Project type: CRP
Code: CRP V5-2288
Beginning: 01.10.2022
End: 30.11.2023
Funding: Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
Co-funding:
Ministry of Public Administration
Collaborating organisations:
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Work
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Public Administration
CNVOS
Coordinator: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana
Leader: izr. prof. dr. Tatjana Rakar (UL FDV)
Associates:
UL FSD:
Summary:
In the context of the changing role of nongovernmental organizations and the social economy more broadly, which today function as important service providers in all areas of welfare, it is important to examine the development of such organizations from the perspective of their role in society as well as within the changes of the contemporary welfare systems. Through their activities, nongovernmental organisations respond to the specific needs of local communities. Their role must be understood in the context of specific national and institutional arrangements, which influence the development of this sector and, in particular, in which areas the nongovernmental sector is developing more. Thus, the functioning, needs, and potential of nongovernmental organisations for the provision of community-based services are placed in the broader context of the development and transformation of the welfare state and the delivery of services in public interest, particularly services in the broader area of social welfare and those arising from present trends such as aging. In periods of economic crisis, nongovernmental organisations play an important role in providing services within the community, which was also demonstrated during the COVID -19 pandemic. Such activities of nongovernmental organisations in local communities, where nongovernmental organisations strengthen public services in areas where gaps exist, have not been sufficiently recognized and supported in public policies. Well-developed and innovative nongovernmental organisations by using the so-called bottom-up approach can effectively identify and respond to the needs of the local environment, especially in the context of community-based services, volunteerism, and advocacy. However, the overall strengthening of civil dialog is a prerequisite for the successful involvement of nongovernmental organisations in the formation of public policies and, consequently, for their adequate response to community needs.
The project aimed to identify the growing needs for community-based services, both at the level of local communities and at the level of nongovernmental organisations’ needs, in order to strengthen their capacity for quality implementation of the public services, volunteering and advocacy. The project used a variety of social science research methods. In addition to an in-depth analysis of key secondary sources, primary research was conducted based on a combination of a qualitative approach using the focus group method and a quantitative approach using a survey method. The qualitative data was analysed based on deductive and inductive coding, while descriptive and multivariate statistical methods were used for analysing the quantitative data. The project thus fills a gap in the nongovernmental sector research, as there have been no large-scale surveys in this field in Slovenia in the last decade. Since then, there have been changes at the level of legislation, funding, and especially at the level of nongovernmental organizations. Through an in-depth analysis of the role of the nongovernmental sector in the Slovenian welfare system, the research project upgraded the results of previous surveys and thus contributed to the formation of appropriate public policies that enable the nongovernmental sector not only to grow but to comprehensively develop, as well as an adequate acknowledgement of its role within the Slovenian welfare system.