Social Service Studies and the Explanation of Policy Outcomes

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Abstract
At least two theoretical implications of studies of social services are not given their full weight in much political science writing. The first is that the influence on policy outcomes of factors external to the organiztion have their influence at a variety of levels and on a multeity of groups of actors. For instance, the operating environment is argued to affect provision through its effects on the characteristics of potential consumers and therefore on the demand they make of the organization, the professionals and others at the client interface, local teams, departments, and authorities. In particular, the literature has stressed the impact of demands made by consumers on the structures of outputs. In doing so, it has begun to integrate theories about the causes of variations in demand into the theory about causes of variations in provisions. This is reflected in the modelling literature which draws on the social service studies. The models focus at a level of explanation at which it is possible to look at a wide range of performance indicators and to draw on a great deal of detailed evidence, and face more squarely issues of causal priority in the determination of outcomes.

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