In-kind Assistance Research Articles

Impact of COVID-19 on food security and diet quality in Chilanga District, Zambia

IntroductionFood security and nutrition have been severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to quantify the impacts of the pandemic on food security and diet diversity within Chilanga District in Zambia and identify target areas for high-impact social protection and safety net programs.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in Chilanga district immediately after the Omicron variant surge in February 2022. Diet quality and food security were assessed based on a household diet questionnaire and a Minimum Dietary Diversity-Women (MDD-W) score was calculated. A paired t-test was used to determine whether there was a statistically significant change in the MDD-W score and McNemar test was used to investigate the change in food security between the pre- and peri-COVID-19 period.ResultsCompared to the pre-COVID-19 period, there were increases in food prices across the board in the peri-COVID-19 period and decreased consumption of key food categories including legumes, dairy and vitamin A rich foods. Despite high rates of food insecurity, only 6.6% of surveyed households received any cash or in-kind assistance from a government agency, non-profit, or other organization in the post-COVID-19 period.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic had significant impacts on food security and dietary diversity in Chilanga district. This is particularly relevant in the low-income communities that we surveyed, which had pre-existing challenges with food security. Additional resources must be invested in Chilanga District and similarly affected areas to address this gap in access to food and promote national equity.Trial Registration N/A.

Older street vendors during a crisis: vulnerability and resilience

ABSTRACT Older street vendors have long been considered a vulnerable group in Global South countries, especially during times of crisis. This research aims to examine the welfare and mental health status of these vendors, along with the coping mechanisms and mitigation strategies they adopted, focusing on the case of Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a mixed-method approach comprising quantitative and qualitative analyses, this research reveals that these vendors experienced high levels of business loss and consumption reduction. Many also faced mental health problems, including anxiety, stress, or depression. They could access one or several coping mechanisms to smooth consumption, such as cash and in-kind assistance, savings, income from other family members, reduced non-essential spending, loans and even sales of assets. However, they lacked solutions for mitigating their mental health problems. Furthermore, this research highlights the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on older vendors across different residential statuses and vending locations. Based on the findings, this research underscores the necessity for innovative urban policies to support these vendors during both crisis and non-crisis contexts, thereby contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

Діяльність державних органів влади щодо подолання безробіття в УСРР у 1920-х рр.

The purpose of the article on the basis of archival sources and scientific heritage of domestic scientists analyzes the experience of practical activities of state authorities to solve the problem of mass unemployment of the population of the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s. The research methodology is based on the fundamental principles of historical research: historicism, consistency, objectivity in the selection of facts and documents. Among the special methods used in the study should be called problem-chronological, historical-systemic, historical-typological. The scientific novelty of the article is to reveal the features of state policy and the activities of state authorities to overcome the unemployment of employees through the system of compulsory state social insurance. Conclusions. Having finally seized power in Ukraine, the Bolshevik leadership publicly declared the need to create an effective system of social support for especially vulnerable segments of the population. Of course, declarative slogans did not reflect real intentions and opportunities. Under the conditions of a debilitating civil war and economic devastation, it was quite natural to see a massive increase in the number of unemployed and a drop in the living standards of the population. This was especially exacerbated with the transition to a new economic policy. In the early 1920s a number of legislative initiatives were adopted to mitigate the unemployment situation. It was about the introduction of compulsory unemployment insurance at the state level. Insurance premiums paid by employers and employees were to become the financial basis for the payment of benefits to the unemployed. The implementation of this state policy on the ground relied on labor exchanges. However, excessive bureaucracy and a limited number of such institutions could not sufficiently solve this problem. The lack of funds for material support of the population was particularly acute, so the government was forced to look for alternative options: public works, in-kind assistance or the provision of various benefits. Active industrial construction, which began at the end of the 1920s, led to an increase in the demand for labor. In such conditions, the Party-Soviet leadership took a course to eliminate unemployment by administrative means, not recognizing as unemployed those workers who refused the job offered to them.

