Redistributive Policy and Devolution: Is State Administration a Road Block (Grant) to Equitable Access to Federal Funds?

Over the last several decades, block grants have been a keyinstrument by which policy authority is devolved from federalto state governments. Whether the block grant approach producesmore effective redistributive policy management (on equity orefficiency grounds) is an open and central question. We focuson the equity dimension by positing an explanatory frameworkthat links access to federal block grant funding to the transactioncosts associated with intergovernmental grant contracting. Weargue that grant access is a function of both state-level institutionalchoices and the administrative capacity of local governments—whichcombine to influence the salient transaction costs associatedwith grant contracting. We apply our theoretic framework tothe non-entitlement portion of the Community Development BlockGrant (CDBG) program and analyze granting data across distinctinstitutional settings. We find that local administrative capacityis a key to access, indicating that some localities most inneed are least equipped to capture grants, which raises equityconcerns. However, the specific way in which states structurearenas of grant competition can make access more equitable.In short, we show that state-level institutional arrangementscritically affect access to federal block grant funds when thosefunds are allocated through competitive grant contracting tolocal governments.     

Schools uniting neighborhoods: the SUN initiative in Portland, Oregon

The SUN Community Schools Initiative is a community-driven model that allows each school community to design the programs that fit neighborhood needs in Portland, Oregon. County and city governments, local school districts, and community agencies have jointly leveraged resources to support fifty-one community schools. The program is managed by the Multnomah County Department of School and Community Partnerships. The City Parks and Recreation Bureau oversees twelve sites staffed by city employees. Strong support across political systems aligns funding and reduces the fragmentation in existing funding patterns.     

上海社会组织发展机制和体制改革研究

上海社会组织的发展不仅需要创新模式,更需要突破传统体制机制的制约。上海需探索成立市级社会组织管理服务中心,建立社会组织管理服务的第三方评价制度;出台政府购买服务的指导目录,制定政府购买服务的办法,建立政府购买服务资金的增长机制;加大社会组织人才扶持力度,出台公益人才扶持政策,打造公益人才培训基地;制订免税扩围政策,如细化免税对象、扩大免税内容、简化免税审批流程;建立扶持社会组织发展的资金体系,如建立支持草根社会组织的扶持资金、支持企业设立公益基金、设立社会组织发展的公共资金专户;开展社会组织改革创新试点,建立国际社会组织集聚园区,开展服务于外来人口的社会组织综合创新试点,建立与国际对接的志愿者服务体系。     

Use of Title IV-E Funding in BSW Programs

Summary

Title IV-E provides resources that allow social work education and state child welfare agencies to collaborate to provide an educational experience that prepares students to move quickly into a complex practice experience. In 1998-1999 all BSW programs that were accredited and in candidacy were surveyed to see if they were using Title IV-E funds to provide support for students who would agree to work in public child welfare programs after graduation. The questionnaire used was based on Zlotnik's earlier survey (Zlotnik & Cornelius, 2000) of all programs receiving IV-E funds. Of the 464 BSW programs surveyed, 282 replied, 59% of these were public institutions, the rest private. Forty-eight schools reported receiving some type of IV-E funding for students. Results indicate a number of models are used to support collaboration between the schools and their state agencies. These include differences in the requirements of students while they are in school and after graduation and in the amount of funding available to students. In addition, institutions not receiving IV-E funds were asked to describe why they were not. Implications for BSW programs are discussed.     

The problem of unemployment amongst refugees in Europe

Refugees, asylum seekers, 'de facto' refugees, and refugees in irregular situations have become a constant phenomenon of the social reality of the member states of the European Community. All agencies must ensure that the situation of these people is as widely publicized as possible. The integration of refugees should be assisted as much as possible by employment schemes, social counseling, and psychological assistance. The European Community should deal with the increasing numbers of refugees who are suffering under long-term unemployment, inadequate housing, and poor language and vocational training facilities. The European Governments and the European Communities should consider giving priority to funding voluntary agencies for carrying out long-term assistance programs. The promotion of specific programs for refugees should be considered an urgent priority. Programs operated by the voluntary agencies should include information on 1) the social, economic, and legal structure of the host country; 2) employment and vocational policies and facilities; and 3) voluntary repatriation and resettlement programs. The voluntary agencies should be able to carry out their tasks by 1) giving individual, unbiased counseling to each refugee in need; 2) employing well-trained staff speaking the language of the group concerned; and 3) undertaking action-oriented research projects.     

Sweet and Sour Charity: Experiences of Receiving Emergency Relief in Australia

Abstract

Emergency relief is assistance provided by community agencies to people in financial crisis, usually recipients of income support payments. The present study reports on an exploratory, qualitative study of the experiences of people who seek emergency relief. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 emergency relief recipients from seven different agencies. Although the interviewees reported some positive experiences, distinct limitations in the extent of assistance were also perceived. Accountability for appropriate processes and quality assurance in service delivery are important requirements of agencies. Increased government funding to assist agencies to provide more holistic services would lead to more effective outcomes.     

