@article{Sinclair_S-2022_99782,
title = {Challenges to the strategic state: welfare reform lessons from a devolved polity},
author = {Sinclair, S.},
month = {sep},
year = {2022},
abstract = {The article critically examines the Strategic State approach to social policy as represented by the ‘Scottish Approach’ to policy-making and delivery. The article outlines the defining features of a strategic approach to social policy and critically appraises the Scottish Government’s claim to reflect these principles in flagship welfare reforms. The article considers how far a strategic policy approach has been applied in Scotland and draws upon research exploring the response of local leaders to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to examine what this experience reveals about how ‘strategic’ these actions were. The article concludes that, in contrast to previous slow progress in implementing a strategic approach, the exigencies of COVID compelled innovations in policy making and accelerated practices consistent with a strategic approach. The article concludes with some reflections on what this evidence implies for strategic social policy making and governance.},
journal = {Journal of Social Policy},
publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/S004727942200068X},
}