Digitalization potentials and limitations of cash-based assistance

Cash-based assistance (CBA) has emerged as a promising transfer modality over in-kind assistance in humanitarian aid. However, it is still associated with several disadvantages, such as higher risk of theft, misuse of financial resources, and/or corruption. Novel information and communication technologies are potential solutions for coping with these CBA-related disadvantages. However, the transition from in-kind or traditional CBA to digital CBA depends on many factors, such as the state of digitalization of the responding humanitarian organization, the financial market in the countries of deployment, or the accessibility to digital CBAs by the beneficiaries. The respective scientific and practitioner communities provide several experiences from past deployments. However, existing experiences provide only organization- or operation-dependent and thus anecdotal evidence. This paper follows a systematic literature review to construct a structured overview of the identified potentials and limitations of digital CBA projects. To evaluate the literature review results, we conducted two case-based evaluations to examine the validity and transferability of the identified potentials and limitations. The resulting structured overview promises to assist humanitarian organizations in pre-assessing appropriate CBA modalities for their programs. Furthermore, our findings suggest a high degree of context dependency on digital CBA and the lack of universally applicable potentials and limitations. As a theoretical contribution, the structured overview of the identified potentials and limitations can be used for the design of a research agenda towards the development of suitability assessment frameworks.

The Impact of Economic Conditions on Social Assistance Programs and Poverty Alleviation

Poverty remains a pervasive global challenge, necessitating effective policy interventions to uplift vulnerable populations. This research delves into the dynamic relationship between social assistance programs and poverty alleviation. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we investigate the impact of these programs on poverty rates, program effectiveness variations, demographic disparities, and the interplay with economic conditions. Our findings offer compelling insights. Firstly, social assistance programs exhibit a statistically significant reduction in poverty rates among beneficiaries, confirming their vital role in poverty alleviation. Moreover, variations in program effectiveness emerge, with cash transfer programs demonstrating immediate impact compared to in-kind assistance programs. Demographic differences further shape program outcomes, as programs targeting children and single-parent households exhibit pronounced effects on poverty reduction. Economic conditions also matter, as these programs prove more effective during periods of robust economic growth, serving as vital safety nets during economic downturns. Conditional social assistance programs demonstrate promise by incentivizing positive behaviors such as education enrollment and healthcare utilization. These findings hold significant policy implications, emphasizing the need for evidence-based program design and implementation. This research concludes with a call for comprehensive approaches to poverty alleviation, considering demographic variations, economic contexts, and the potential benefits of conditional programs. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are pivotal in adapting programs to evolving circumstances, thus contributing to a more equitable and prosperous society.

Types of social services for homeless people

The article examines the types of social services provided to homeless persons in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Social Services". On the basis of the analysis of legislative norms and scientific developments, the need to apply a comprehensive approach to the functioning of the system of providing services to homeless persons is substantiated, taking into account the state social standards, which determine the procedure for providing appropriate social services for persons who find themselves in difficult life circumstances.
 It was found that homeless persons are recipients of such social services as shelter, night shelter, supported accommodation of homeless persons, social integration and reintegration, and in-kind assistance. At the same time, the legislation of Ukraine provides for the possibility of applying to homeless persons such types of social services as information and social prevention, representation of interests, social support during employment and at the workplace, representation (mediation).
 Given the fact that the only social service within which emergency medical assistance is provided on the street is emergency (crisis) intervention, it is necessary to recognize homeless persons as its recipients. It is also proposed to supplement the list of social services for homeless people with social and psychological rehabilitation.
 Attention is focused on the need to harmonize the provisions of Art. 17 of the Law of Ukraine «On the Basics of Social Protection of Homeless Persons and Homeless Children» and Art. 16 of the Law of Ukraine «On Social Services» regarding the types of social services provided to homeless persons. It has been proven that temporary shelter, social, medical, legal, educational, and rehabilitation services for homeless persons in the sense of the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On Social Services» are not provided for. Therefore, it is suggested that the provisions of Art. 17 of the Law of Ukraine «On the Basics of Social Protection of Homeless Persons and Homeless Children» in the following wording: «Homeless persons have the right to social services and rehabilitation in the order and under the conditions determined by the legislation of Ukraine.»