Participation in stakeholder-based evaluation: A case study

This paper reports on the evaluation of some of the elements of a multi-component program aimed at improving the accessibility of health and social services for the homeless. The program involved provincial, regional and municipal authorities and more than 20 non-profit and public agencies. In accordance with the overall approach of the program, the principle of stakeholder participation in the evaluation was emphasized by the funding agencies. However, even if the evaluation started under promising conditions, including administrative support, a strong commitment from the involved agencies and experience in formative evaluation within the research team, participation of stakeholders from charitable non-profit agencies met with many difficulties. Using a case study approach, this paper attempts to analyze and discuss how the organizational context of the evaluation, certain stakeholder characteristics and methodological features may have impacted on the evaluation process.     

Urban development programming: The problem of federal involvement and self‐evaluation

One government social service program that has been affected by the recent shift in political philosophy is the Urban Development Action Grant program (UDAG). Operated since 1977 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), UDAG is intended to facilitate the creation of new employment opportunities in economically distressed areas. Awarded by the federal government to local public officials, UDAG funds are allocated to encourage private investment for industrial growth and expansion. These financial incentives, it is argued, serve as a catalyst for new employment opportunities created to assist the poor and the unemployed.

In the context of a cost‐benefit analysis, however, the UDAG program may be an example of fiscal extravagance and administrative malfeasance. Three UDAG case studies reported offer a sample of federally subsidized UDAG industrial projects. Discussion of these projects is intended as a partial analysis of the UDAG program. Other issues addressed include the role of federal officials in the UDAG monitoring process, the effectiveness of UDAG in creating new jobs, and the criteria employed by government officials to evaluate the UDAG program.     

上海公共文化服务供给侧改革对策研究

上海公共文化服务供给侧改革需要研究公共服务"要素配置""生产率提升"等问题,让公共文化服务从保基本需求的需求引导型公共文化建设向需求引导型和消费引导型相结合的"大都会公共文化供给机制"转型,打通文化产业与文化事业之间交互配置的渠道,探索适合上海国际文化大都会、国际创意城市建设的公共文化服务新模式,建构政府、企业和公益性志愿机构多主体参与的竞争机制,激发文化服务"全要素生产率"的提升.     

The inherently political nature of program evaluators and evaluation research

This paper discusses the importance of addressing the political dynamics inherent in any evaluation research process. The theoretical orientation contributing to the denial and avoidance of politics is articulated and contrasted with one which posits politics as normative and useful. A connection is drawn between stakeholder and case study approaches to evaluation. It is argued that both are effective routes to evaluations which facilitate decision making. A case example of a study of Community Development Block Grant agencies is used to detail problems accompanying avoidance of politics. Guidelines for effectively addressing and using politics are offered.     

Title V of the Older Americans Act, the Senior Community Service Employment Program: participant demographics and service to racially/ethnically diverse populations

Title V of the Older Americans Act, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), is a 40+-year-old federal program providing subsidized community service and employment training to low-income, unemployed individuals aged 55 and older. It is the only nationally mandated workforce training program for seniors. Because of SCSEP's dual mission, participants added 48 million hours of community service (valued at almost $1 billion) to the U.S. economy in 2008. Almost half (48.9%) of the participants are racial or ethnic minorities, which makes it crucial to understand the program experience of these individuals. Participation, program duration, and employment placement of minorities are examined. Findings show successful enrollment rates, an interactive effect of age and education on program duration, and no indication of a minority disadvantage in employment placement. Recommendations include funding for innovative grants, leveraging of federal partnerships, and targeted technical assistance.     

Faith-Based Programs and the Role of Empirical Research

Abstract

After some decades of being subject to neglect or contempt, faith-based social care programs are receiving increased attention and resources enabling them to undertake a greater role in the national network of human services. Faith-based programs receiving public support can expect to be rightly scrutinized by the public, in terms of their ability to attain professed program goals. The tools of conventional empirically-oriented program evaluation research have tremendous potential to help demonstrate the effectiveness of faith-based programs, which will justify their receipt of ongoing support from public funds. Negative research findings can be properly scrutinized by the faith-based community of service providers to help make tough, data-based, decisions on funding priorities. Several examples are described, illustrating how various types of faith-based programs have profitably participated in program evaluation studies.     

Family Resilience Predicts Socioeconomic Mobility of HUD Participants

Changing economic times and government policies are reshaping the way the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides services nationwide; there is both a growing demand for housing and a desire to help families become self-sufficient. In this study, the authors examined factors that contribute to increased socioeconomic mobility through the lens of family resilience. Analyzing cross-sectional data from 411 families in the San Bernardino County HUD District using discriminant function analysis, results of this study show strong preliminary evidence that certain components of family resilience predict whether an individual head of household will have full-time employment. The results of this study provide implications for social service programs aimed at socioeconomic mobility.     

