Chapter Five

Question 1

What is the mixed economy of welfare?

Answer 1

Loosely defined division of labour between public and private sectors.

Question 2

What are the three broad service sectors?

Answer 2

Public sector, commercial sector and voluntary sector. Commercial and voluntary are both private sectors.

Question 3

What is the social economy?

Answer 3

A fourth sector that has recently been emerging. It aims to strengthen communities through entrepreneurial activities while also improving conditions for disadvantaged people.

Question 4

Why do the sectors often overlap each other?

Answer 4

They work together, the activities and goals are usually similar, and the way the government adjusts their involvement affects the programs delivered by the private sectors.

Question 5

What is the public sector?

Answer 5

Federal, provincial, and municipal governments.

Question 6

What is the commercial sector?

Answer 6

Companies that sell services for full market price. (charitable, independent, or third sector)

Question 7

What is the voluntary sector?

Answer 7

Non-governmental agencies and organizations that deliver services on a non-profit basis.

Question 8

What services are referred to as public programs and why?

Answer 8

Income security programs and social services. The public pays for these programs through taxes.

Question 9

Why are public programs tied to the government?

Answer 9

Since the public pays for them, they expect the governments to develop, manage, and deliver these programs.

Question 10

Do governments control all income security programs and social services today?

Answer 10

Mostly all income security programs, but fewer social services which are mostly in the control of private sectors.

Question 11

What kind of social services and income security programs does the FEDERAL government deliver?

Answer 11

Mental health services for specific client groups. As well as Old Age Security, the Canadian Pension Plan, and the Canada Child Tax Benefit.

Question 12

What kind of services do provincial governments deliver?

Answer 12

Mandated services: social assistance, child welfare, adult protection, and mental health services.

Question 13

What role do the provincial governments play in the delivery of such services?

Answer 13

They have ministries devoted to the funding, structure, and leadership of these services. They leave the delivery to local social service authorities.

Question 14

What kinds of services do municipal governments deliver?

Answer 14

Social housing, social assistance, child care, and community development.

Question 15

What is the problem with municipal governments delivering services?

Answer 15

Many cities are struggling to meet growing responsibilities like poverty, working poor families, income inequality, and high unemployment.

Question 16

Why is the commercial sector not considered a part of the social welfare system?

Answer 16

It is profit motivated.

Question 17

What are some services offered within the commercial sector?

Answer 17

Private child care, addiction treatment, and personal counselling.

Question 18

How are commercial services paid for?

Answer 18

Sometimes a flat rate and other times a sliding fee scale depending on the income and financial needs of the client.

Question 19

Can people be reimbursed for services?

Answer 19

Yes. If they paid out of pocket and they are covered under extended health insurance or compensatory programs.

Question 20

Why have private helping services become more popular?

Answer 20

People welcome the ideas of businesses, can afford or are insured for services, and do not want the government involved in their personal affairs.

Question 21

What is corporate social responsibility?

Answer 21

When a company engages in activities that are important for the company and society.

Question 22

What groups are involved in voluntary social agencies?

Answer 22

Small community-based groups to large, national organizations.

Question 23

What are voluntary social agencies?

Answer 23

Organized, non-governmental, nonprofit, independent (self-governing), and accept volunteers.

Question 24

What three main functions do voluntary social agencies perform?

Answer 24

Good works (tangible and intangible services), advocate (educate or lobby), and mediate (find solutions or compromises).

Question 25

How has the government of Canada recognized the voluntary sector?

Answer 25

The voluntary sector plays a critical and complex role in meeting Canadians’ needs. They are a vital third pillar.

Question 26

What do voluntary agencies mostly rely on for funding?

Answer 26

Agency-generated earnings and government funding.

Question 27

Why did it become clear that governments could not address social and economic problems?

Answer 27

Globalization and the shift from manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy.

Question 28

What was the neoliberal’s response to the ineffective government response to social and economic problems?

Answer 28

They argued that monetarism (controlled spending, low taxes, and smaller government) was a better approach.