Syrian Refugees Evaluation for the Services Provided By High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) In Zaatari Refugee Camp (A Field Study)

The study aims at identifying the Syrian refugees’ evaluation of services provided by UNHCR, to achieve the objectives of the study, a sample social survey method was used. Anecdotal sample was selected consisting of (3%) of the study population formed from (471) heads of households, by using (the SPSS)statistical program to come up with results that would answer the study questions. The study reached the following important results: The general average of refugee satisfaction with the services provided by UNHCR was high, reaching an average of (3.85). Satisfaction of refugees with services in general (psychosocial support services, educational services, cleaning services, social support services, water services) was high, as shown by arithmetic averages, In-kind assistance, and electricity services were found at a moderate level.

Dampak Bantuan Pangan Non Tunai terhadap Konsumsi Makanan dan Rokok pada Rumah Tangga Miskin di Indonesia

This article aimed to determine the extent to which the BPNT program affects food consumption, nutritional intake, and cigarettes in poor households in Indonesia. The problem was focused on comparing the impact of social assistance in the form of in kind, e-vouchers, and cash transfers on changes in consumption of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates in poor households receiving assistance. Some Researches in a number of countries showed that in-kind assistance is able to have the greatest impact on increasing the beneficiary's calorie consumption compared to cash transfers. This research was analyzed quantitatively using a quasi-experimental design approach with the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) analysis method. Sources of data came from secondary data from the National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas) Quarter I (March) of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) 2018, in the form of the consumption/expenditure module (KP), and the Susenas of basic information on household members (KOR). The result showed that BPNT contributes to an increase in the fat consumption of beneficiary households. The biggest increase occurred in the BPNT PKH complementary program, not only in fat consumption, but also in protein. BPNT also contributed to the increase in cigarette consumption among households in the non-PKH and PKH program group, while in the PIP program group, showed the opposite result.

Incomplete program take-up during a crisis: evidence from the COVID-19 shock in one U.S. state

In the U.S., means-tested cash, in-kind assistance, and social insurance are part of a patchwork safety net, often run with substantial involvement of state and local governments. Take-up–participation among eligible persons in this system is incomplete. A large literature points to both neo-classical and behavioral science explanations for low take-up. In this paper, we explore the response of the safety net to COVID-19 using newly-collected survey data from one U.S. state–Utah. The rich Utah data ask about income and demographics as well as use of three social safety net programs which collectively provided a large share of relief spending: the Unemployment Insurance program, a social insurance program providing workers who lose their jobs with payments; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides benefit cards for purchasing unprepared food at retailers; and Economic Impact Payments, which provided relatively universal relief payments to individuals. The data do not suffice to determine eligibility for all of the programs, so we focus on participation per capita. These data also collect information on several measures of hardship and why individuals did not receive any of the 3 programs. We test for explanations that differentiate need, lack of information, transaction costs/administrative burden, stigma, and lack of eligibility. We use measures of hardship to assess targeting. We find that lack of knowledge as well as difficulty applying, and stigma in the UI program each play a role as reasons for not participating in the programs.

A SOCIAL REALIST PERSPECTIVE OF CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATORS IN IMPLEMENTING THE REVISED CURRICULUM IN OMPUNDJA CIRCUIT IN NAMIBIA

Purpose: This article explores the challenges experienced by Namibian public schools’ educators when implementing the revised curriculum in Ompundja Circuit and suggests how the challenges can be addressed.
 Methodology: A qualitative design using a semi-structured interview guide was employed to collect data from five purposively sampled principals. About 45-minute long face-to-face interviews were conducted with each of the principals. The data collected through interviews were transcribed and read several times to make meaning from the volume data. After reading all the interview transcripts, various codes were assigned to themes using a priori or pre-existing coding. The interpretation was derived from the transcribed responses of participants.
 Findings: The study found that there are structural, cultural and agential constrains that could hinder the successful management and implementation of the revised curriculum in Namibian public schools in Ompundja Circuit. These challenges may derail the purpose of instructional leadership, which seeks to improve learners’ academic performance country-wide. The study proposed some enabling mechanisms to address the identified challenges.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study made a set of recommendations such as: training of educators on curriculum implementation should be conducted regularly; stakeholders should be provided with the necessary instructional materials and teachers are encouraged to use alternative teaching and learning resources. Further, it is recommended that the teacher-learner ratio policy should be morphed to respond to contexts. It is also recommended that schools should mobilise monetary or in-kind assistance from stakeholders, including parents. The current policy that prevents schools from soliciting school development funds from parents and denies teachers the opportunities to use the Universal Primary Education funds for educational excursions should be revised. It is also recommended that schools should be provided with the necessary physical infrastructures. Finally, it is recommended that teachers should be involved in every curriculum development process and decision making thereof.

