European worlds of inclusive activation: The organisational challenges of coordinated service provision

For activation policies to succeed, the provision of social services in addition to labour‐market services is essential, as social services are a prerequisite for integrating groups with complex social problems into the labour market. Activation policies based on social services can be termed inclusive. They require not only a sufficient financial basis, but also governance structures that deal with the organisational challenges associated with coordinated service provision, including fragmented competences and conflicts between different political arenas and territorial levels. This article analyses the capacity of five countries − G ermany, I taly, P oland, S weden and the UK − to provide coordinated labour‐market and social services from a multidimensional, multilevel and multi‐stakeholder perspective. The findings show that coordinated service provision requires profound changes to national and local governance structures. Future research should take into account the organisational challenges of integrating social and employment services. Key Practitioner Message: ● The coordinated provision of employment and social services is an important precondition for integrating long‐term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups into the labour market .