Question 29

What did the government decide they needed to do to address these problems but also reduce public spending and taxes?

Answer 29

To shift from a rowing capacity to a steering capacity and reinvent roles.

Question 30

What is a rowing capacity to a steering capacity?

Answer 30

When the government goes from delivering programs directly to setting policy and overseeing services.

Question 31

How did the government shift to a steering capacity?

Answer 31

By promoting collaborative governance so agencies could pool their resources, share knowledge, and work towards common goals.

Question 32

What is the alternative service delivery framework?

Answer 32

It is a framework that provides direction on how to reduce the size and costs of government programs, reorganize government departments and agencies, coordinate efforts, and form effective relationships with private sectors.

Question 33

What is the main strategy of ASD?

Answer 33

Contracting-out. Where the government pays non-government agencies to provide specific services for a limited time while remaining accountable for quality and delivery.

Question 34

Why is competition important for contracting-out?

Answer 34

It keeps the costs of services down, keeps service quality up, and makes delivery more efficient.

Question 35

What does the competition look like in the private sector?

Answer 35

Organizations compete for funds from the government. They submit a proposal and the government chooses the organization which provides the most effective services at the lowest cost.

Question 36

Why were ASD and contracting-out significant to introduce?

Answer 36

A focus on efficiency instead of equity, it reflects the government’s preference for business, and promotes the privatization and marketing of programs.

Question 37

What are some issues and concerns with privatization?

Answer 37

Lower service standards, accountability, the use of funds to profit off of people’s problems, businesses may fall short, and the goals of for profit businesses.

Question 38

How do Canadians perceive the voluntary sector?

Answer 38

Meeting special needs, being trustworthy, being dedicated, and being more flexible and less strict.

Question 39

Why did the voluntary sector start to struggle?

Answer 39

There is a lack of core funding and many social services became voluntary: there was a heavier workload.

Question 40

What did the Voluntary Sector Roundtable do?

Answer 40

They created the Panel on Accountability and Governance, the Working Together: A government/voluntary sector joint initiative, and and voluntary sector initiative.

Question 41

What did these three initiatives do?

Answer 41

They generated research, reports, guidelines and, new projects to improve the capacity of the voluntary sector.

Question 42

Why did the government shift from core funding to project funding?

Answer 42

The government valued business and opposed charity.

Question 43

What is core funding?

Answer 43

Money an agency can apply to its core activities.

Question 44

What is project funding?

Answer 44

Money that is short term and given for specific projects or programs.

Question 45

Why is project funding worse?

Answer 45

It forces organizations to constantly develop and disassemble programs. It is also unpredictable, slow, and does not cover the full costs.

Question 46

What did the voluntary sector have to do because of project funding?

Answer 46

Start fundraisers or turn to donations. They also had to introduce user fees and reduce spending on training and staff development.

Question 47

What is a social impact bond?

Answer 47

A strategy in social financing where a business would provide upfront money and the organization would carry out the service. The government would then pay a bonus to the investor.

Question 48

What do contracts consist of?

Answer 48

How funding should be spent, what results and performance should be, and how the progress and outcomes should be reported.

Question 49

Why has advocacy decreased?

Answer 49

Government withdrawal of funding for advocacy, the 10 percent rule, and being told to refrain from engaging in political activities.

Question 50

What is advocacy chill?

Answer 50

The barriers to advocacy due to fear from the volunteer sector of overstepping their input: creating less social and political change.

Question 51

What is advocacy chill?

Answer 51

The barriers to advocacy due to fear from the volunteer sector of overstepping their input: creating less social and political change.

Question 52

How does the voluntary sector conform to the government’s stricter rules?

Answer 52

They cater more towards the needs of the market and a move to a businesslike approach.

Question 53

What are the underlying principles of the social economy?

Answer 53

People before profits, more citizen participation, empower individuals and communities, and fosters innovative approaches to problems.

Question 54

What kinds of voluntary social agencies fall under the social economy?

Answer 54

Agencies who generate some or all of their income from the sale of goods and services to achieve their economic and social goals.