Blockchain Papers

Salvatore Furnari

No abstract is available for this record.

Omar Otoniel Flores-Cortez, Ernesto Rivas Valdez, Vladimir A. Polanco-Zepeda, Carlos Pocasangre Jimenez · 5 authors

This paper presents the design and implementation of thesocks.net, a decentralized social finance network inspired by the CAW protocol manifesto. thesocks.net leverages Web3 technologies and the Polygon blockchain to provide a communitygoverned, anonymous, and censorship-resistant platform that integrates traditional features of social networks with decentralized financial services. The architecture is built around two core elements: the NFTs-Username utility cryptocurrency deployed on Polygon and NFT_Username identities, which function as user accounts represented by unique and tradable NFTs. Smart contracts written in Solidity govern key features such as content publication, user interactions (likes, shares, follows), stake, token burning, and reward distribution, ensuring transparency and autonomy. The platform enables users to create profiles, send encrypted messages, transfer tokens, and participate in staking and games, all without centralized control or personal data collection. This paper outlines the technical framework, the development process, and the deployment phases of thesocks.net, demonstrating how the blockchain-based infrastructure can support secure, scalable and inclusive social ecosystems. The implementation highlights the potential of decentralized architectures to foster freedom of expression, digital ownership, and financial participation on a global scale.

Thomas Elston, Germà Bel, Han Wang

Abstract Decentralized implementation of means‐tested social assistance programs requires significant organizational capacity among local governments. For other types of local public service, like refuse collection and utilities provision, inter‐municipal cooperation has proven capable of reducing the cost of subnational policy implementation, especially for smaller municipalities. But few impact evaluations test whether the same benefits can be achieved for less capital‐intensive and more co‐produced services, like social assistance. Moreover, most evaluations focus on production costs alone, despite the potential trade‐off with service quality. We analyze panel data describing both the cost and quality of housing allowance administration for 314 local authorities in England between 2009 and 2019, during which time 80 switched from autonomous services to inter‐municipal cooperation. Using coarsened exact matching and stacked difference‐in‐differences, we find no evidence of short‐term savings after cooperation, and only weak indications thereafter. We also observe declining processing speeds, increased maladministration, and signs of reduced payment accuracy, though mostly these are temporary effects. Altogether, these results suggest that, in this setting, inter‐municipal cooperation may be unsuited to labor‐intensive public services; that short‐ and long‐term effects can differ; and that, even in the absence of a profit motive, quality shading remains a risk in cooperation reforms.

Anna Bernhardt, Katrin Kaufmann-Kuchta

International research on adult education systems reaches certain limitations when explaining differences between and within countries. Often, research within the multilevel system of adult education examines issues located at the macro-level, meaning policy and legal frameworks, and at the micro-level, dealing with impacts on learners. This article focuses on the meso-level of adult education in two sample countries, referring to providers and their educational offers of publicly financed basic and community education. Guided by the theoretical approaches of educational governance and neo-institutionalism, we identify governance regimes and organizational fields and analyze the impacts of legal and financial regulation on providers and their provision. Based on document review and expert interviews, relations at the national and regional levels are analyzed. We find a decentralized system supporting the regional provision of basic adult education in Spain and a mixture of national and regional regulations leading to regional provision based on learners’ needs in England.

Federico Toth

The purpose of this chapter is to reflect on the main trajectories of change that have characterized the health systems of OECD countries in the last three decades, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the present day. For this purpose, it is possible to identify five major "reform themes" which traveled transversally through countries generating processes of emulation and policy transfer. The five major reform themes are as follows: (1) stimulation of greater competition; (2) promotion of integration (both in terms of financing and provision); (3) decentralization; (4) strengthening the rights of the patient; (5) extension of insurance coverage. For most of these five themes it is possible to identify a reform that has acted as a forerunner, which other countries have subsequently been inspired by and followed.

Götz G. Wehberg

The high importance attributed to the complexity management of supply chains raises the question of an adequate design. This problem has not yet been fully addressed by scientific efforts. H. J. Warnecke uses his concept of the “fractal factory” to design a system for production logistics. The fractal structure offers a hierarchizing of the manufacturing organization and enables sufficient complexity in this area via decentralized control loops. H. Wildemann offers the “modular factory” in response to the growing complexity of manufacturing. His concept implies complexity-increasing approaches, in particular in connection with the creation of structured networking and self-regulating, partially autonomous subsystems. There is a strong need for a frame of reference of digital supply chain management that supports decisions and resilience in particular. From an IT angle, such a framework has been drafted in terms of Reference Architecture Model Industry 4.0.