Model of Political Party Financial Regulation in Post-Reformation Indonesia

One of the sine qua non in modern democracies is the existence of political parties. In the context of the Indonesian state administration, the important role of political parties is emphasized through the provision of important functions by amending the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. To carry out the important functions of political parties, access to money is needed, but in politics the role of money must be regulated to prevent the negative impact of money in democracy. This research is a normative legal research, descriptive-prescriptive in nature, focusing on examining primary and secondary legal materials, using a statutory and conceptual approach. Since the beginning of the reformation period in the general elections of 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2019, the financial regulation of political parties in Indonesia has followed a prescription model, which is a regulatory model that issues orders and dictates the sources of revenue for political parties but does not regulate or dictate the use of political party funds. Efforts to maximize political parties' financial arrangements in order to ensure their independence and strengthen the principle of accountability begin by reformulating the regulation of funding sources from the state budget by adopting in-kind assistance, such as advertising prior to the general election to all parties participating in the general election.

Organizations Involved in Humanitarian Action: Introducing a New Dataset

AbstractAlthough the humanitarian sector has gained prominence in the management of contemporary conflicts, data on the diversity of organizations involved in humanitarian aid are scarce and do not rely on well-founded inclusion criteria. This lack of data limits not only our knowledge of humanitarian action but also our understanding of international security and of non-state actors’ role in foreign aid. The Humanitarian Organisations Dataset (HOD) seeks to fill these gaps. Based on clear and reproducible criteria, 2,505 organizations active in the humanitarian sector have been identified while information on their history, nature, activities, and geographical location has been collected. Our analyses depart from prevailing Western-centered accounts of humanitarian, show regional variations in types of organizations, and identify distinct historical patterns by region and by type of organization. They also document a large span of humanitarian activities, going beyond the current exclusive focus on in-kind assistance. We illustrate how the dataset can contribute to further research through its combination with other data and explore the relationship between NGOs and governments in humanitarian aid funding. Beyond its value for scholars, we anticipate that the HOD will also be of interest to policymakers and nonacademic users concerned with humanitarian action and crisis-management issues.

Donations for Refugee Crises: In-kind vs. Cash Assistance

Problem definition: Six million refugees have been living in camps in 2021 due to multiple armed conflicts worldwide. Regulations often impede refugees’ integration into host countries; thus, refugees have to seek help from humanitarian organizations (HOs). HOs traditionally provide in-kind (e.g., food) assistance and now offer cash (monetary assistance) that refugees can spend at local retail stores. However, cash assistance can be exploited by local retailers’ market power, which challenges HOs’ mission of helping refugees while doing no harm to host communities. Practical relevance: Completely informed by field research in three refugee camps in northwestern Greece, we analyze the trade-off between in-kind and cash assistance from the perspective of an HO. We propose two cash assistance policies, implementable by a partnership between the HO and the local government, to curb the retailer’s market power and ensure that the refugees, the local residents, and the retailer are better off than if only in-kind assistance is provided. Methodology: We use field research to define our research setting and support our main modeling assumptions and parameters. Then, we use a game-theoretical model to analyze the interactions among multiple stakeholders in an ecosystem consisting of an HO, refugees, a monopolistic retailer, local residents, and a local government. Results: We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed cash assistance policies that benefit refugees and local residents while ensuring the retailer’s profitability. In particular, a price-dependent cash assistance (PDCA) policy aligns the incentives between the retailer and the HO-government partnership. This new policy for cash assistance acts as a lever for the retailer to voluntarily set desirable prices, which benefit both refugees and their host community. Managerial implications: We provide tools and implementable policies that guide HOs to improve their budget allocation between in-kind and cash assistance for refugees living in areas where local market power exists. Moreover, we clearly outline the roles of HOs and the local government in a partnership for cash assistance to refugees. History: This paper has been accepted for the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Special Section on Responsible Research in Operations Management. Funding: T. O. Kotsi thanks the Onassis Foundation (Greece) for financial support. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.1073 .

