Role of NGOs in public service delivery in Finland Riitta Särkelä The constitution safeguards economic, social and educational basic rights for all people living in Finland. The main principles of the Finnish social protection system are: * the principle of universality * a strong public sector * tax funding based on legislative rights of residents * equal treatment the municipalities have the responsibility of organising services by producing them themselves or by buying them from enterprises or NGOs – welfare mix

NGOs in Social and health sector in Finland Riitta Särkelä role of NGOs has varied in different in different periods in history big part of the services and forms of support have been developed by NGOs  part of the public responsibility NGOs have had an important innovative role important to remember: key role of NGOs in Finland is not service delivery!

Different roles of NGOs in Finland Riitta Särkelä Advocacy Arenas for participation mutual support voluntary work expertise delivery and production of services

Role of NGOs in producing services 17 % of social services 5 % of health services amount of private services grown since 1995 significantly – enterpises vs. NGOs? about persons working in this field in NGOs 2003 in Finland 3143 private units in service delivery- 53 % of them by NGOs the State Provincial Offices give licences for providers of private social and health services and monitor the practitioners and quality of services

Special features of services produced by NGOs flexible and quick to react to new needs: innovative role combinations of services and different forms of voluntary or mutual support special expertise in some areas only in NGOs chains of support in everyday- life context low- threshold to services and support important role in preventive work

Challenges free market regulation and competition: services as products, NGOs as service provices turn to enterprices? growing needs in society: NGOs need to define their own roles, the key role is not service delivery vs. others try to define NGOs role support for big groups in need vs. support for the most vulnerable how to meet the needs of ageing population? how to meet the needs of people in different parts of Finland?