Bridging between the actual and desirable social

image- Experiences and Challenges of a

paradigm shift propounded by LORC

12th Jan 2008 LORC Symposium

Fumihiko SAITO, Katsutaka SHIRAISHI,

Kimie TSUCHIYAMA

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Topics of the presentation

Starting point of LORC: “public” policy and human resources in Japanese society

A paradigm shift propounded by LORC

Shared recognitions derived from LORC research activities

Setting up a “social image” that we should aim to achieve with the paradigm shift

The gap between the desirable social image and the reality

Experiences and challenges in Japan (presented by Dr. Tsuchiyama), developed countries (by Prof. Shiraishi), and developing countries (Prof. Saito)

Good practices and outcomes that should be shared, and challenges from now on

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１） Starting point of LORC: ”public” policy and human resources in Japanese society “Decentralisation Reform in 2000” and “publicness” in local society

　 (1) Decentralisation Reform in 2000 and the present Historical background

Social change and the expansion of the public policy sphere derived from the Japan’s high-growth era of 1960’s

Direct drives : Financial collapses of the central government and local municipalities Long-term debt outstanding as much as 150% of GNP “Crisis of retirement allowance” brought by the retirement of “baby boomer” Exhaustion of the high-growth society/ political structure

A definition of “equal” relationships between central/local governments, and institutional reforms such as the abolition of the imposed administrative work by central government and to local governments

Point is whether local municipalities can utilise this reform and become “governments”

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１） Starting point of LORC: ”public” policy and human resources in Japanese society “Decentralisation Reform in 2000” and “publicness” in local society

　 (2) ”Publicness” in local society

Clear signs of “decay” of traditional community organisations that existed and continued long before the high-growth period.

Importance of shared challenges and “association?” in a “locality”

Focus on NPOs/ NGOs as “new actors” in service development and delivery

Cut of the work of local governments due to the financial crisis

　

Reconsideration of the structure and actors of supply and demand of “public services”

Reconsideration of relationship between the stakeholders in public policy

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２） A paradigm shift propounded by LORC Difficulties in Japan Today

Thick Wall between sectors

Closed career path, lack of job moving to another

Lack of mutual understanding

Lack of collaboration experience

Strong government, social sector and market sector’s CSR are in germ

Confliction / obstruction / opposition between sectorial activities

The lack of human resource and system of collaboration for public policy

The wall between sectors -> Lack of mutual understanding and collaboration

Government Sector

Social Sector

Market Sector

Confliction / obstruction / opposition

Characteristic sphere of activities of each sector

The image of society before paradigm shift

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２） A paradigm shift propounded by LORC Diversification of the actors of policy development and implementation –

the concept of cross-sectoral and “socially-oriented human resources”

Public policy process by diverse “socially-oriented human resources”

Actors’ spheres of activities are extended and interwoven– multi-stakeholder partnership is required

Systems that create the public policy process driven by multi-stakeholder partnership are required

　　　　→ Such systems should be main factors that constitute the core of governance

Recognition and redefinition of the roles and characteristics of each sector

　　　　→ what is a good government/ citizen/ company as an actor for a good governance?

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Characteristic sphere of activities of each sector

３） Shared recognitions derived from LORC research activities: a desirable social image Common objectives of a society: (1)securi

ng environmental, economic, and social sustainability, and (2) developing a “policy and system network” that contribute to a well-balanced improvement of individual’s quality of life

A vision for achieving the objectives is needed, and for challenging them…

The existence of diverse “socially-oriented human resources”and activation of social energy.

Creating a society where there is an environment and systems in which the work of socially-oriented human resources in public policy can be vitalised –social energy will be pooled as social capital

Independence and autonomy of each actors

Government Sector

Social Sector

Overlap of actors’ sphere of activities : area for colabolation

collaboration

Market Sector

Council and Mayor

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4) The gap between the desirable social image and the reality ： Challenges in Japan and LORC Many challenges in the current Japanese situation

Has the foundation of the civil society sector as “an actor of publicness” been firmly developed?

Little spare time and severe work environment: Will the actors be increased? Difficult to be financially self-reliant as a full-time worker of an NPO Exhaustions caused by contracts with the public sector in which they are exploited as a

cheap workforce (this can be as a result of misinterpretation of “partnership” by the public sector)

Are local municipalities maximising this opportunity for reform? Impacts: decentralisation reform, municipal merger, fiscal crisis etc. Impacts treated as something frighting rather than reforming opportunity

Business sector Can the sector itself develop a self-definition as a main actor in local society?

Gap between the sectors, lack of exchange and transfer of human resources Difficult to establish a multi-stakeholder partnership

Although the need for change is recognised, no vision for a desirable social image has yet been developed – developments of tools and systems have not caught up with the current situation

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4) The gap between the desirable social image and the reality ： Challenges in Japan and LORC Notion of and search for socially-oriented human resources

Set the aspect for human resources and their function beyond the sectoral divided view

Approach of Group 2 ,3 and related WG: precondition of social change, seeking a definition and cultivation of a layer of “human resources”

Visualisation of a way and actors of public policy

Development of a common language and recognition that decrease conflicts in “partnership” working

Sharing the resources of education and training as social resources

A social accreditation system by Group 3: recruitment of human resources, career plans, creating social understanding and support for SOHR.

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4) The gap between the desirable social image and the reality ： Challenges in Japan and LORC Notion of socially-oriented human resources

Highly SkilledExpert

ProfessionNPO/NGO

staffCouncil

staff

Various Political Actor on Civil Society

People on Civil Society :

potential SOHR

ab

ility of S

OH

R

Professionality

Basic ability for professional SOHR

Basic realization for citizen/ potential

SOHR

Getting career/professionalize for

Highly skilled expert SOHR

Compulsory Education, Daily Life

High Education, before getting job

Reccurent education / Training

Highly skilled and abillity through the job experiences

Cross sector moving / sharingCross sector moving / sharing

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4) The gap between the desirable social image and the reality ： Challenges in Japan and LORC Development process of socially-oriented human resources and the target

of LORC

Searches and case studies Seeking desirable training/

education programmes

Case studies

Partnership-oriented training

Trends of public policy departments/ courses of universities/ graduate schools

NPO and Regional Government Study Course, Ryukoku University

Case studies in relation to social accreditation

Spatial “seats” in the officer employment of Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Framework of socially-oriented human resources (Group 3)

Basic ability for professional

SOHR

Basic realization for citizen/

potential SOHR

Getting career/professionalize for Highly skilled expert SOHR

Compulsory Education, Daily Life

High Education, before getting job

Reccurent education / Training

Highly skilled and abillity through the job experiences

Cross sector moving / Cross sector moving / sharingsharing

The target area of LORC

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4) The gap between the desirable social image and the reality ： Challenges in Japan and LORC Case of Takashima city in Shiga Prefecture

Trial of making local citizens network for social sector

Trial of making multi-stakeholder partnership between social sector and new local government which made by municipal merger

Difficulties on ground : membership, discussion and agreement, trust and understanding

Making trial and error for new relationship

Reality from objectives, objectives from reality

Severe gaps between the sectors -> difficult to develop a multi-stakeholder partnership without a common language/mutual understanding

Walls between organisations and recognitions within a sector -> importance and difficulties of discussions and consensus buildings

Germination of new actors

Trial and error experiences with partners on the ground -> very hard, awkward and difficult, but may lead to the next stage -> the framework for social energy which leads social capital