SOCIAL PROJECTS AS A TOOL FOR IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIONS IN SOCIAL WORK

Abstract

The political and socio-economic situation in the country calls for a rapid response to address social issues through the implementation of innovations in the work of professionals in the social sphere of both the public and private sectors. The aim of the research is to analyze social projects as innovative tools for solving or minimizing social issues in social work. To achieve the research objective, the following methods were used: analysis and synthesis of scientific resources to investigate types of social innovations and the characteristics of internal innovations (social projects) as tools of innovative activity in social work. External (managerial, radical) and internal innovations (social projects) have been characterized, with the advantages of the latter identified: rapid response to situations, specificity, consideration of the characteristics and interests of individuals, groups, and communities, and the ability to more easily implement their own innovations compared to those proposed by others. The article presents classifications of social project ideas based on the criterion of novelty (absolute and relative novelty). It also discusses ways to develop a project after funding has ceased: using the implemented idea in the form of innovative material or ideal products (event scenarios, games, methodologies, technologies, social advertising, etc.) in further activities; error correction and improvement of the idea (project), developing a new project based on the modified idea; diffusion of the project idea into other areas; and the search for fundamentally new ideas and solutions for the development of new social projects. Emphasis is made on the fact that during the years of Ukraineʼs independence, a large number of social projects have been implemented by both government and non-governmental organizations in the field of social work. These projects contain a wealth of innovative ideas, original developments, and innovative products that can be partially or fully transformed and adapted to new conditions. Today, there is a necessity to develop a resource (platform) where innovators can consciously share their ideas and products for free, enabling individuals with active civic positions to unite for collaborative solutions to social problems in the country.