TY - JOUR
AU - Sinclair, Stephen
PY - 2022
DA - September
TI - Challenges to the strategic state: welfare reform lessons from a devolved polity
JO - Journal of Social Policy
DO - https://doi.org/10.1017/S004727942200068X
AB - 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.
PB - Cambridge University Press
UR - https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/en/publications/fa386217-8156-4b91-8a2e-3f5ed87e401a
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ER