Planning and Coordination of Social Services in Multiorganizational Contexts

Abstract

Despite the pessimism of authors on the subject, planned coordination is a popular strategy intended by cost-conscious policymakers to eliminate waste and duplication in the provision of social services. This paper presents a three-stage framework designed to assist planners to make informed decisions as to whether a coordinated approach appears viable and, if so, what strategies have the best chances for success. Planners are urged to assess, in sequence, (1) environmental pressures acting on the organizations involved, (2) certain characteristics of those organizations, and (3) aspects of the interorganizational planning process itself.