in the provision of social services. In the conclusion we argue that the effects of marketization strongly depend on the wider institutional and social-policy context in which it is embedded.The introduction of market mechanisms is a crucial part of the new modes of governance emerging EU-wide in order to modernize the public sector. This article focuses on the introduction of marketization in the provision of activation services. The article draws on the Dutch experience, where activation services have been provided by private for-profit companies for several years now. In the first part, the emergence of new modes of governance is put in the context of welfare-state reforms aimed at making the welfare state more activating. Then, the marketization of activation services in the Netherlands is discussed as part of a wider institutional-reform process. Next, an assessment is made, based on several empirical sources, of the alleged advantages of the introduction of market mechanisms in the provision of social services. In the conclusion we argue that the effects of marketization strongly depend on the wider institutional and social-policy context in which it is embedded.

Introduction: The Governance of Activation

This article introduces the central topic of the thematic section of this issue: the governance of activation. It applies the concept of governance to new service provision models and considers why this is a relevant issue for social policy scholars. Then, it provides a brief discussion of several aspects of the new service provision models that are being introduced all over Europe, where income protection schemes and activation policies are concerned. Finally, it introduces the other articles in the thematic section.

The Governance of Active Welfare States in Europe

List of Tables and Figures Notes on Contributors Acknowledgements The Governance of Active Welfare States R.van Berkel, W.de Graaf & T.Sirovatka The Administration of Income Provision and Activation Services R.van Berkel Accelerating Governance Reforms: The French Case A.Eydoux & M.Beraud Fragmented Governance Continued: The German Case I.Dingeldey Steering with Sticks, Rowing for Rewards: The New Governance of Activation in the UK S.Wright The Governance of Activation Policies in Italy: From Centralized and Hierarchical to a Multi-level Open System Model? P.R.Graziano & A.Raue The Liberal Governance of a Non-liberal Welfare State? The Case of the Netherlands R.van Berkel & W.de Graaf Marketization in a Federal System: New Modes of Governance in Unemployment Insurance and Social Assistance in Switzerland F.Ehrler & F.Sager Governance of Activation Policies in the Czech Republic: Uncoordinated Transformation T.Sirovatka & J.Winkler Decentralization and Back to Centralization: The Swedish Case R.Minas Governance of Integrated Activation Policy in Finland V.Karjalainen & P.Saikku The Governance of Active Welfare States in Europe in a Comparative Perspective R.van Berkel, W.de Graaf & T.Sirovatka

Individualised service provision in an era of activation and new governance

Purpose – This article aims to discuss the individualisation trend in the provision of social services, focusing on activation services specifically.Design/methodology/approach – The individualisation trend in the provision of activation services is analysed against the background of public sector as well as social sector as well as social policy reforms: the introduction of new modes of governance and the rise of the active welfare state respectively.Findings – Concrete manifestations of individualised service provision are often based on various interpretations of individualisation and reflect different meanings of citizens’ participation, and refer to different modes – or rather, mixes of different modes – of governance. The general argument of the article is illustrated and elaborated by analysing three national case studies of individualised service provision in the context of activation: the UK, The Netherlands and Finland.Originality/value – The trend that is analysed in the article – individualise...

Activation Work: Policy Programme Administration or Professional Service Provision?

This article focuses on the design of frontline work in public agencies involved in the delivery of activation programmes and services. More specifically, it raises the following questions: should we think of activation work as an administrative function or as a form of professional service provision? And does the design of activation work matter in terms of the effectiveness of activation services? In answering these questions, the article provides a meta-analysis of two strands of literature. First, we analyse the available literature reporting on studies of activation frontline work and its organisation and management in public agencies responsible for delivering activation programmes. Secondly, we look at those studies of the effectiveness of activation that focus on the impact of characteristics of frontline work and its organisation and management on activation policy outcomes. We conclude that although the desirability of a professional design of activation work meets relatively wide support among scholars, the feasibility of this professionalisation project is highly contested. In addition, the debateonthenatureoftheactivationprofessionhasonlyjuststarted.Finally,evaluationstudies show that activation work characteristics do affect the outcomes of activation programmes. Against this background, we conclude that a more prominent place of activation work on the research agenda of social policy scholars is recommendable.

Review article: the governance of activation

This article presents a review of relevant literature on the issue of the governance of activation. The article starts with some general comments on the state of the art of research on the governance of activation. Putting governance into practice in new service provision models in the policy areas of activation and social policy, the review continues with a discussion of publications on some of the characteristics of these models: marketisation, decentralisation, inter-agency cooperation and individualisation of service provision. It also looks at literature on the implementation of activation, as this provides insight into governance issues from an organisational and street-level perspective.

The decentralisation of social assistance in The Netherlands

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to make a preliminary assessment of the impacts of the decentralisation of Dutch social assistance.Design/methodology/approach – Even though decentralisation is often promoted as a new governance instrument, balancing centralised and decentralised aspects has been a feature of Social Assistance systems for a long time. This article describes how processes of decentralisation in Dutch Social Assistance in the context of activating the Dutch welfare state are determined by two core objectives: on the one hand, to give local authorities more autonomy in designing and delivering activation services; on the other hand, to ensure that national social policy objectives are implemented at the local level. Specific attention is paid to the most recent decentralisation development which made municipalities financially responsible for social assistance expenditure. Building on the results of some preliminary evaluation and effect studies, this article assesses the impact of decentr...

Decentralization and centralization: governing the activation of social assistance recipients in Europe

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to examine the governance of activation in relation to the decentralization and centralization of activation for social assistance recipients in Sweden, The ...

New modes of governance in activation policies

Purpose – This editorial aims to introduce the first of a set of two special issues on New modes of governance in activation policies.Design/methodology/approach – The article explores the concept of governance, distinguishing a broad and more narrow use of the concept. Then, it argues that issues of governance should be an integral part of studies of welfare state transformations. Not in the last instance, because governance reforms do have an impact on the content of social policies and social services such as activation. The article continues by discussing three models of the provision of social services.Findings – The article states that the development of the modes of governance in activation in various countries reveals that a mix of service provision models is being used.Originality/value – The article introduces the articles of the special issue.