1. Introduction
There have been discussions over Korea's social welfare service delivery system for the last 20 years, and indeed the system has went through numerous changes. Nevertheless, the system still faces challenges and limits.
At the center of the discussions on the social welfare service delivery system is effectiveness and efficiency in the process of quantitative expansion of social welfare service. In sum, the questions brought up at this point are
"how to develop more efficient social welfare delivery system" and "how to supply social welfare service in a more efficient way."
Concerning these issues, Dr. HyeKyu Kang highlighted the challenges facing Korea's social welfare service delivery system from a historical perspective and examined the recent changes in her presentation "Social Service Delivery of Korea: Seeking for the New Horizons." At the same time, in Prof. Seonmee Hong's presentation "Gyeonggi-do’s customized integrated service delivery model: Implications of the Moohandolbom Center," she introduced the local governments' cases and discussed the tasks to be dealt with.
I see that Dr. Kang's points on overall challenges facing Korea's social welfare service delivery system correlates with Professor Hong's analysis on concrete cases. In this regard, I would like to talk about the topic from a comprehensive perspective.
2. Body
Historical view on welfare policy Although there are many points I agree with Dr. Kang when taking a broad view, I would like to talk about we disagree. First, it is her perception of the process the social welfare policy has gone through in the past 5 decades. I would say she somewhat overestimated the history with too passive and too affirmative view. Looking at the <table 1> on page 3 of the handout, Dr. Kang divided the history of welfare administration into
Emergence of welfare administration (1960~87) → Growing awareness of welfare administration (1988~1999) → Advance of welfare administration (2000~2005) → Transition of welfare administration (2006~2009) → Reform of welfare administration (2010~ )
However, it would be more appropriate to divide the history into
Dark Age (prior to 1987) → Emergence (1988~1999) → Expansion and confusion(2000~ )
According to Dr. Kang, Korea's social welfare administration is already at a transition stage after going through stages of growing awareness and advance, which means Korea's welfare administration developed in an ideal way.
Her view sounds like the easygoing government PR. The reality of Korea's social welfare administration should be described as a complicated and confusing challenge.
- Shift from control to manageability When it comes to the current trend in reorganizing the social welfare service delivery system, I agree with the presenter's view in terms of expectation on the role of "integrated social welfare
service management net" and its potentiality. However, in the ongoing reorganization, we see the "control" of cash welfare benefits is highly emphasized. Reorganization should be carried out in a way that "quality" and
"manageability" of the service are secured.
Direction in creating a private sector-led integrated case management system Concerning the social welfare service system, "continuity of care" is a essential principle to effective service intervention. Service intervention should be conducted according to an intervention plan without discontinuity to maximize its effectiveness. However, continuity is not fully guaranteed in the service intervention by the public sector, integrated case management particularly, due to political changes, frequent personnel rearrangement and rigid organizational culture. What needs to be done at this point is role sharing between the public and the private sectors rather than creation of a public sector-led integrated case management system. Through role sharing, I suggest the public sector be responsible for welfare benefit and the private sector take charge of service. As a matter of fact, it is a widely accepted fact that the private sector excels in integrated case management.
As a network-based delivery system in alliance with the private sector, the Muhandolbom(Unlimited Care) case of Gyeonggi-do Province in Professor Hong's presentation could serve as an alternative. But it would be nothing but a pilot project unless the private sector personnel are given job security.
Inviting case managers with a career in the field to the public sector The announcement of the plan to hire 7,000 social workers raised our expectation on more recipient-oriented social welfare administration with dramatically reduced work burden.
But I am skeptical whether those newly employed social workers will be capable in the forefront of social welfare service. When hiring social workers, the public sector should invite those with a career in the field so that they can lead others as a supervisor.
3. Conclusion: Reorganization of Social Welfare Delivery System?
Establishment of Employment and Welfare Agency under Prime Minister's Office. Supply of integrated case management of social welfare service related to welfare benefit from self-support.
Coordination with the private sector on the basis of contract
Development of case managers with a career in the field.
약력 | Biography
성은미는 경기복지재단 연구위원이며, 경기도무한돌봄센터 소속이다. 중앙대학교에서 석사, 박사를 받았다. 박사학위논문은 한국과 일본의 비정규노동자 사회보험 가입문제와 관련된 비교연구이다. 경기복지재단에서는 주로 복지서비스 전달체계, 무한돌봄센터 운 영과 관련된 부분에 대해 주로 연구를 진행하고 있다.
Dr. Seoung is a researcher of the Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation and works for the Gyeonggi Moohandolbom Center, also known as Gyeonggi Muhandolbom Center. Dr. Seoung got her Ph.D. and master's degree from Chung-Ang University with Ph. D. Dissertation on Comparative Study of Irregular Workers' Participation in Social Insurance in Korea and Japan. In the Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation, Dr. Seoung is conducting research on Welfare Service Delivery System and on the issues with Muhandolbom Center Operation.
성은미
경기복지재단 정책연구팀 연구위원
Eun Mi Seoung
Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation