engleski

Varaždin

In the chapter it is presented the analysis of social innovations and of the characteristics of the local welfare system in the city of Varaždin. The analysis of the presented social innovations is based on background interviews with local stakeholders, experts, civil society representatives, practitioners and on secondary resources (newspapers, websites and policy documents). Cases are examined through an analytical grid, including the questions of types of services and ways of addressing service users ; question of internal organization and modes of work ; and the question of embeddedness of the project in the local welfare system. Case studies from Varaždin are selected in the fields of employment programmes (public works), programme of social inclusion of excluded women, a non-profit housing organization and in a local social care programme (urban gardening). As regards the characteristics of the local system for social innovations development, the role and recognition of civil society in Varaždin has strengthened since 2000. Over the last decade, civil society organisations have grown respectably in their number, and have gained a growing policy role. The local government has also become more responsive and open to initiatives form civil society. They also initiate partnerships with CSOs on different projects. However, political turbulence and changes to power structures over the last couple of years pose a threat to the development of systematic cooperation with civil society and its role in governance. The economic crisis seems to have triggered the innovative potential of civil society. Important incentives have also come from abroad, through international cooperation of CSOs. This assumes more broad civic movements (such as urban gardening) as well as particular cooperation and transfer of good practice. In this respect, CSOs are important carriers of new initiatives and consequently, social change. Selected examples of social innovation and insights discovered via the research, show that in the city of Varaždin the area of social policy public administration has developed the capacity to understand the relevant issues. Their active work provides a framework for cooperation and encourages development of new programmes. In analysed cases, it turned out that the public administration and other stakeholders, such as the Croatian Employment Service and development agencies, provided considerable support for social innovation in Varaždin. Examples of social innovations in Varaždin showed that a certain amount of social capital is evident in the local community. Citizens, mostly younger and better educated, are willing to join and act for their own interests, respecting the interests of others, particularly of vulnerable social groups, and being aware of public good.

social innovation, service innovation, concepts and contexts, approaches and instruments, recurrent patterns of social innovations, ways of addressing users, internal organisation and modes of working, interaction with the local welfare system

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