Handicap International/ Regional expertise program in the field of social services
for people with disabilities/ South East Europe 2007-2009
MODULE 1 B- The process of social service provision for people with disabilities
CHAPTER 1.B.3 – The main stakeholders which are involved in the field
of social services for people with disabilities
OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTER 1.B.3
The main goal of this chapter is to discuss about the actors involved in the overall provision of
social services for people with disabilities.
The chapter explores the functional links between these actors and introduces also the concept of
the welfare mix in social service provision.
This text intends to show that in all moments of the design, preparation and delivery of social
services, all actors have an (equal) important role. They have to be involved together in all stages
of social service provision, from the assessment of local needs to the delivery, monitoring and
evaluation of these services.
Since the role of these actors has changed in the last decade in the Balkan countries, due to the
decentralisation process and to the welfare mix, the chapter addresses the charact eristics of this
transition. It also links the existence of these stakeholders with the regulatory procedures that
are needed for the harmonization of their roles at local and national level.
A. THREE MAIN CATEGORIES OF STAKEHOLDERS ARE INVOLVED IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL
SERVICES:
STATE
USERS
PROVIDERS

The users of social services : in
our case, persons with disabilities
(and eventually their families or
legal representatives);

The social service providers, both
public and private;

The State, which usually plays a
regulatory role.
Module 1 – Chapter 1.B.3. - Page 1 of 5
Handicap International/ Regional expertise program in the field of social services
for people with disabilities/ South East Europe 2007-2009
In general, in the services sector (the business oriented one) the offer and the demand are governed by
market laws. The service providers deliver services that are asked by consumers and for which the
consumers are ready to pay. We use to say though that the offer and the demand for commercial
services are self-regulated (they articulate each other directly).
Delivery of service
USERS
PROVIDERS
User’s satisfaction
In the social sector this direct regulation is not possible. The reason why is a simple one: the users of
services are not always paying for social services. In this context, the State intervenes usually as a
regulatory instance, and ensures that the offer and the demand for social services are coherently
approached at local and national level, in relation with the public resources and with the real needs of
people.
The State becomes a regulator of the offer and of the demand for social services.
STATE
Demand
USERS
Offer
Direct service
provision
PROVIDERS
The public authorities (at central or local
level, depending on the organisation of the
system of services in each country) receive
the specific demands from people with
disabilities, in relation with the services that
they need at community level.
The authorities map and centralise also the
offers of services, from the level of both
public and private providers.
We will see in the next chapters that these relationships between the three types of
actors are related with the design of the regulatory systems in each country.
Specific procedures are designed at national level, in order to balance the offer and the
demand, as well as for using more effectively the public money for those services that
respond to the needs of people with disabilities at local level.
In order to cover its regulatory role, the State has to design transparent regulatory
mechanisms for each type of relationships with the stakeholders. When regulating the
Module 1 – Chapter 1.B.3 - Page 2 of 5
Handicap International/ Regional expertise program in the field of social services
for people with disabilities/ South East Europe 2007-2009
demand, States usually establish gate-keeping procedures at local or national level;
when regulating the offer, States are developing licensing and accreditation procedures,
quality standards, contracting and funding procedures, monitoring and evaluation
procedures etc.
If we try to represent the more complex relationship between these three actors, then the illustration
has to take into consideration the different roles covered by the national and local authorities in this
process of social service provision.
PUBLIC AUTHORITIES (CENTRAL LEVEL)
They guarantee the access to social services by defining the regulatory
mechanisms at national level and evaluating their implementation
Central authorities
assess the
implementation of
regulatory
mechanisms at local
level
PUBLIC AUTHORITIES (LOCAL LEVEL)
They implement the national regulatory procedures at local level
AUTHORITIES
REGULATE THE
ACCESS OF USERS TO
SOCIAL SERVICES
USERS
DEMAND AND
LOBBY
(Users express the
needs for services)
AUTHORITIES
REGULATE THE
DIRECT
PROVISION OF
SOCIAL SERVICES
Providers make
their OFFER FOR
SERVICES
(SUPPLY)
PROVISION OF DIRECT SERVICES TO USERS
FEEDBACK OF USERS
AUTHORITIES
REGULATE THE
SUPPLY OF
SOCIAL SERVICES
SOCIAL SERVICES
PROVIDERS
The responsibility in the definition and implementation of regulatory mechanisms:
The regulatory mechanisms (represented by the green thick arrows) are meant to coordinate: the access of
users in the system of social services, following their needs and demands, the offer ( supply) of services
according to local needs, as well as the concrete provision of social services, respecting essential principles
as quality, accessibility, accountability, affordability for all users who need them.
Fig.4 The main stakeholders involved in social service provision, and their roles in the definition and
implementation of regulatory mechanisms
The authorities are at the same time:
 the guarantor (and the main responsible body) ensuring fundamental human and social rights of
all citizens;
 the recipient of the expressed needs of the population, in terms of social services;
 the guarantor of qualitative provision of social services, in accordance with these needs, and
through a regulatory frame that applies both to public and private providers at the community
level.
Module 1 – Chapter 1.B.3 - Page 3 of 5
Handicap International/ Regional expertise program in the field of social services
for people with disabilities/ South East Europe 2007-2009
It is very important to mention that the State (central or local authorities) remains the ultimate
responsible for the access of people with disabilities to social services in their own communities, no
matter who delivers concretely the services.
B. WHO ARE USUALLY THESE STAKEHOLDERS?
 When we speak about the State, we usually refer to:
-
central authorities (ministries, central commissions, national inter-sectorial committees
etc.);
-
local authorities (either deconcentrated bodies of the ministries – like school inspectorates,
Centres for Social Work, Local Directorates for Health etc. – or local elected authorities);
 When we speak about the social service providers, we usually refer to 5 different
categories :
-
Public providers (those who are entirely paid from public budgets);
-
Not-for profit organisations providing social services (NGOs);
-
Individual persons being hired as personal assistants, on the basis of direct contracts with
persons with disabilities;
-
For-profit companies providing services;
-
“Informal” providers (like families or volunteers).
The last four categories mentioned above can be grouped under the label of “private
providers”.
The co-existence of a plurality of providers in one country became an acknowledged feature of
modernisation of the social sector and it is described with the term “welfare mix” .
 When we speak about the users of social services, in the disability sector, we usually
refer to:
-
Persons with disabilities (children, young adults or adults);
-
Persons with disabilities who are facing multiple vulnerable or at-risk conditions (poverty,
gender or ethnic-related discrimination, people affected by HIV and AIDS, people who are
exploited or abused etc.);
-
Families or legal representatives of persons with disabilities;
-
Communities at large, when services are addressing as well changes of attitudes,
perspectives or practices related to disabled persons and their daily life.
Module 1 – Chapter 1.B.3 - Page 4 of 5
Handicap International/ Regional expertise program in the field of social services
for people with disabilities/ South East Europe 2007-2009
WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN CHAPTER 1.B.3 ?
-
We usually speak about three categories of stakeholders involved in social service
provision: (a) State, (b) providers and (c) users of services.
-
Specific relationships exist among each other and these relationships are translated into
regulatory mechanisms and procedures.
-
The social sector modernizes constantly during the last decades. In this context, the
“welfare mix” trend allows the emergency of a plurality of providers in the social field, both
private and public.
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