Strained multi-agency collaboration in the multi-tiered prevention system: A critical study of Taiwan’s Social Safety Network Project

Abstract

ABSTRACT To prevent the escalation of family problems, in 2018, Taiwan’s government overhauled its multi-tiered prevention system and introduced multi-agency collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the real collaboration dynamics after policy reform. Twenty-eight frontline social workers from various tiers of the prevention system were interviewed. Qualitative analysis reveals that the status quo of collaboration was more complex than the policy document anticipated it would be. In particular, it often involved unequal power relationships between the participating agencies. The findings suggest that the government should go beyond functionalist thinking in future service reforms by considering power issues.