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Coordination, Miracle Work, and Artistry in the Practice of a Tenant-Based Self-Sufficiency Program Author: Laurie S. Goldman Dissertation School: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Pages: 49 Publication Date: 11/2002 Availability: Access Number: 5001 Abstract: Programs that aim to promote self-sufficiency require practitioners to develop referral networks to connect clients with available job training and supportive services. However, when existing services are scarce, difficult to access, or not fully aligned with clients' specific needs, implementation success requires more than simply referring clients to other providers. This paper examines how street-level practitioners forge alliances with their counterparts in other service providing agencies to augment existing resources or tailor them to better meet demands of their clientele. This perspective thus extends recent research on the challenges of implementing programs in an increasingly networked service delivery environment to include innovative system factors that are often over-looked. The Family Self-Sufficiency program linked to the federal housing voucher system offers an opportune context for this study; street-level practitioners are responsible for coordinating with other service providers without the benefit of an operating budget or formal decisionmaking authority within their housing agencies. The research employs an innovative data collection device to elicit thick descriptions of the process of service network development and the range of ways personal connections across organizational boundaries add value to individual clients and program resources as well as reliable counts of ties of varying strengths. Quantitative and qualitative comparison across eight distinct organizational and regional contacts in Massachusetts identifies three explanatory factors for the variation in the number of inter-organizational ties per agency and the strength of their contribution to the program: 1) the geographical dispersion of service providers; 2) the existence of opportunities for practitioners to exchange information, coordinate activities, and collaborate on programs; and 3) the degree of home agency support for the self-sufficiency agenda. Findings also point to the limitations of street-level alliances for addressing the full scope of perceived client needs. In addition to identifying the potential for street-level networking, findings also extend theories about the interplay of geographic and organizational conditions fostering interagency networks and offer practical lessons for policy and practice about linking housing and social services. |
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