СОЦІАЛЬНІ ПОСЛУГИ ЯК ОБ’ЄКТИ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ОБСЛУГОВУВАЛЬНИХ ПРАВОВІДНОСИН: ПОНЯТТЯ, ВИДИ ТА ОСОБЛИВОСТІ (ЧАСТИНА ІІ)

Social services as an object of social-supplying legal relations that are enshrined in the Classification of Social Services are the subject of the research. An attempt to compare social services with each other and highlight common and distinctive features was made while analyzing them. Emphasis was made on the essence of each social service and the legal aspects of their providing. The features of social services as objects of the relevant legal relations were formulated. Care occupies a special place among the objects of social-supplying legal relations. Its types such as home care, inpatient care, day care, palliative care were considered. The author’s definition of social care service was given. The most characteristic features of this social service were singled out. Ways to improve the essence of some of them were suggested. Considerable attention was paid to the supported accommodation of the elderly people and people with disabilities, the homeless persons and transit supported accommodation. Critical remarks were made about the premises that would be allocated for supported accommodation, as well as about the legal status of persons who have expressed a desire to receive this social service. Social support is provided to families (persons) who are in difficult life circumstances, families raising biological and social orphans, individuals in employment and in the workplace. Physical support is provided to persons with disabilities. The article gives a brief description of all these types of social and physical support. Social services for providing temporary accommodation, social rehabilitation, information, counseling, mediation, advocacy, prevention, adaptation, integration and reintegration were highlighted in the article. The authors did not ignore such social services as emergency crisis intervention, in-kind assistance, transportation services, sign language translation. A new social service, which is just being introduced and relates to providing temporary rest to persons caring for persons with disabilities, was covered separately. Key words: social services, basic social services, Classification of Social Services, objects of social-supplying legal relations, essence of separate social services, state standard of social service.

State Spending on Public Benefit Programs and Child Maltreatment.

To determine the association between states' total spending on benefit programs and child maltreatment outcomes. This was an ecological study of all US states during federal fiscal years 2010-2017. The primary predictor was states' total annual spending on local, state, and federal benefit programs per person living ≤100% federal poverty limit, which was the sum of (1) cash, housing, and in-kind assistance, (2) housing infrastructure, (3) child care assistance, (4) refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, and (5) Medical Assistance Programs. The main outcomes were rates of maltreatment reporting, substantiations, foster care placements, and fatalities after adjustment for relevant confounders. Generalized estimating equations adjusted for federal spending and estimated adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). States' total spending was inversely associated with all maltreatment outcomes. For each additional $1000 states spent on benefit programs per person living in poverty, there was an associated -4.3% (adjusted IRR: 0.9573 [95% CI: 0.9486 to 0.9661]) difference in reporting, -4.0% (adjusted IRR: 0.903 [95% CI: 0.9534 to 0.9672]) difference in substantiations, -2.1% (adjusted IRR: 0.9795 [95% CI: 0.9759 to 0.9832]) difference in foster care placements, and -7.7% (adjusted IRR: 0.9229 [95% CI: 0.9128 to 0.9330]) difference in fatalities. In 2017, extrapolating $1000 of additional spending for each person living in poverty ($46.5 billion nationally, or 13.3% increase) might have resulted in 181 850 fewer reports, 28 575 fewer substantiations, 4168 fewer foster care placements, and 130 fewer fatalities. State spending on benefit programs was associated with reductions in child maltreatment, which might offset some benefit program costs.

