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Who Has the Power? The Role of NPOs in Local Authorities

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Abstract

Recent years have seen accelerated processes of decentralization and devolution of social services from central government toward local authorities and from them to non-profit organizations (NPOs). This article describes a case study of the process of transition of power from a local authority to a NPO and the outcomes of this transition on public policy making. The findings presented in the article are based on a qualitative analysis of documents over a period of 7 years (1999–2006) in a large local authority in Israel and its relations with a NPO which provide services for the elderly.

Résumé

On observe ces dernières années une accélération du processus de décentralisation et de déconcentration des services sociaux du gouvernement central aux collectivités locales, et de ces dernières aux OBNL. Cet article décrit une étude de cas du processus de transition du pouvoir d’une autorité locale vers une organisation à but non lucratif et les effets de cette transition sur l’élaboration des politiques publiques. Les résultats présentés dans cet article reposent sur une analyse qualitative de documents sur une période de sept ans (1999-2006) dans une importante collectivité locale d’Israël, ainsi que ses relations avec un OBNL proposant des services aux personnes âgées.

Zusammenfassung

In den vergangenen Jahren konnte ein beschleunigter Prozess der Dezentralisierung und Regionalisierung sozialer Leistungen von der zentralen Regierung zu den Lokalbehörden und von diesen zu den Nonprofit-Organisationen beobachtet werden. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt eine Fallstudie zum Prozess des Kompetenzübergangs von einer Lokalbehörde zu einer Nonprofit-Organisation und die Folgen dieses Übergangs auf die Festlegung öffentlicher Grundsätze. Die in dem Beitrag präsentierten Ergebnisse basieren auf einer qualitativen Analyse von Dokumenten über einen Zeitraum von sieben Jahren (1999-2006) in einer großen Lokalbehörde in Israel und ihrer Beziehung zu einer Nonprofit-Organisation, die Dienstleistungen für ältere Menschen anbietet.

Resumen

en los últimos años se ha producido una serie de procesos acelerados de descentralización y devolución de servicios sociales, desde el gobierno central a las autoridades locales y de éstas a las OSAL. En este artículo se analiza un estudio de caso del proceso de transición de poder de una autoridad local a una organización sin ánimo de lucro y los resultados de esta transición sobre la elaboración de políticas públicas. Los resultados presentados en el trabajo se basan en un análisis cualitativo de los documentos durante un periodo de siete años (1999-2006) en una autoridad local mayor en Israel y sus relaciones con una OSAL que da servicio a los ancianos.

摘要

最近几年,从中央到地方当局以及从地方当局到非营利组织的权力下放和社会服务分权进程加快。本文介绍了从地方当局到非营利组织实施权力转移进程的个案研究,以及这种权力转移对公共决策的作用及成果。本文提出的结论是基于以色列一个大的地方当局过去7年(1999-2006)的文件的定性分析,以及它与一个专为老人提供服务的非营利组织的关系。

ملخص

قد شهدت السنوات الأخيرة عمليات تسريع اللامركزية وإنتقال ملكية الخدمات الإجتماعية من الحكومة المركزية إلى السلطات المحلية ومنهم إلى المنظمات الغير هادفة للربح (NPO’s). وصفت هذه المقالة دراسة حالة لعملية إنتقال السلطة من سلطة محلية إلى منظمة غير ربحية ونتائج هذا التحول في صنع السياسات العامة. وتستند النتائج الواردة في هذا البحث على التحليل النوعي للوثائق على مدى سبع سنوات (1999-2006) في سلطة محلية كبيرة في إسرائيل وعلاقاتها مع المنظمات الغير هادفة للربح (NPO’s) التي تقدم خدمات للمسنين.

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Notes

  1. A final power base is that of informational power, which refers to A’s ability to influence B's actions by persuasion or logical argument. In the current study, no events were found that comply with this power base.

  2. In the year 2000.

  3. Supporting neighborhood—a “caring community” that help the elderly to stay in the community by providing them several services as emergency call center, social activity and a neighborhood facilitator.

  4. The state social insurance administration.

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Correspondence to Dorit Bar-Nir.

