Intervention in Human Service Organizations and Social Service Networks

SW813, Section 001

Human service organizations have undergone considerable change during the past two decades in such dimensions as their auspices, funding, relationships with government and other human service organizations (e.g., mergers and collaborations), service technologies, and management philosophies . This course uses several theories of organizations and organizational change (e.g., population ecology, institutional theory, political economy) to analyze these changes and examine their impact on service delivery to vulnerable, underserved and disenfranchised groups and populations in American society. The course will look at change at three levels of change among human service organizations, with selected topics within each one: (1) Changes and Trends in the population and profile of human service organizations; (2) Organizational Change in response to external environments: a) linking mechanisms such as "tools of government", federated grantmaking, and contracting; b)inter-organizational relationships such as mergers, collaboratives and partnerships; (3) Internal changes to enhance organizational effectiveness and efficiency across organizational life cycles: a) Structural and political changes: board management & development; auspices change; b) Adaptation to technological and information management developments; c) Different management approaches: e.g., Total Quality Management and its variants, mission-based management & strategic planning; d) Personnel & Staff Development: recruitment and deployment of volunteers, professionals, and line staff; interdisciplinary collaboration.