The Hong Kong Journal of Social Work

This article identifies the key challenges confronting social work and human services in Australia. The implications of such challenges, in particular, managerialism, on the social work profession are examined. Future viability of the profession depends on its capacity to re-invent itself and engage in these fundamental contextual changes. Such a move necessitates the social work profession to adopt a change in its culture and orientation.

O'Connor 在〈 澳 洲 社 会 工 作 未 来〉 一 文 中 检 视 了 社 工 专 业 面 对 的 重 大 挑 战， 其 中 尤 以 管 理 主 义 的 影 响 最 大。 社 工 专 业 是 否 能 延 续 它 对 社 会 的 贡 献， 则 有 赖 社 工 专 业 是 否 能 在 它 的 文 化 和 取 向 方 面， 作 出 基 本 的 改 变； 从 而 使 专 业 提 升 自 我 更 生 的 能 力。

Two forms of managerialism are distinguished: generalist managerialism, that which affects the daily experience of social work practice and policy managerialism, that which affects the development of policy. The development of social work in Britain led social workers to adopt the role of bureau-professionals, mitigating the inflexibility of the bureaucratic provision of welfare in state social services. However, through case studies of local government social services and probation services, the impact on this conception of social work managerialism through its adoption by new Right governments during the 1980s and 90s is demonstrated. It is argued that distinguishing the impact of inflexibility in services through bureaucratisation from the impact of policy managerialism, the inclusion of a wide range of stakeholders and ensuring advocacy for the voices of service users and the community mitigates the effects of managerialist bureaucratisation.

作者认为管理主义普遍理论对社会工作日常运作的影响有别于管理主义理论应用于公共行政的范畴上。作者以英国的地区社会福利服务及感化工作的展为案例，指出社工专业需要对管理主义对不同服务的影响，先作检视，然后作出适当的回应。 总的来说， 社工可以联系著不同背景及业的人士，与服务使用者一起去倡导及争取他们的权益。 积极参与公共政策的厘订， 来减低管理主义对社工服务的不良影响。

This article examines the dimensions and importance of managerialism in social work. A three-part question: "What?", "So What?" and "Now what?" forms an analytical frame, which generates a frank deliberation on what actually take place in social work agencies in the U.S. These social work agencies, as a whole, are found to be under-led, under-managed and over-supervised. In order to make improvements for quality service to clients, specific and concrete suggestions are outlined for social workers' consideration.

这 篇 文 章 检 视 社 会 工 作 中 管 理 主 义 的 领 域 和 重 要 性。 作 者 用 「什 么？」 「又 如 何？」 和 「现 在 又 怎 样」 构 成 其 分 析 架 构， 从 而 坦 诚 地 讨 论 美 国 的 社 会 工 作 机 构 究 竟 发 生 什 么 事。 总 的 来 说、 问 题 在 於 缺 乏 领 导、 管 理 不 善 和 过 量 监 督。 作 者 并 提 供 明 确 和 具 体 的 指 引， 以 便 社 工 改 善 其 服 务 质 素。

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been the major provider of social welfare services in Hong Kong. Facing an economic downturn, the Hong Kong government decides to enhance cost-effectiveness and accountability in social service through the introduction of market values and business management practices. Market-oriented practices include contracting out, competitive bidding, performance monitoring and lump-sum grant. The appeal of these practices lies in the possibility of lowering costs, but their long-term effect on quality and stability of services is largely uncertain. With the emergence of competition and deregulation in social welfare, NGOs have to face formidable challenges to change their traditional philosophies and mode of operations. The reform implicates the redefinition of the relationship between the government and NGOs, and between social workers and their NGO employers. This paper points out the need to adopt a cautious and consensus approach to introduce welfare reforms.

非政府机构为香港社会福利的最大提供者。 面对经济不景， 香港政府决定引入市场导向和工商管理的措施， 以提高社会服 务的成本效益和问责性。 市场导向的措施包括外判、 投标、 表现监察及一笔过拨款。 这些措施吸引人的地方是可以降 低成本，但长此下去可能影响服务质素和稳定性。 随著出现竞争和取消管制， 非政府机构将要改变其固有的哲学和运作 的方式。 福利改革重新订定政府和非政府机构的关系， 亦改变社工的雇佣的关系。 本文指出在福利改革中， 有需要采 取审慎的态度去寻求共识。

Nine Hong Kong small NGO Chief Executive Officers gathered to discuss their perceptions based on their experience during the welfare reform. The paper focuses on tension, opportunities and ways in addressing the issues brought along by the arrival of managerialism in the local welfare scene.