State “Technical Assistance Programs” for Nursing Home Quality Improvement: Variations and Potential Implications

To improve nursing home quality, many states have developed “technical assistance programs” that provide on-site consultation and training for nursing facility staff. We conducted a national survey on these state programs to collect data on program design, operations, financing, and perceived effectiveness. As of 2010, 17 states had developed such programs. Compared to existing state nursing home quality regulations, these programs represent a collaborative, rather than enforcement-oriented, approach to quality. However, existing programs vary substantially in key structural features such as staffing patterns, funding levels, and relationship with state survey and certification agencies. Perceived effectiveness by program officials on quality was high, although few states have performed formal evaluations. Perceived barriers to program effectiveness included lack of appropriate staff and funding, among others. In conclusion, state technical assistance programs for nursing homes vary in program design and perceived effectiveness. Future comparative evaluations are needed to inform evidence-based quality initiatives.     

"Put your money where your mouth is!": the need for public investment in women's organisations

This article explores the inadequate funding of women's organizations, cites examples of their contribution to political processes, and argues the implementation of the political rhetoric of supporting women's organizations. Information was taken from the 1996-99 research, which employed in-depth interviews and gender analysis of records of public funds. At the start of the 21st century, women's organizations have emerged to address the health care, law, child care, education and employment legislation. However, failure of social policy in addressing the priorities of women could be attributed to the lack of acknowledgement among male leaders when making peace agreements. A call for public funding for women's organizations from government agencies was deemed important. Moreover, insufficient funds, understaffing, and marginality to mainstream economic and social development undermines organizational development and capacity to influence political agendas and development policies. In conclusion, monitoring of public investment, deemed as important in realizing women's equality, is necessary in offering opportunity to expose the inadequacy of the investment and find solutions for these problems.     

Evaluating effectiveness in social work: sharing dilemmas in practice

Evaluating effectiveness is of primary concern to social work practice; resources will always be limited, and those using services deserve the best. But what is effectiveness, and how should it be measured? This paper explores the challenge of measuring effectiveness in social work by examining two small-scale evaluations of services (statutory and voluntary) in Scotland. Both evaluations used a mixed method approach and both were conducted in a climate of funding cuts. It will be argued that evaluating effectiveness sits uncomfortably between new public management (NPM)’s imperative for measurement and efficiency within a market economy and agencies’ own need to reflect on their practice and respond to the views of their service users. Such processes force agencies into a continual cycle of monitoring and review that may, paradoxically, impede organic change and development. It is suggested that an alternative, critical paradigm in evaluation offers a positive way forward.     

Bridging refugee youth and children's services: a case study of cross-service training

Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services(BRYCS), a public-private partnership between the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, provides national technical assistance to public child welfare. After a series of "community conversations," BRYCS identified a lack of knowledge among child welfare staff about newcomer refugees, negative stereotypes, and a fear of child protective services among refugees. BRYCS initiated a number of technical assistance initiatives, including a pilot cross-service training project in St. Louis to strengthen collaboration between child welfare and refugee-serving agencies. This article details the lessons learned from this training and recommends changes in policy and practice.     

Small,minority‐based nonprofits in the information age

Pundits of information technology stress that the Internet opens new arenas for nonprofits through the ability to share information both locally and globally. New technology also changes funders' and other evaluators' expectations regarding proposals. Although new technology makes life easier for organizations with budgets, time, and familiarity with technology to buy and use these new tools, nonprofits that lack these resources fall even further behind in their quest to support and improve their programs. Based on ethnographic research in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this article explores the role of changing technology in the ability of small nonprofits to succeed in implementing their organizational mission. Using case studies, this article compares the experience of nonprofits and church mission projects based in the African American and Latino communities in this small city to that of two mainstream organizations in gaining funding and the general perception of those agencies in the local community. The article argues that expectations about the use of technology increase the gaps between a community's haves and have‐nots. Kenosha organizations based in communities of color are particularly at risk due to already low funding and lack of staff familiar with new technologies. The article demonstrates that the key is often not access to technology or technical assistance but the time to make the best use of available technology.     

Mentoring as a Bridge to Positive Outcomes for Teen Mothers and Their Children

This paper compares historical and psychosocial realities of teenage parenting to prevailing contemporary myths. The authors explore the negative consequences of current remedies based on these myths. Community volunteer mentoring programs are suggested as a cost-effective intervention that can benefit communities and promote positive outcomes for at-risk pregnant teenagers. The authors suggest strategies for implementation of a community volunteer mentoring program based on an existing program in an urban community health center. Detailed information for social workers in community agencies is provided with regard to community education, recruitment, training, and ongoing support and supervision of mentors; funding requirements; and program evaluation.