The Developmental Welfare State: the NESC Perspective

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The Developmental Welfare State the NESC
Perspective
Rory ODonnell
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The Irish Welfare Debate

• The Celtic tiger v. society
• Employment miracle v. poverty disgrace
• Choose a European model of welfare
• Scandinavian universalism
• Continental comprehensive insurance
• Liberal minimal means-tested transfers

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NESC DWS report re-described
Social deficits
Employment income trends
Causation
Economy/society
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The DWS report re-described
1. A significant minority experience multiple
disadvantages and present policies are not
adequate 2. Many at work need access to services
to retain lifetime employability and
participation 3. Provision for people in need
of care does not accord with our new values and
standards
Social deficits
Employment income trends
Causation
Economy/society
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The DWS report re-described
Employment creation across the skill spectrum
co-exists with high benefit dependency a
changing composition of poverty and increased
incomes
Social deficits
Employment income trends
Causation
Economy/society
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The DWS report re-described
These social vulnerabilities derive from the
legacy of the past the economic context the
challenge of quality services for complex,
changing, needs So no comprehensive doctrine
explains them or guides action
Economy/society
Social deficits
Causation
Economy/society
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Beyond economic constraints and social
possibilities
The long-term strength of the economy now
depends on effective social policy
Social policies must share responsibility for
economic performance and participation
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Rethinking the Welfare State

It has three elements How well do they
address social disadvantage? support
participation and innovation? identify and
tackle un-met needs?
Services
Income supports
Innovative measure
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Developmental Welfare State

A way of reforming each of these three elements
and linking them suited to Irelands
particular economic and social situation
Services
Income supports
Innovative measures
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Developmental Welfare State

A radical development of services is the most
important route to improving social
protection It has a triple logic social and
economic tailored universalism
Services
Education Health Childcare Eldercare Housing Trans
port Training Employment services
Income supports
Innovative measures
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Developmental Welfare State

Revise systems that embody low expectations to
create participation packages avoid deepening
dualism with capped tax breaks
Services
Income supports
Innovative measures
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Developmental Welfare State

The RD of the system novel approaches address
ing new needs experimental partnerships need
support evaluation some need mainstreaming
Services
Income supports
Innovative measures
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A Ten Year Framework
Life-cycle approach
Partnerships
Evolving role challenge
Rights standards
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A Ten Year Framework
Life-cycle approach
Partnerships
Evolving roles
Rights standards
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A Ten Year Framework

• Had multiple roles
• target extra resources
• fill evident gaps
• invent new combinations
• rebuild community
• participation in policy
• tackle neighbourhood effect

Life-cycle approach
Partnerships
Evolving roles
In DWS?
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A Ten Year Framework

• changed context
• professional services
• less/different participation
• networked to each other linked to LAs
• a conduit for hesitant service expansion

Life-cycle approach
Partnerships
Evolving roles
In DWS?
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A Ten Year Framework
Can partnerships help identify the services that
are critical? Can they, thereby, help find a
combination of services, income
innovation? How might they relate to mainstream
and other providers?
Life-cycle approach
Partnerships
Evolving roles
In DWS?
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The issue is not proving the worth of local
partnerships

• So much as
• Continuing to place themselves in the dynamic of
• The people in their area
• The national task of building the DWS
• The international turn to
• problem-solving participation
• Continuous improvement supported by new
  self-evaluation disciplines
• And, by that means
• B. Finding and refining their unique contribution
  to Irelands next stage of social and economic
  development