СОЦІАЛЬНІ ПОСЛУГИ ЯК ОБ’ЄКТИ СОЦІАЛЬНО-ОБСЛУГОВУВАЛЬНИХ ПРАВОВІДНОСИН: ПОНЯТТЯ, ВИДИ ТА ОСОБЛИВОСТІ (ЧАСТИНА І)

Social services as an object of social-supplying legal relations that are enshrined in the Classification of Social Services are the subject of the research. An attempt to compare social services with each other and highlight common and distinctive features was made while analyzing them. Emphasis was made on the essence of each social service and the legal aspects of their providing. The features of social services as objects of the relevant legal relations were formulated. Care occupies a special place among the objects of social-supplying legal relations. Its types such as home care, inpatient care, day care, palliative care were considered. The author’s definition of social care service was given. The most characteristic features of this social service were singled out. Ways to improve the essence of some of them were suggested. Considerable attention was paid to the supported accommodation of the elderly people and people with disabilities, the homeless persons and transit supported accommodation. Critical remarks were made about the premises that would be allocated for supported accommodation, as well as about the legal status of persons who have expressed a desire to receive this social service. Social support is provided to families (persons) who are in difficult life circumstances, families raising biological and social orphans, individuals in employment and in the workplace. Physical support is provided to persons with disabilities. The article gives a brief description of all these types of social and physical support. Social services for providing temporary accommodation, social rehabilitation, information, counseling, mediation, advocacy, prevention, adaptation, integration and reintegration were highlighted in the article. The authors did not ignore such social services as emergency crisis intervention, in-kind assistance, transportation services, sign language translation. A new social service, which is just being introduced and relates to providing temporary rest to persons caring for persons with disabilities, was covered separately. Key words: social services, basic social services, Classification of Social Services, objects of social-supplying legal relations, essence of separate social services, state standard of social service.

When parents are not present: Decision-making dynamics for young children's health and illness in migrant-sending households in rural Cambodia

As migration rates increase globally, an increasing proportion of children in low- and middle-income countries live apart from their parents. In particular, skipped-generation households are becoming more common, with grandparents serving as primary caregivers for young grandchildren whose parents migrate and provide remittance support. Yet, how families living apart make decisions for young children's healthcare is not well understood. Processes of care seeking for children's health are examined in Cambodia, which has high rates of internal and international migration, and an increasing number of skipped-generation households. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with grandparents who are primary caregivers for children under ten in skipped-generation households in rural migrant-sending areas. Respondents discussed their family's migration history, care seeking and decision making for grandchildren, dynamics with absent migrant parents, and sources of support. Decisions for children's care are intimately tied to the availability of migrant remittances, which are the modality of the relationship between grandparents and parents. Additional remittance support allows grandparents to make decisions for grandchildren's health based on convenience rather than cost, given the burdens of caring grandparents have taken on a result of the parent's migration. Instrumental supports such as in-kind assistance and informational supports further facilitated children's access to healthcare. This qualitative study informs and explains findings from recent quantitative studies of migration and child health.

Early impacts of Room to Grow: A multifaceted intervention supporting parents and children age zero to three

Children experiencing poverty or low incomes fare worse than their more advantaged peers on a host of developmental and educational outcomes. Interventions have focused on strengthening parenting in families with young children, when supports appear to be most critical. But most parenting programs for low-income families fail to address parents’ economic needs, which almost always take precedence relative to broader educational or developmental goals. In this article, we describe the early results of a multifaceted intervention aimed at supporting parents, infants, and toddlers in the first three years of life. The Room to Grow program provides parents, primarily mothers, with support from a clinical social worker, connections to community referrals, and up to $10,000 in material support for the baby in the form of in-kind assistance such as clothes, books, toys, strollers, and other necessities. The current study examines proximal outcomes of the intervention after one year using a randomized controlled trial evaluation design. The study finds that early impacts on proximal outcomes are uniformly positive, especially with regards to the presence of books and developmental goods in the home, developmentally-oriented parenting outcomes, and reduced stress and aggravation in the domain of parenting.

