Activation in Different Regulatory Settings: Insights from Social Assistance in Switzerland

Abstract englisch: When implementing activation policies in social assistance, professional social workers must cope with the different conditions that impair a person’s ability for employment. Ideally, caseworkers have possibilities to develop an individual tailor-made activation strategy for each client based on professional standards. This task is complex as such, but also strongly limited and influenced by the available activation services and benefits. Here caseworkers must cope with the complex multi-level and multi-actor systems involved in the financing and delivery of activation services. And, it is thus also the larger regulatory setting in which caseworkers operate, that influences the possibilities for a coordinated, effective, and efficient service delivery.