1PUBLIC-THIRD SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS: A MAJOR INNOVATION IN ARGENTINIAN SOCIAL POLICYa

For the past twenty years social policy literature has reflected increasing concern for the management of social policies in the wake of welfare state retrenchment. Clearly, the traditional welfare state model no longer describes social reality. In Argentina, as in many other parts of the world, there is a growing tendency towards the formation of partnerships between the state and the third sector, not only for providing social welfare services but also for influencing social policy. As a result, both the state and civil society organizations have found themselves compelled to adapt traditional structures and ways of operating and to assume challenging new roles in an attempt to meet unsatisfied social needs. While the state grapples with problems stemming from these policy shifts, civil society organizations are learning to hone political skills and better manage resources in order to strengthen their impact on the policy process. Undoubtedly, welfare mix has been given high priority on the Argentinian government’s political agenda, and the issue can no longer be ignored by social policy scholars or omitted from public debate. This paper offers a critical analysis of public-third sector partnerships in social policy-making in Argentina. In the first part we look at the nature of the public policy shifts in ou