Unpacking social innovation by nonstate service providers in the challenging social work practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v17i2.416Keywords:
social services, social innovation, NGOs, adaptation, social work, international donorsAbstract
Nonstate service providers in the form of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in the delivery of social services and the development of social work practice, in particular in fragile and conflict-affected countries. In such challenging settings, NGOs also mobilize various resources, implement novel activities or service delivery models that may induce the development of social innovation; however, such perspectives have been overlooked in the social work literature. This study outlines a framework for understanding how social innovation generates by nonstate service providers in a challenging social work context. By analyzing 15 interviews from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the study identified three interrelated key mechanisms that drive social innovation by local NGO service providers: a) transcopy, b) coactive novelty and c) knowledge construction. The processes underlying these mechanisms include transnational networking, copying and adapting, contextual modification, relationship-building, pioneering novel solutions, knowledge production and transfer. This study offers new insights into the role of nonstate service providers in the development of social innovation in a challenging social work context and has several implications for practice.
References
Agapitova, N. & Linn, J. F. (2016). Scaling up Social enterprise innovations: approaches and lessons. The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WorkingPaper95ScalingUpSocialEnterpriseInnovationsRev.pdf
Akesson, B. (2016). The Social Service Workforce as Related to Child Protection in Southeast Europe: A Regional Overview. Child Protection Hub.
Anheier, H. K., Krlev, G., Preuss, S., Mildenberger, G, Bekkers, R., Mensink, W., Bauer, A., Knapp, M., Wistow, G., Hernandez, A & Adelaja, B. (2014). Social Innovation as Impact of the Third Sector. Deliverable 1.1 of the project: "Impact of the Third Sector as Social Innovation" (ITSSOIN), European Commission - 7th Framework Programme, Brussels: European Commission, DG Research.
Ayob, N., Teasdale, S. & Fagan, K. (2016). How social innovation "Came to Be": Tracing the evolution of a contested concept. Journal of Social Policy, 45(4), 635-653.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S004727941600009X
Baglioni, S. & Sinclair, S. (2018). Social innovation and social policy: Theory, policy and practice. Policy Press, University of Bristol.
https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447320104.001.0001
Bason, C. (2018). Leading public sector innovation: Co-creating for a better society. (2nd ed.). Policy Press, University of Bristol.
https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1fxh1w
Bozic, A. (2017) Family group conference: innovative model of support for children, youth and families at risk in Bosnia and Herzegovina - Five years programme implementation assessment report. In Foundation
Brown, L. (2019). Managing evidence and cultural adaptation in the international transfer of innovative social work models. International Social Work, https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872818818247
Butzin, A. & Terstriep, J. (2018). Actors engaged in Social Innovation Initiatives. In Atlas of Social Innovation-New Practices for a Better Future. TU Dortmund University.
Caulier-Grice, J., Davies, A., Patrick, R. & Norman, W. (2012). Defining Social Innovation. A deliverable of the project: "The theoretical, empirical and policy foundations for building social innovation in Europe". TEPSIE.
Collinson, S., & Elhawary, S. (2012). Humanitarian space: a review of trends and issues. Overseas Development Institute London.
Eschweiler, J., Hulgård, L. & Ørgaard, C. L. N. (2018). Channelling solidarity: inputs from third sector, social innovation and co-creation of public goods: Deliverable Report 2. SOLIDUS.
Flynn, M. L. (2017). Science, Innovation, and Social Work: Clash or Convergence. Research on Social Work Practice, 27(2), 123–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731516686198
Hessle, S. (2020). Reconstruction of post-war social work: Experience from former Yugoslavia as an inspiration. International Journal of Social Welfare, 29(2), 192–197. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.12417
Husebø, A. M. L., Storm, M., Ødegård, A., Wegener, C., Aakjær, M., Pedersen, A. L., Østergaard, M. B. & Willumsen, E. (2021). Exploring social innovation (SI) within the research contexts of higher education, healthcare, and welfare services – a scoping review. Nordic Journal of Social Research, 12(1), 72–110. https://doi.org/10.7577/njsr.3455
In Foundation. (2019). Partnership and cooperation in the field of social innovations, strengthening social protection and building civil society for socially vulnerable social groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina. https://infondacija.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Social-innovations-in-BiH-13-years.pdf
International Federation of Social Work. (2020). IFSW -Global Social Work Online Conference: The 2020 to 2030 Social Work Global Agenda: Co-Building Social Transformation https://www.ifsw.org/2020-conference
Islam, C. A. (2016). Non-Governmental Organization Vulnerabilities: Donors and Resource Dependence [Claremont McKenna College]. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1429
Keil, S. & Perry, V. (2015). Introduction: Bosnia and Herzegovina 20 years after Dayton. International Peacekeeping, 22(5), 463–470. https://doi.org/10.1080/13533312.2015.1100614
Krlev, G., Anheier, H. K., Mildenberger, G. (2019). Social Innovation-What Is It and Who Makes It? In H. K. Anheier, G. Krlev, & G. Mildenberger (Eds.), Social Innovation Comparative Perspectives (pp. 3–35). Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315158020
Lepir, L. (2015). Development of social services at the local level in Bosnia and Herzegovina. http://iris-see.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/PolicyPaper-BiH.pdf
Maglajlic, R. A. & Selimovic, J. (2014). Social work in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ERIS Web Journal, 5(1), 17–29.
