Transparency, Contract Management, Ethical Standard, and Open Competition: In local Government Units Contracting-out of Case Management Service Delivery
Abstract
Contracting for welfare in CEE countries presents a fascinating case for the study to manage social inclusion process of diversified minority communities. However, Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary governments have failed or are inappropriately in the administration and management of taxpayer's money in outsourcing case management from public to private enterprises, assuming that private agencies are better off as enablers to meet unemployed needs and less bureaucratic.
Even though, third country nationals are a heterogeneous group of people characterized by varying degrees of political and socio-economic integration process with diverse needs and enjoy different level of institutions depending on their entry route, resident and work permit. The policy paper put forth the argument that Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland policymakers, administrators and practitioners must take into account the plurality and dichotomy of third country nationals when addressing challenges and contracting for welfare issues relevant to these heterogeneous group.
The purpose of this policy is to discuss basic issues related to open access to information, capability of government officials, and monitoring of agent's performance with ethical behaviour in contracting for case management in the CEE countries and to recommend policy options. This paper determines the contracting out in three CEE nations (the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary) to enable young third country immigrants transition from welfare to work.
Drawing on primary research, official document and scholastic text, data are collected for analysis with the method of content analysis. The findings show that in the CEE countries, contracting out case management service implementation is marked by weakness.
A real part of contracting out employment service is exempt from open information, contracts are often treated as secret with language conditionality and the existence of asymmetry information remains difficult to manage and manage taxpayer's money with ethical standard. Under these circumstances, there is distrust for the contracting out process and the core idea of societal participation and inclusion is blurring.
The research recommends reforms in the area of contracts subjected to freedom of information to meet a larger part of the population, local government unit to cut expenditure and rebuild public service capability with permanent jobs and increased staffing, as well as open book accounting with legislature to oblige contractors show their reports in the public for accountability and ethical standard. Not meeting these goals might be devastating to the people, society and the economy in global competitive market