Transcript The ESSBE Research Team

Contribution of the Social Economy in the
Renewal of Social Policies and Practices in
the Area of Welfare to Work (1983-2003)
By Gérald Larose, Yves Vaillancourt, Geneviève
Shields and Muriel Kearney
Laboratoire de recherche sur les pratiques et les
politiques sociales (LAREPPS) and CURA in Social
Economy, Ecole de travail social, UQAM
« National Forum on Welfare to Work: the Next
Generation », St-John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador
November 16-18, 2003
Note: Copies of our Paper are Available in French !
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Outline
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I-Objectives of our paper
II-Definition of the social economy
III Historical background
IV- Mapping the Social Economy
presence in Welfare to Work Practices
V- Issues
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Objectives of our Paper
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To examine «the Quebec exception» (Gorlick and
Brethour,1998) in Welfare to Work (W2W) reforms in
Canada
This «exception» refers to the important contribution of
nonprofit organisations (or Third Sector or Social
Economy) in W2W practices in Quebec with regard to
the rest of Canada and North America
Note that the Quebec case is less an «exception» with
regard to Europe! (see: Spear, Defourny, Favreau and
Laville, 2001)
Openess to social economy contributions within a
«plural economy» perspective (State/Market/SE)
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What is the Social Economy About?
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Our definition of social economy initiatives
(Chantier de l ’Économie sociale, 1996, 2000)
has a Belgium inspired focus on values:
– Services to members and community, not profit oriented
– Management independant of government
– Democratic decision-making based on Participation of users
and workers (Double Empowerment)
– Multi-stakesholders Principle (vs Shareholders)
– People have priority over capital
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A broad definition including CBOs, CED, Coops, NGOs,
social enterprises, advocacy groups, etc.
Old and New Social Economy =120,000 jobs in QC and
not only jobs in «an economy of the poors » !
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A Trademark of the SE for Public Policy
Reforms is to bring more democracy and
more quality
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Why are SE organizations distinctive from the
public and market sectors? Mission, rules and
values favor:
– Democratic decision-making
– Double empowerment (users and workers):
• Participation of citizens-users of human services
• More employee control and responsibility in a democratic
working place
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Double empowerment means cooperation
between users + producers + managers = more
quality in « post-welfarist » human services
Citizens-Users are social policy co-producers (and
not only social policy takers or receivers)!
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Historical Background (1): The turning point of the
1980s: the social movements move toward a new
form of economic engagement
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The economic recession of 1981-1982 = multidimensional crisis
which brings new questions to governments and social
movements
Trade Unions discover economic militancy (involvement in
Investment Funds, local development projects + coalitions about
full employment, employability, labor market training, etc.)
Components of the Trade Union, community, women and
environmental movements get involved in local development
practices
A Community Economic Development (CED) Wave
New generation of CBOs develop innovative practices in the
W2W domain to fill public service gaps for people at risk of
unemployment (i.e. people with social vulnerabilities)
This brings debates+tensions within social movements
This brings tensions & debates between SE, State and Market
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Historical Background (2): The Socio-economic
summit of 1996: Public Acknowledgement of the
Social Economy
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Not a traditionnal tripartist socio-economic summit only
between State, Business, and Trade Unions
Participation of a fourth group of actors coming from the
civil society (SE, CBOs etc.)
Acknowledgement of the social economy sector with a
contribution of the Chantier de l ’Économie sociale
A context of budget constraints and Zero Deficit
Income security Reform + transferts of Federal training
programs and budgets toward Emploi-Quebec
Idea of a «guichet unique» (single window) in Quebec
for all training programs for unemployed people
(connected with E.I. and Income security programs)
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Mapping of Public Institutions connected
with W2W + Labour Market Policies &
Practices
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1998: from SQDM to Emploi-Quebec
At the Quebec national level: the Board of the Labour
Market Partners [CPMT] (State, Business, Trade
Unions and Community Organizations) with a mandate
to provide the Minister with policy proposals
At the Regional Level: 17 Regional Councils of Labour
Market Partners [CRPMT]
At the local Level: 150 Local Centers of Employment
(CLE) with traditionnal democratic governance: no
board and a connection with 119 Local Centers of
Development (CLD) with a non traditional mode of
governance, e.g. boards with municipality + civil society8
representatives)
Mapping of Social Economy organisations
involved in W2W practices + policies in 2003
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Community economic development network
– 17 CDEC: Quebec CED Corporations
– 57 SADC: Federal Community Future Corporations (CFC)
33 SSMO: Specialized Services of Main-d ’Œuvre
106 Carrefours Jeunesse Emploi (CJE)
48 Clubs de recherche d ’emploi (CRE)
46 CBOs members of RQUODE (ex.: Accès-Cible)
CBOs members the Coalition COCDMO
38 «entreprises d ’insertion» (Business Training) members of the
Collectif des entreprises d ’insertion
19 Advocacy groups for the rights of Welfare users-citizens +
« Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté »
Social Economy Enterprises in Domestic Homecare Services:
80% of the 5,000 new jobs created = for Income Support People 9
Conclusion: Some Issues
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The kind of relationship between the State
(Emploi-Québec) and the Social Economy
Sector?
– Partnership (e.g. a sharing of power ) ?
– Contracting Out ?
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The social economy model of social
intervention with the unemployed = making
room for the participation of users and workers
A pattern to be expanded in the public sector
and the private sector to renew and
democratize the W2W practices and policies?
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Appendix: In Unisson (1998, p. 24), a
federal / Provincial paper on Disability
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«Opportunities for enhancing the integration and
employment of persons with disabilities also could be
explored through support for community economic
development (CED) and self-employment. CED is an
approach to local economic development that
combines economic and social goals…»
Comment: What is relevant for CED is also relevant for
Social Economy in general with the perspective of
building healthier working places!
The contribution of SE initiative in W2W practices of
people at risk of unemployment and exclusion is
showing the way to the Public and Private Sectors!
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