Sumaiyah Docrat, Crick Lund, Dan Chisholm

BACKGROUND: (MHPF) and the mechanisms by which these reforms can be structured and financed in the context of fiscal constraint. METHODS: A situational analysis guided by a newly developed analytical framework for sustainable mental health financing was conducted. The review was followed by qualitative, indepth interviews with a range of expert national stakeholders. RESULTS: Although the MHPF is said to be consistent with ongoing efforts toward the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI), there is clear evidence of discordance between the MHPF and the NHI. The most promising strategies for sustainable mental health financing include: increased decentralization of resources to primary and community mental health services; active integration of mental health into ongoing NHI implementation including expanding the mandate of District hospitals and drawing on the private sector; submission of costed budget bids to support a mental health conditional grant and ensuring that explicit outcomes and deliverables are in place to monitor Provincial implementation. CONCLUSION: This paper has suggested several ways in which existing reforms may be leveraged to incorporate the objectives of the MHPF and achieve better mental health outcomes for South Africans, revealing critical opportunities for mental health service scale-up to be embedded in South Africa's future health delivery strategy. The realization of a conditional grant for mental health will require technical expertise to cost existing services towards the development of an investment case for mental health service scale-up nationally, projecting potential resource requirements and returns on investment of a strong service platform. In the longer-term, the NHI benefit package must be expanded to include comprehensive mental health services at all levels. Explicit results-based financing mechanisms within the NHI Fund must also be incorporated for mental health to incentivise quality of care. Private providers engaged by the NHI must commit to make use of evidence-based mental health interventions.

John Butcher

Abstract Externalised service provision is now an embedded feature of Australia's service delivery architecture. However, the lessons drawn from two decades of contracted service delivery suggest that “competition” is an imperfect platform for the delivery of public services, especially where issues of trust in government come into play. Could the concept of a “social license to operate” (SLO), which has been in use in the natural resources sector for over two decades, help to facilitate the conferral of greater trust, credibility and legitimacy upon governments, and externalised service providers in social policy spaces?

Martin Laffin

This article examines the assumption that recent reforms in social and public services can be understood as a transition from New Public Management to post-New Public Management. English and French social housing delivery are selected as two cases in which to test out this assumption, for ostensibly these delivery structures share significant cross-national, post-NPM similarities – a movement towards a more ‘enabling’ or steering role for central government, the creation of coordinating agencies, ‘decentralization’ initiatives, the extensive use of public–private arrangements to finance social housing and the involvement of a wide range of extra- and semi-governmental organizations. However, further investigation reveals that these reforms of delivery structures have not been predominantly driven by an unfolding post-NPM managerial or governance logic as the thesis assumes. Rather the reforms have been driven by the partisan electoral and ideological goals of central government policymakers within the context of institutional legacies and entrenched social values. Points for practitioners New Public Management and post-New Public Management have become the conventional wisdom on administrative reforms particularly in a comparative context. This article argues that these ideas reflect an impoverished understanding of public administration given that they assume that change occurs predominantly through the unfolding of managerial and/or governance logics. These logics exclude the critical role of the political parties and other socio-political factors, such as urban unrest, in driving change. This Anglo-French analysis of social housing delivery demonstrates the significance of these political factors in how policymakers define social problems, re-design and implement social housing service delivery systems.

B.T.J. Hooghiemstra, Nienke Smulders, C. van Nieuwenhuizen

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Ciara Brennan, James Rice, Rannveig Traustadóttir, Peter Anderberg

Article 19 of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires states to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to a range of support services, including personal assistance. The Convention is an agreement between state parties and the UN. However, in practice, disability services are often implemented at the local level. Drawing on the findings of qualitative research in Iceland, Norway and Sweden, this paper examines a paradox whereby states commit to ensure access to support services, but decentralize responsibility to autonomous and independent local governments. A multi-level governance framework is applied to analyse the findings of qualitative inquiry with policy-makers, local government officials and leaders of independent living organizations in all three Nordic countries. A multi-level analysis highlights the tensions and contradictions between decentralization and human rights commitments.

