IRC New Foundations  Comm Soc 

Examining the impact of marketization and commissioning on Irish civil society

PI Dr Mary Murphy, RA Dr Michelle Maher   

This project seeks to examine the impact of marketization in social sectors previously funded through public grants.  The focus is whether and how commissioning processes reduce advocacy, independence and/or collegial collaboration in civil society organisations delivering commissioned ‘services’. We first map the active use of commissioning practices among Irish government departments and statutory agencies and select three commissioning practices for further examination (for example SICAP, homelessness services and migrant integration). A symposium will enable networking activities and develop a partnership of relevant academics and NGOs to develop a research consortium.  A theoretical framework and comparative research methodology will be progressed through a workshop with international experts, while an international field trip will enable upskilling