九间香港小型非牟利机构的总干事一起讨论在福利改革中的体验和观感。 本文集中讨论管理主义降临香港社会福利界带来 的压力、 机遇和应变的方法。

With the new managerial system of Funding and Service Agreement (FSA) in Hong Kong, the performance standards in social welfare services are still difficult to define. In this paper, the problems and difficulties arising from the current method of determining performance standards in the Supported Employment Service (SES) were first examined. The current formulation was also considered inadequate for the consideration of the actual service recipient outcomes. Research data from a university and a rehabilitation organisation partnership revealed the complex relationship among service quality, service output and service recipient outcomes. A conceptual model with variables considered as crucial by service operators and researchers was mapped out for better service accountability. This "percentage of best fit" model which was formulated by the empirically derived typologies of SES pathways and service recipients was suggested to form the performance standards. Significant implications include offering a workable alternative to the over-reliant, yet unsatisfactory use of mean discharge rates as the major performance standard in FSAs. This model also helps clarify information on who would fit into what kind of SES modules and for how long they would produce the best outcomes. The applicability of this empirically derived model to other social services should be further explored. Finally, this paper should be regarded as a practical response to the present demands for service quality and best value outcomes, based on an integrated use of clinical social work skills and empirical research methods.

香港社会服务界于一九九九年引入了一些带有管理主义色彩的新制度， 但在与服务提供者共同制订服务表现标准上， 社会 服务界却遇上重重困难。 本文先论述现制度下服务表现标准的限制与不足之处。该标准既未能保证服务质素 ，也未能反映接受服务者在不同阶段的特殊需要及服务成效。 这制度明显不能达致以接受服务者为中心及专注服务成效的两项重要目标。 本文建基于一份大学与康复机构的夥伴研究成果， 并以辅助就业服务为例， 详细阐释了一个以「数据为本」的服务表现标准模式。 此模式的优越性， 在于能以服务数据来厘定一个衡量服务成效的最恰当百分比。 此模式的制订， 将极具深远影响。 首先， 这模式突破了多年来只可用平均值作划一基准的种种限制。 其次是能够厘定服务成效与质素的 关系。 香港社会服务界将可利用此模式作为日后替不同服务制订个别表现标准之参考。 最后， 本文结合了实证研究的技术及社会工作中的临床知识， 为回应香港社会服务界迈进对服务质素及成效有要求的年代所作出的一可行例证 。

This article presents and analyses the background to the resistance of many frontline welfare practitioners against the recent introduction of reforms to the welfare management and subvention system and process in Hong Kong. The "progress" discourse optimistically engaged in by the government is challenged by a rather pessimistic assessment by workers, accompanied by a strong critique of the compromises welfare management groups have agreed to when accepting the Lump Sum Grant proposal. The context of the reform is interpreted as a strategic repositioning by the post-1997 government, intent at rebuilding its legitimacy and re-assigning the role of the welfare sector within its vision for the future. In the course of a long conversation between the two authors, one an academic, the other a core organiser in the "Alliance for the Protection of Welfare" several important areas of discourse were touched upon: the nature of welfare and its normative underpinning; social workers' struggle to relocate themselves within the emerging managerial paradigm; the search for an environment in which dialogue between the various parties would allow open negotiation about a more positive reform of the welfare system. The relationships among workers, management, government and service users are interpreted within a historical perspective, looking back at the constitution of the problem on both the level of Hong Kong as well as, more theoretically, on the level of (Western) welfare states.

近日香港政府提出社会福利管理及津助制度的「改革」，受到前线同工大力反对。 本文旨在勾画出相关的背景脉络，以助了解同工的「悲 观」判断怎样质疑官方铺陈的乐观「进步」论，及批评管理阶层在接纳一笔过拨款上的妥协态度， 展示当中蕴含的重要议题。 改革的背景被理解作九七后特区政权的策略性再定位，在新的发展远景下以重建管治的合法性，亦重新厘订社会福利的角色。 本篇文稿是由学院成员与「捍卫社会福利大联盟」的组织者合撰，透过真诚的详谈，尝试剖析以下范畴： 福利的性质及价值规范、 在管理典范逐渐形成下前线社会工作员的挣扎、 及寻求一个有利对话的环境，以促进开放的态度磋商较具积极意义的福利改革。 在探讨前线同工、 管理阶层、 政府及服务使用者的多角关系时，更从历史的进程思考如何构成现今的问题， 当中涉及香港的独特环境及西方社会福利国家的理念性讨论。