Eric Neudorf

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) funds community-based organizations to provide services such as official language training, job placement, and community engagement in a decentralized model of immigrant service provision. This approach to settlement services has been simultaneously praised as a model of best practice and criticized for inefficiency. Partly in response to criticism, in 2008 IRCC implemented the Modernized Approach to Settlement Services, a management strategy that maintains the department’s decentralized approach to funding settlement service provision but introduces several important changes. First, the Modernized Approach consolidates settlement services into a single Settlement Program to streamline the application process. Second, the Modernized Approach focuses on project outcomes rather than just measuring inputs and outputs. And third, the Modernized Approach creates avenues for grass-roots organizations to have a voice in the governance of the Settlement Program. While a few studies have discussed the Modernized Approach to Settlement Services as a promising way forward, this is the first article to examine its impact empirically. Using key informant perspectives as a guide, this article provides an overview of the areas and extent to which it has created improvements over IRCC’s previous approach to settlement services, and it identifies areas for potential improvements. Resume: Immigration, Refugies et Citoyennete Canada (IRCC) finance des organisations communautaires pour fournir des services tels que la formation linguistique, acces a l’emploi, et l’engagement communautaire dans un modele decentralise de la fourniture de services aux immigrants. Cette approche a ete simultanement salue comme un modele de bonnes pratiques et critique pour son inefficacite. En partie en reponse a la critique, en 2008 IRCC mis en œuvre l’approche modernisee de services d’etablissement, une strategie de gestion qui maintient l’approche decentralisee du ministere pour la prestation de services d’etablissement, mais qui introduit plusieurs changements importants. Tout d’abord, l’approche modernisee consolide les services d’etablissement dans un programme de reglement unique pour simplifier le processus de demande. Deuxiemement, l’approche modernisee met l’accent sur les resultats des projets plutot que des entrees et sorties juste mesure. Et troisiemement, l’approche modernisee cree des avenues pour les organisations de base d’avoir une voix dans la gouvernance du Programme d’Etablissement. Bien que quelques etudes ont discute de l’approche modernisee de services d’etablissement comme une voie prometteuse. Ceci est le premier article d’examiner son impact empiriquement. Utilisation de perspectives des informateurs cles comme un guide, cet article donne un apercu des domaines et dans quelle mesure il a cree des ameliorations par rapport approche precedente IRCC aux services d’etablissement, et il identifie les domaines d’amelioration potentiels.

Ching Yuen Luk

Since the mid-1980s, both Shanghai and Hong Kong have implemented health insurance reform to contain healthcare costs. But the reform result in these two places represents polar extremes. While Shanghai witnessed a revolution in healthcare financing in 2000, Hong Kong remains status quo on healthcare financing. Using the theory of historical institutionalism, this study examines how the complex interplay of forces affects health insurance reform implementation in these two places. It finds that Shanghai succeeded in implementing health insurance reform because of contextual influences, ideological shift, policy feedback, the authoritative political institutions, the dominance of key bureaucratic stakeholders in health insurance reform process, the endorsement of new ideas, and the decentralization power given to local governments. On the other hand, it finds that Hong Kong failed to implement any health insurance reforms in 1993 because of a more democratic political system, policy feedback, the persistence of old ideas, and a robust economy. Besides, it finds that the government failed to implement healthcare financing reforms in 1999 and 2000 because of a disjointed political system, difficult economic circumstances, the new idea lacking public acceptance, policy feedback, and the institutionalization of old ideas.

Margitta Mätzke

In Germany, regional and local jurisdictions are the place where in many policy fields administrative resources are located, and where the relevant organizational actors – both public and private – implement social policies (Banting and Corbett 2002). Decision-making about benefits and beneficiaries as well as social policy financing, however, tend to be highly centralized. Subnational ( Länder -) governments have strong participation rights in such decisions, yet there are few areas in which individual Bundesländer can shape institutions or policies unilaterally or autonomously (Ziblatt 2002: 628 ff.).There is, therefore, no clear allocation of authority over the making and implementation of (health) policy across territorial levels (Jordan 2008: 168). Decision-making, control over finances, implementation, and supervision of performance are in different hands. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Jon Glasby

With successive English governments extolling the virtues of greater choice and control within welfare services, there is growing debate about concepts such as direct payments and personal budgets (in the UK and in many developed countries). With the evidence base inevitably patchy and incomplete, there have been increasing criticisms of these approaches from the social care trade press and from academic policy commentators alike. Against this background, this paper reviews the concerns that are emerging and explores some of the limitations of current debates—many of which make an implicit appeal to ‘the evidence’ in order to justify increasingly polarised views. In particular, the paper argues that many current accounts are based on an imperfect understanding of the principles at stake; on a failure to apply the same burden of proof to the old system as well as the new; on prior attitudes to state services and to current social care; and on a potentially limited adherence to more traditional forms of evidence-based practice.