ПРАКТИКА СОЦІАЛЬНОЇ РОБОТИ В УМОВАХ КАРАНТИННИХ ОБМЕЖУВАЛЬНИХ ЗАХОДІВ: ШВИДКА ОЦІНКА ТА УРОКИ

One of the modern challenges for the practice of social work has been the COVID-19 pandemic, which has direct and indirect social consequences. Our intelligence is designed to draw attention to the specifics of the activities of social workers in Ukraine who provided social services to the elderly (the group recognized as most vulnerable to COVID-19), under severe quarantine restrictions, or lockdown. The study was conducted according to the methodology of rapid appraisal (rapid appraisal), which involves achieving a preliminary understanding of the situation, identifying the most acute problems and available solutions. During August 2020, 11 representatives of the administrative staff of the territorial centers of social services (provision of social services) in Kyiv and Dnipro were interviewed. The study identified a number of problems in the activities of the centers due to quarantine restrictive measures: the need to purchase hygiene products; difficulties with the arrival of employees to work, food delivery, restrictions on the provision of social services in the center; increasing the workload due to personnel changes, filling in additional documents, providing explanations to clients, etc. The answers of the respondents also give grounds to note the positive changes in the activity of the centers due to the change of the usual format of providing services: mastery of remote forms of communication by employees, in particular, their use of communication in group chats adjustment of the work schedule of social workers and workers; receiving in-kind assistance in the form of food, hygiene products from retail chains, charitable foundations for low-income single elderly people and people with disabilities who belonged to the high-risk group; involving volunteers in helping clients and ensuring the work of employees. The study of Ukrainian and international experience shows that the response to the challenges of a difficult situation depends on local characteristics and mostly on human resources - work organization and professional adaptability. An important role here is the preparation of social workers to act in extreme and emergency situations, the availability of standard procedures, protocols and resources for use in emergencies, understanding the need to adhere to the principles of social justice and solidarity. At the same time, in the conditions of quarantine measures, the development of the ability to self-analysis, professional reflection, introduction of practices of professional interaction, formation of networks of professional support acquires special urgency.

ЩОДО СИСТЕМИ НАДАННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ПОСЛУГ НА РІВНІ ТЕРИТОРІАЛЬНОЇ ГРОМАДИ В ПРОЦЕСІ ДЕЦЕНТРАЛІЗАЦІЇ В УМОВАХ БОРОТЬБИ З НАСЛІДКАМИ COVID-19 В УКРАЇНІ

The general articulation of the issue and its connection with the important research and practice tasks. The article considers the elements of the system of social services at the level of territorial community in Ukraine in the process of decentralization, namely: the structure of social services at the level of territorial community, elements of the system of social services and features of their provision, social service providers and tasks, services by types and categories of service recipients, cases of mandatory social services, considered the process of determining the needs for social services, analyzed the technology of social service providers at the community level in a pandemic COVID-19 and provided recommendations for their improvement.The analysis of the recent publications regarding the issues this article deals with; identification of parts of the general problem that have not been previously addressed. However, there are currently no scientific publications on the problem of the system of providing social services at the level of the territorial community in the process of decentralization in the conditions of the СOVID-19 epidemic in Ukraine.The relevance of the proposed article is related to the need to increase the efficiency of solving problems that arise at the level of the territorial community as an element of the public administration system in Ukraine in the process of decentralization in the system of social services in COVID-19.The purpose (the objective) of this article. The purpose of the article is to consider the elements of the system of providing social services at the level of the territorial community in Ukraine in the context of combating the consequences of COVID-19 and to provide recommendations for their improvement.The key results and the background. It is important to adjust the system of providing social services at the community level by improving its elements and processes. In this context, it is important to develop the competencies and competencies of the subjects of social services at the level of the territorial community, reengineering the processes of social services, the introduction of new technologies for social services.Conclusions and the prospects of the further research. It is determined that in the system of providing social services at the level of territorial community in terms of COVID-19 such services can be both in-kind assistance (food, medicine and other goods) and information, counseling, psychological support, home care and other services, respectively to certain needs.A number of innovative technologies have been proposed to increase the efficiency of providing social services at the level of the territorial community in the conditions of COVID-19.