Transcript The Political Means and Social Service Ends of Decentralization in Poland

The Political Means and Social Service
Ends of Decentralization in Poland
Janelle Kerlin Ph.D.
Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy
The Urban Institute
November 6, 2002
The Political Means and Social Service
Ends of Decentralization in Poland
• The Puzzle
• Theory and Literature
• Methods
• The Politics of Decentralization
• Social Service Outcomes
• Model of Politics and Outcomes
• Conclusion
The Puzzle
Reformers’ Goals
Reform Outcomes
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Weak Provincial and
County Self-Gov’ts
• Inefficient Counties
• Underfunded
Programs
• Civil Society Activity
• Problems w/State
Structure
Democracy
Efficiency
Improved Services
Civil Society
Harmony w/EU
Restore Traditional
County Structure
Theory
Disjointed Pluralism
• Many different coalitions promoting a wide range of
collective interests drive processes of change.
• The dynamics of institutional development derive
from the interactions and tensions among competing
coalitions promoting several different interests.
From Schickler, 2001.
Methods
Politics of the Reform
Reform Outcomes
Interviews
Survey
• Members of parliament
from 4 major parties
• Ministry officials
• Gov’t head of reform
• 200 public social service
organizations
• Three levels of gov’t
• Trained interviewers
Documents
Documents
• Official gov’t
• Media
• Gov’t reports
• Scholarly reports
Politics of the Reform
Influences:
• Ideologies
– Neotraditionalism
– Neoliberalism
• Interest Groups
• International Influence
Types of Politics:
Exclusionary - certain policymakers limit participation
to try and achieve policy outcomes they prescribe.
Contested - different interests of policymakers force
compromise of original reform goals.
Uncontested-Uninformed - little or no compromise of
original reform goals but policymakers lack expertise.
Uncontested - little or no compromise of original
reform goals and policymakers are informed (or
uninformed but lucky).
Old Social Service Structure (1990-1998)
Central Ministry
of Labor and
Social Policy
Provincial Social
Assistance
Offices (49)
Municipal Social
Assistance
Centers (2,489)
Municipal
SelfGovernment
New Social Service Structure (1999-Present)
Central Ministry
of Labor and
Social Policy
Provincial Social
Assistance
Offices (16)
Regional Social
Policy
Centers (16)
County Family
Assistance
Centers (373)
Municipal Social
Assistance
Centers (2,489)
Provincial
SelfGovernment
County
SelfGovernment
Municipal
SelfGovernment
Social Service Outcomes
Deviant
Counterproductive
Expected
Limited
Autonomy
Urban/Rural Disparities
Civil Society
Activity
Underfunded
Services
Poor Economies of
Scale
Inefficient
Intergovernmental
Functioning
Some Societal
Oversight
Services Closer
Degree to which Central Government Funds Covered Need
with Regard to Three Central Government Services
Administered by the County
1999
100%
80%
87%
86%
Regular Counties
All Counties
76%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Cities w/County Status
Degree to which Local Government Funds Covered Need with
Regard to Seven County Social Service Tasks
1999
100%
80%
60%
47%
40%
21%
25%
20%
0%
Cities w/County Status
Regular Counties
All Counties
Kinds of Social Services Co-financed with Other Counties by
Counties and Cities with County Status
July 2000
Eligibility determination
for the disabled
35%
36%
Juvenile rehabilitation 0%
centers
Crisis intervention
centers
cities
w/county
status
8%
10%
6%
regular
counties
0%
Specialist counseling
2%
6%
2%
Care in foster families
0%
20%
40%
60%
Percentage of counties/cities
80%
100%
Degree of different forms of cooperation between CFAC/CSACs and social
service NGOs with respect to selected legislated tasks in all counties
July 2000
Percentage of all counties
(includes cities w/county status)
100%
90%
contracting out
of services
80%
70%
subsidies
60%
48%
50%
37%
40%
other informal
cooperation
27%
30%
20%
10%
5%
3%
4%
7%
6%
1%
0%
Provision of information
regarding legal rights
Organizing specialist
counseling
Selected legislated tasks
Realization of tasks of the
Nat'l Fund for the
Rehabilitation of the
Disabled
Degree of different forms of cooperation between CFAC/CSACs and social
service NGOs with respect to selected legislated tasks in all counties
July 2000
100%
Percentage of all counties
(includes cities w/county status)
90%
80%
contracting out
of services
70%
60%
subsidies
50%
40%
30%
17%
20%
10%
10%
1%
2%
13%
8%
2%
3%
5%
0%
Organizing and assuring the
functioning of county
support centers for the
mentally ill
Organizing care in foster
families
Selected legislated tasks
Running a crisis intervention
center
other informal
cooperation
Degree of different forms of cooperation between county and city family
assistance centers and social service NGOs
with respect to 9 legislated tasks
July 2000
100%
Percentage of all counties
(includes cities w/county status)
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
27%
30%
20%
10%
3%
5%
Contracting out of
services
Subsidies
0%
Other informal
cooperation
Other Roles of Social Service NGOs in the Context of Cooperation with
CFAC/CSACs
July 2000
They realize other tasks
than those connected
w/legislated tasks
81%
39%
They participate in
determining the division
of funds from national
funds
City Social
Assistance
Centers
22%
45%
They play the role of an
advocate for local
community needs
County Family
Assistance
Centers
50%
53%
They provide the
CFAC/CSAC with
information on specific
social problems
44%
66%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Percentage of CFAC/CSACs
80%
100%
Participation of Local Institutions in the Development of the County
Strategy for Solving Social Problems in All Counties
July 2000
31%
Churches
37%
Health care centers
City/county
administration
39%
Secular and religious
NGOs
42%
Residential nursing
homes
43%
Schools
47%
Labor office
48%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Percentage of all counties (includes cities w/county status)
100%
Use of the County Strategy for Solving Social Problems in all
Counties
July 2000
Strategy exists but is not used
3%
In the Social Affairs Department of the provincial
administration
11%
In the Regional Social Assistance Center
21%
By the president of the county/city
22%
By the county/city administration
33%
During sessions of the county/city council
38%
In the CFAC/CSAC during planning of future
activities in the county/city
51%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Percentage of all counties (includes cities w/county status)
100%
Model for Types of Politics and Corresponding
Policy Outcomes
(for Decentralization in Poland)
Type of
Exclusionary
Contested
Politics
Policy
Outcome
Uncontested -
Uncontested
Uninformed
Deviant
CounterProductive
CounterProductive
Expected
Conclusion
• Reform politics can prevent factors theorized as
necessary for “good” decentralization from coming
together to achieve expected ends.
• Western democratic theory is applicable in a postcommunist context though it may not account for all
politics found in a given case.
• Polish policymakers are still grappling with how much
democracy to let in to the policy process - extremes are
reflected in outcomes.