Appendices

Appendix 1—List of Interviews

In the Local Authority

The director of the welfare department (December 2005; March, 2006 (2))

The assistant to the director of the welfare department (December 2005)

The director of developing community services in the elderly department (September 2006)

The director of the unit for the elderly (January, 2006; March, 2006; April, 2006)

The coordinator of the elderly department (April, 2006)

The director of the unit for volunteering department (December 2005)

The director of the welfare contracts department (December 2005)

The director of the welfare accountant department (January, 2006 (2); April, 2006 (2); July, 2006)

The director of the department for people with disabilities (April, 2006)

The coordinator of the department for people with disabilities (September 2006)

The coordinator of the department for children and family (September 2006)

The Ministry of Welfare and Social Services

The director of department for children and family (August, 2006)

The director of the elderly department (August, 2006)

The director of the social services department (August, 2006)

Appendix 2: Summary of Documentary Evidence

 

Source of document

LA

Local authority

NPO

Non-profit organization

MS

Ministry of social welfare

SC

Social security institute

Event/year

Total

Minute of meetings

Publication

Work plan

Budget

Letter

Contract

Document

Meeting protocol

1/1999

3

   

NPO1

  

LA1

NPO1

2/1999

2

      

LA1

NPO1

 

3/1999

4

    

LA1

NPO-1

LA

NPO-1

LA

LA-NPO1

 

4/1999

1

    

LA-1

NPO

   

5/1999

3

     

NPO-1

LA

NPO-LA1

LA1

 

6/1999

2

    

MS-LA1

 

LA1

 

Total

15

1

4

2

7

1

Event/year

Total

Minute of meetings

Publication

Work plan

Budget

Letter

Contract

Document

Meeting protocol

1/2000

4

  

LA1

NPO1

   

NPO2

2/2000

2

NPO-LA1

  

NPO1

    

3/2000

4

      

LA4

 

4/2000

1

    

LA-1

NPO

   

Total

11

1

1

2

1

4

2

Event/year

Total

Minute of meetings

Publication

Work plan

Budget

Letter

Contract

Document

Meeting protocol

1/2001

3

   

NPO2

LA1

   

2/2001

3

 

NPO1

  

LA1

 

LA1

 

3/2001

3

   

NPO1

LA1

  

NPO1

4/2001

3

    

LA3

   

5/2001

2

    

LA1

LA-NPO1

   

6/2001

3

    

LA2

LA-NPO1

   

7/2001

4

LA-NPO 2

   

LA1

 

LA1

 

8/2001

5

LA1

   

LA2

NPO-MS1

 

LA1

 

9/2001

3

NPO-LA1

NPO1

  

LA-NPO1

   

10/2001

3

LA-NPO1

NPO-LA1

   

NPO1

   

Total

32

6

2

 

3

17

 

3

1

Event/year

Total

Minute of meetings

Publication

Work plan

Budget

Letter

Contract

Document

Meeting protocol

1/2002

1

    

NPO-LA1

   

2/2002

8

NPO-LA1

SC1

  

LA-NPO2

NPO-LA1

LA1

MS-LA1

  

NPO1

Total

9

1

1

  

6

  

1

Event/year

Total

Minute of meetings

Publication

Work plan

Budget

Letter

Contract

Document

Meeting protocol

1/2003

5

   

NPO1

LA1

LA-NPO2

 

LA1

2/2003

3

   

NPO1

LA1

  

NPO1

3/2003

5

   

NPO1

LA1

  

NPO3

4/2003

3

    

LA1

LA-NPO1

LA1

 

5/2003

3

    

LA1

LA-NPO1

 

LA1

6/2003

3

      

LA1

NPO1

NPO1

7/2003

1

     

LA-NPO1

  

8/2003

1

     

LA-NPO1

  

9/2003

1

     

LA-NPO1

  

10/2003

1

     

LA-NPO1

  

11/2003

1

     

LA-NPO1

  

12/2003

6

LA-NPO1

   

NPO-1

LA

LA3

 

LA-NPO1

 

Total

33

1

  

3

9

9

4

7

Event/year

Total

Minute of meetings

Publication

Work plan

Budget

Letter

Contract

Document

Meeting protocol

1/2004

2

     

LA-NPO1

LA1

 

2/2004

1

     

LA-NPO1

  

3/2004

3

     

LA-NPO1

LA2

 

4/2004

3

    

LA2

 

LA1

 

5/2004

1

    

LA-1

NPO

   

6/2004

4

NPO1

   

2LA

LA-NPO1

  

7/2004

2

     

LA-NPO2

  

8/2004

5

    

NPO-1

LA

LA1

LA-NPO1

 

LA2

9/2004

1

     

LA-NPO1

  

10/2004

5

   

NPO1

NPO-1

LA

LA-1

NPO

LA1

  

NPO 1

Total

27

1

  

1

10

8

4

3

Event/year

Total

Minute of meetings

Publication

Work plan

Budget

Letter

Contract

Document

Meeting protocol

1/2005

3

LA-NPO1

  

NPO1

  

LA1

 

2/2005

6

    

LA-1

NPO

 

NPO2

LA3

 

3/2005

4

LA-NPO1

  

NPO1

MSLA1

LA1

   

4/2005

2

LA-NPO1

   

LA1

   

Total

15

3

  

2

4

 

6

 

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Bar-Nir, D., Gal, J. Who Has the Power? The Role of NPOs in Local Authorities. Voluntas 22, 1–25 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-010-9144-6

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