A Framework for Planning Social Services.

An outline of a planning process for social services, prepared for the Task Force on the Organization of Social Services, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The first step is to adopt a classification scheme indicating where resource-allocation decisions must be made politically and where they ought to be made technically. Functions could be distinguished by major classes, by target groups, by societal objectives, or by combination of these classifications. Once resources have been allocated, standards to measure achievement and a method for attaining the goal can be determined. There are four general institutional arrangements for furthering a social purpose: (1) The government distributes generalized purchasing power. (2) The government provides a particular social service. (3) An outside institution provides a given service under government contract. (4) The government provides scrip or identification cards that are used to purchase goods or services from competing offerers. Each delivery system has advantages, but the last method, where applicable, goes farthest toward increasing efficiency through competition while maintaining individual freedom. Although each system will have its own criteria for evaluation, sufficient feedback must be provided to allow for self-criticism and adaptive behavior.