Daniel Simonet

Abstract: This article analyses the dynamics of health‐care reforms in Germany, the U.K., Switzerland, France and Italy. In light of the “New Public Management” (NPM) theory, the author discusses governments' attempts at providing better health‐care services for less. Health‐care reforms inspired by NPM meant opening up to competition and revamping service provision to improve organizational performance. These reforms also put the emphasis on outcomes measurements to improve insurers and providers' accountability, demanded greater decentralization of the decision‐making process (e.g., planning, investment and financing of health‐care services), and encouraged contracting‐out of public services and partnerships between the public and the private sector. While most features of the NPM theory were applicable to EU health‐care reforms, NPM was not a panacea: it advanced at different paces across nations, with some aspects of NPM being more appropriate in some countries but less so in others. It led to greater inequity and more bureaucracy in some, but not all, countries. Competition, a major characteristic of the NPM, did not necessarily lead to better health outcomes, and, unlike in other sectors, the application of NPM in health care meant larger providers (e.g., insurers, hospitals) and regulations have remained strong. Sommaire: Le présent article analyse la dynamique des réformes des soins de santé en Allemagne, au Royaume‐Uni, en Suisse, en France et en Italie. À la lumière de la théorie de la « Nouvelle administration publique » (NAP), l'auteur discute des tentatives menées par les gouvernements pour fournir de meilleurs services de soins de santéà un moindre coût. Les réformes des soins de santé inspirées par la NAP ont signifié l'ouverture à la concurrence et la réorganisation de la prestation des services pour améliorer la performance organisationnelle. Ces réformes ont également mis l'accent sur les mesures des résultats afin d'améliorer l'imputabilité des assureurs et des fournisseurs, ont exigé une plus grande décentralisation du processus de prise de décision (p. ex., planification, investissement, et financement des services de soins de santé), et ont encouragé la sous‐traitance des services publics et la formation de partenariats entre les secteurs public et privé. Alors que la plupart des éléments de la théorie de la NAP étaient applicables aux réformes des soins de santé de l'UE, la NAP n'a pas été la panacée : elle a progresséà des rythmes différents suivant les pays, certains aspects de la NAP étant plus appropriés dans certains pays que dans d'autres. Cela a entraîné une plus grande iniquité et plus de bureaucratie dans certains pays. La concurrence, une caractéristique importante de la NAP, n'a pas nécessairement entraîné de meilleurs résultats pour la santé et, à la différence d'autres secteurs, l'application de la NAP aux soins de santé a signifié de plus importants fournisseurs (p. ex., assureurs, hôpitaux) et le maintien de règlements solides.

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No abstract is available for this record.

Marianna Fotaki, Alan Boyd

This article reviews changes in the organization, delivery and financing of health care and old age services in the UK and Sweden over the past 25 years. User autonomy has become a more important policy objective than equity of access or equality of opportunity, with a greater reliance on market mechanisms for delivering services. The public and politicians seem to be prepared to accept that competition, choice and decentralization may result in a widening of regional and geographical inequalities, and the erosion of the universal character of the welfare state. These developments reflect broader normative shifts in both societies, and are likely to continue and become more widespread in the future, as they will be strongly influenced by demographic and social factors, fiscal constraints and the policies of supranational bodies such as the European Union.

Shenglan Tang, Gerald Bloom

Many low and middle-income countries have decentralized their public health services in an effort to improve their equity, efficiency and effectiveness. This paper presents a case study of a poor rural county in China that devolved finance and management of basic health services to townships, the lowest level of government. It finds little evidence that townships mobilized additional financial resources or that they were able to address major management problems effectively. It cautions against unrealistically rapid decentralization of health services in poor rural areas. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Josef T. Yap

Via regression analysis, this study is able to establish factors that impinge on per capita social sector expenditures. In addition, 32 out of the 62 provincial governments have allocated less on social sectors than what is needed to maintain their 1991 expenditure level in real terms. Inconsistencies regarding budget allocation of provincial governments on the social sectors and the objective indicators are detected.

Maria Brenton

Abstract Social services in the Netherlands have traditionally been delivered by non-state agencies, in a climate of support for ‘private initiative’ and resistance to direct intervention by government. These agencies have, however, become almost totally dependent upon government finance, while operating virtually autonomously in a non-politicised sphere where services have become increasingly sophisticated and expensive. The power exercised over public resources and public services by these ‘private’ agencies, particularly at national level, and the lack of control over the welfare sector by government, has been the subject of growing criticism in recent years. The dysfunctions of a ‘voluntary’ system of social services have also become glaringly evident. This article traces the development of a relationship between state and ‘private enterprise’ in the social services which has developed from a strictly ‘separatist’ model to one where a high degree of inter-penetration has been reached. It also examines current efforts to extend this second ‘incorporated’ model of statutory-voluntary relationships by placing social welfare services under a greater measure of public control within a decentralized system of local political responsibility.