Maglajlic, R. A. & Stubbs, P. (2017). Occupying Liminal Spaces in Post-Conflict Social Welfare Reform? Local Professionals and International Organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The British Journal of Social Work, 48(1), 37–53. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcx031
Malkić. A. & Hadžiristić, T. (2016). Intersecting Inequalities in Social Protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina Results of an Empirical Study. Analitika - Center for Social Research. Sarajevo.
Mendes, A., Baptista, A., Fernandes, L., Macedo, P., Pinto, F., Rebelo, L., Ribeiro, M., Ribeiro, R., Tavares, M., Sottomayor, M., & Verdelho, V. (2012). Barriers to Social Innovation. A deliverable of the project: “The theoretical, empirical and policy foundations for building social innovation in Europe” (TEPSIE). European Commission - DG Research.
Millard, J., Kapoor, K., Miss, F., Cecchin, S., Morales, B., Berna, M. E., Lin, K., Wageih, M. A., Meldrum, B., Ecer, S., Erdal, F., Bekier, N. M., Mejía Escobar, C., Banerjee, S., Como, E., Tognett, M., Marmo, D., Karzen, M. & Kalac, S. (2017). SI-DRIVE Social Innovation: Driving Force of Social Change D10.4: Summary report on social innovation for poverty reduction and sustainable development. https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/08/SI-DRIVE-D10_4-Final-Policy-Field-Report-Poverty-Reduction.pdf
Moulaert, F., Maccallum, D., Mehmood, A. & Hamdouch, A. (2013). The International Handbook on Social Innovation: Collective Action, Social Learning and Transdisciplinary Research. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781849809993
Moulaert, F. & Maccallum, D. (2019). Advanced introduction to social innovation. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Mulgan, G. (2019). Social Innovation: How Societies Find the Power to Change. Policy Press, University of Bristol. https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447353805
Nicholls, A. & Murdock, A. (2012). Social innovation: Blurring Boundaries to Reconfigure Markets. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230367098
Novy, A., Cools, P., Verschraegen, G., Weinzierl, C. (2020). Knowledge for social innovation. In S. Oosterlynck, A. Novy & Y. Kazepov (Eds.), Local social innovation to combat poverty and exclusion: A critical appraisal (pp. 161–188). Policy Press, University of Bristol. https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447338451.009
Obradović, N. (2016). Social protection reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the crises. Revija Za Socijalnu Politiku, 23(1), 121-136. https://doi.org/10.3935/rsp.v23i1.1282
Oosterlynck, S., Novy, A. & Kazepov, Y. (2020). Local social innovation to combat poverty and exclusion. Policy Press, University of Bristol. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447338444.001.0001
Osborne, S., Brandsen, T., Mele, V., Nemec, J., Genugten, van Marieke Flemig, S. (2019). Risking innovation. Understanding risk and public service innovation—evidence from a four-nation study. Public Money & Management, 40, 52–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2019.1621051
Papić, Ž., Dmitrović, T., Ninković‐Papić, R. & Slijepčević, T. (2013). Social policy reform and the NGO sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina: From protection to social inclusion. IBHI. Sarajevo
Parpan-Blaser, A. & Hüttemann, M. (2018). Social innovation in social work. In J. Howaldt, C. Kaletka, A. Schroder & M. Zirngiebl (Eds.), Atlas of Social Innovation. A world of new practice (2nd ed., pp. 80–83). Oekoem Verlag.
Rey-García, M., Felgueiras, A., Bauer, A., Einarsson, T., Calo, F. & Cancellieri, G. (2016). Social innovation in social services. Filling the resource-needs gap for the most vulnerable through crosssector partnerships and civic engagement. Deliverable 5.4 of the project: “Impact of the Third Sector as Social Innovation” (ITSSOIN), European Commission.
Steiner, A., Barraket, J., Calo, F., Farmer, J. & Teasdale, S. (2021). Guest editorial: The role of governments and public policies in social innovation processes. Social Enterprise Journal, 17(2), 157–164. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-05-2021-138 (accessed 01 October 2021).
Šabanović, E. (2018). Poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Basic Facts. Elval ORG. https://www.elval.org/en/siromastvo-u-bosni-i-hercegovini-osnovne-cinjenice/
Scoppetta, A., Butzin, A., AvRehfeld, D. (2014). Social innovation in the social economy and civil society. In Theoretical approaches to social innovation: a critical literature review (pp. 79–96). Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund.
Stott, N., & Tracey, P. (2018). Organizing and innovating in poor places. Innovation: Management, Policy and Practice, 20(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/14479338.2017.1358093
United Nations Population Fund. (2020). Population Situation Analysis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. https://ba.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/psa_bih_final_november_2020_eng_0.pdf
UNICEF. (2017). Annual Report 2017 Bosnia and Herzegovina. https://www.unicef.org/about/annualreport/files/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_2017_COAR.pdf
Žeravčić, G. (2016). Mapping Study of Civil Society Organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. EPRD Office for Economic Policy and Regional Development Ltd. Available online at: http://europa.ba/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Mapping-study-of-CSOs-in-BiH.pdf
Yan, X., Lin, H. & Clarke, A. (2018). Cross-Sector Social Partnerships for Social Change: The Roles of Non-Governmental Organizations. Sustainability, 10(2), https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020558
Westley, F., Antadze, N., Riddell, D. J., Robinson, K. & Geobey, S. (2014). Five Configurations for Scaling Up Social Innovation: Case Examples of Nonprofit Organizations From Canada. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 50(3), 234–260. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886314532945
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Aleksandar Bozic
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.