Co-construction of the general interest and social innovations forms in Kabylia

Abstract

In its theoretical approach, this contribution draws outlines of the conceptual framework of the co-construction of the general interest, and social innovation. It also includes an empirical approach through the results of surveys among concerned social economy associations and public actors in territory of Kabylia (Algeria). It focuses on characterization of social innovation carried by these organizations in relation of public offer, and analysis of its impacts on community and territory. Then, social innovations’ forms of institutionalization were investigated and the institutional predispositions to shared territorial governance that integrates innovations in the economic and social services delivery were identified. Subsequently, we assessed the contributive capacity of the public economy and social economy organizations to the construction of the general interest policies. From there, we were interested in the induced interaction between the various partnerships’ forms what we called “public-community”, “public-social” and “publicinternational” observed in three case studies in the investigated territory. We have characterized social innovation types of the associations that manage community projects in different SSE activities. Their contribution to provide social and economic services for the general interest has been assessed. Finally, we attempted to prove the relevance of forms of governance integrating the co-construction of the general interest in the provision of social services and the forms that the institutionalization of the social innovation takes for the public authorities in the field studied.