On June 5, 2014, four international research projects funded by the European Commission under the call “Local Welfare Systems Favouring social Cohesion” – COPE, FLOWS, LOCALISE and WILCO – will present their policy-relevant findings to an audience of policy-makers, researchers, and interested others in Brussels. The aim of the conference is to fuel a constructive dialogue between practitioners and researchers on the following issues:
How do local active inclusion policies shape the life courses of beneficiaries? (COPE)
- How do local welfare systems support women’s labour market participation? (FLOWS)
- How do different institutional contexts influence local activation policies? (LOCALISE)
- How do local welfare systems favour cohesion through social innovation? (WILCO)
Taco Brandsen will discuss the results of the research project “Welfare Innovations at the Local Level in Favour of Cohesion” (WILCO), which
show how social innovations either emerge and flourish, or struggle and fail. He will reflect on the sustainability and diffusion of social
innovations, on their link to urban policy and on the implications of the findings for policymakers.
Adalbert Evers’ presentation will concentrate on presenting innovative hallmarks in the cities and policy fields WILCO studied and poliy conclusions to be drawn from that. There are recurrent patterns of innovative approaches and instruments concerning ways to adress users, local organisational forms and self governance of innovative attempts, modes of working and financing, and rules &benefits. Hence innovations are not only special solutions for special groups and places but entail hints concening the direction of development of a future culture of social services. Public authorities should therefore develop some consent about what they find “innovative” and “useful”, strengthening such points as criteria for service design, development and support throughout.
All conference presentations are available for download:
Introduction
Brandsen
Evers
Heidenreich
Graziano
Jensen
Jessoula
The conference programme and more information on the conference venue
etc. can be found here: Flyer-FP7_Policy-Conference
Participation in the conference is free of charge, but registration is
required. To register for the conference, please e-mail Kerstin Zemke
([email protected]) until 15 May 2014.
