Open AccessMaking Social Services Work for Everyone: a summary of the recent Productivity Commission inquiry
Author(s) -
Dave Heatley
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
policy quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2324-1101
pISSN - 2324-1098
DOI - 10.26686/pq.v12i2.4703
Subject(s) - commission , stewardship (theology) , work (physics) , government (linguistics) , productivity , project commissioning , social work , public relations , purchasing , business , social welfare , service (business) , political science , public administration , publishing , marketing , economic growth , economics , engineering , finance , politics , mechanical engineering , linguistics , philosophy , law
Social services are those dedicated to enhancing people’s economic and social well-being by helping them lead more stable, healthy, self-sufficient and fulfilling lives. New Zealand’s social services – specifically, those provided, funded or otherwise supported by government – were the subject of a recent New Zealand Productivity Commission inquiry (Box 1). The commission’s final report is wide-ranging, covering subjects from service commissioning to purchasing and contracting, programme evaluation, institutional design and system stewardship. The report’s recommendations on many of these topics reflect standard social policy principles and may hold few surprises for readers of Policy Quarterly.