Green, Anne E., 1958- and Orton, Michael. (2009) The integration of activation policy at sub-national level : a case study of the City Strategy initiative in an English sub-region. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol.29 (No.11-12). pp. 612-623. ISSN 0144-333X

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to engage with the theme of activation policies and organisational innovation in the capability perspective, from the viewpoint of active labour market policies in the UK. Design/methodology/approach – The focus of the article is the City Strategy initiative in Great Britain, which encourages institutions to work together to develop solutions to concentrations of worklessness. The article presents findings from a case study of the introduction of the City Strategy in one English sub-region: Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. The empirical investigation is based on analysis of documentary evidence including strategy papers and “grey literature” such as minutes of meetings and internal briefings. In addition, the case study draws on in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with 18 local actors involved in the City Strategy. Findings – The empirical investigation provides selected evidence of successful public action undertaken through the City Strategy. It discusses issues concerning the benefits of partnership working and inter-agency cooperation, but also limits that are reached. Originality/value – The paper identifies elements of the capabilities approach – the idea of situated public action, the importance of local actors, and key concepts of empowerment and voice – as providing a helpful framework for analysis. While the City Strategy represents an interesting example of situated public action to tackle worklessness, it can be argued that what is missing in this instance is what the capabilities approach identifies as key elements of empowerment and voice for local actors.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute for Employment Research
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Labor market -- Government policy -- England -- West Midlands -- Case studies, Unemployment -- Government policy -- England -- West Midlands -- Case studies, Labor market -- England -- West Midlands -- Case studies, Labor policy -- England -- West Midlands -- Case studies, Policy sciences
Journal or Publication Title:	International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
ISSN:	0144-333X
Date:	December 2009
Volume:	Vol.29
Number:	No.11-12
Page Range:	pp. 612-623
Identification Number:	10.1108/01443330910999050
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
References:	Birmingham City Council (2008), Aston Neighbourhood Employment and Skills Plan: Addressing Worklessness, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham. Birmingham, Coventry and Black Country City Region (2007), City Strategy Business Plan – June 2007 Update, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham. Bonvin, J.-M. and Farvaque, N. (2006), ‘‘Promoting capability for work: the role of local actors’’, in Deneulin, S., Nebel, M. and Sagovsky, N. (Eds), The Capability Approach: Transforming Unjust Structures, Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 121-42. Carpenter, M. and Speeden, S. (2007), ‘‘Origins and effects of new labour’s workfare state: modernising or variations on old themes?’’, in Carpenter, M., Freda, B. and Speeden, S. (Eds), Beyond the Workfare State, The Policy Press, Bristol, pp. 133-58. Clarke, J. and Newman, J. (1997), The Managerial State, Sage, London. Convery, P. (2009), ‘‘Welfare to work – from special measures to 80 per cent employment’’, Local Economy, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 1-27. Crighton, M., Turok, I. and Leleux, C. (2008), ‘‘Devolving the responsibility for policy integration: the case of welfare to work’’, paper presented at the UK Social Policy Association Conference Challenging Boundaries, Edinburgh, 23-25 June. Crighton, M., Turok, I. and Leleux, C. (2009), ‘‘Tensions in localising welfare to work to Britain’s cities’’, Local Economy, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 46-67. Department for Work and Pensions (2006), A New Deal for Welfare – Empowering People to Work, HMSO, Norwich. Department for Work and Pensions (2007), In Work, Better Off: Next Steps to Full Employment, HMSO, Norwich. Diamond, J. (2006), ‘‘Au revoir to partnerships: what’s next?’’, International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 278-86. Green, A. and Berkley, N. (2006), ‘‘The West Midlands: the hinge in the middle’’, in Hardill, I., Bennworth, P. and Baker, M. (Eds), The Rise of the English Regions?, Routledge, London, pp. 156-67. Green, A.E., Hasluck, C. and Adam, D. (2009), The City Strategy Initiative: Host Country Report, prepared for a European Commission Peer Review, London, 6-7 July,Warwick Institute for Employment Research, Coventry. Hasluck, C., Green, A.E. and Adam, D. (2009), Evaluation of City Strategy: Second Evaluation Update,Warwick Institute for Employment Research, Coventry. Hasluck, C. and Green, A.E. and Orton, M. (2007), City Strategy Pathfinders: A Report on Evaluation Plans for DWP,Warwick Institute for Employment Research, Coventry. Karagiannaki, E. (2007), ‘‘Exploring the effects of integrated benefit systems and active labour market policies: evidence from jobcentre plus in the UK’’, Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 36 No. 2, pp. 177-95. Leitch (2006), Prosperity For All in The Global Economy – World Class Skills: Final Report, HMSO, Norwich. Lindsay, C., McQuaid, R.W. and Dutton, M. (2007), ‘‘New approaches to employability in the UK: combining ‘human capital development’ and ‘work first’ strategies’?’’, Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 539-60. Lindsay, C., McQuaid, R.W. and Dutton, M. (2008), ‘‘Inter-agency cooperation and new approaches to employability’’, Social Policy and Administration, Vol. 42 No. 7, pp. 715-32. Lødemel, I. (2001), ‘‘Discussion: workfare in the welfare state’’, in Lødemel, I. and Trickey, H. (Eds), An Offer you Can’t Refuse: Workfare in International Perspective, Policy Press, Bristol, pp. 299-344. Moulaert, F., Martinelli, F., Swyngedouw, E. and Gonzalez, S. (2005), ‘‘Towards alternative model(s) of local innovation’’, Urban Studies, Vol. 42 No. 11, pp. 1969-90. Peck, J. (2001), Workfare States, The Guildford Press, New York, NY. Pichierri, A. (2002), ‘‘Concertation and local development’’, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 689-706. Policy Research Institute (2004), Delivering Labour Market Policies through Local and Regional Partnerships, Department forWork and Pensions, London. Powell, M. and Dowling, B. (2006), ‘‘New labour’s partnerships: comparing conceptual models with existing forms’’, Social Policy and Society, Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 305-14. Salais, R. and Villeneuve, R. (2004), ‘‘Introduction: Europe and the politics of capabilities’’, in Salais, R. and Villeneuve, R. (Eds), Europe and the Politics of Capabilities, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 1-18. Sen, A. (1999), Development as Freedom, Knopf, New York, NY. Shaheen, F. (2009), Sticking Plaster or Stepping-stone? Tackling Urban Youth Unemployment, Centre for Cities, London. Simmonds, D. and Westwood, A. (2008), ‘‘The United Kingdom: boosting the role of cities in workforce development’’, in Giguere, S. (Ed.), More Than Just Jobs: Workforce Development in a Skills-based Economy, OECD, Paris, pp. 145-78. Smith, B. and Collinge, C. (2000), ‘‘An overview of theWest Midlands economy’’, in Bentley, G. and Gibney, J. (Eds), Regional Development Agencies and Business Change, Ashgate, Aldershot. Sunley, P., Martin, R. and Nativel, C. (2006), Putting Workfare in Place: Local Labour Markets and the New Deal, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. Trickey, H. and Walker, R. (2001), ‘‘Steps to compulsion within British labour market policies’’, in Lødemel, I. and Trickey, H. (Eds), An Offer You Can’t Refuse: Workfare in International Perspective, The Policy Press, Bristol, pp. 181-214. Warwick Institute for Employment Research (2009), City Strategy Evaluation – Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country: Neighbourhood Employment and Skills Plans (NESPs), Warwick Institute for Employment Research, Coventry.
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/37527

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item