<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This paper focuses on Ireland’s ‘activation turn’ and the roll-out of the <italic>Pathways to Work</italic> policy, contextualising these reforms within recent international developments in activation. Using a qualitative approach, the study explores the perceptions of a range of key stakeholders – jobseekers, employment guidance practitioners, employment service managers, ancillary services and policymakers – offering some important insights into Ireland’s move towards activation and the implementation of <italic>Pathways to Work</italic>. Three overarching themes were identified: depersonalisation, the missing ‘how to’ of implementation, and the reform agenda. These findings, although tentative, provide a new understanding of the perceptions of key stakeholders, described as ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, and their views about both implementation and perceived effectiveness.</p>
</abstract>

This paper focuses on Ireland’s ‘activation turn’ and the roll-out of the Pathways to Work policy, contextualising these reforms within recent international developments in activation. Using a qualitative approach, the study explores the perceptions of a range of key stakeholders – jobseekers, employment guidance practitioners, employment service managers, ancillary services and policymakers – offering some important insights into Ireland’s move towards activation and the implementation of Pathways to Work. Three overarching themes were identified: depersonalisation, the missing ‘how to’ of implementation, and the reform agenda. These findings, although tentative, provide a new understanding of the perceptions of key stakeholders, described as ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, and their views about both implementation and perceived effectiveness.

Opening the black box of implementing activation in Ireland

Administration

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Opening the black box of implementing activation in Ireland"}

This paper focuses on Ireland’s ‘activation turn’ and the roll-out of the Pathways to Work policy, contextualising these reforms within recent international...

Opening the black box of implementing activation in Ireland

Published Online: May 12, 2021

Page range: 87 - 106

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/admin-2021-0015

Keywords
Activation, labour market policy reform, implementation, Ireland, effectiveness

© 2021 Nuala Whelan, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Opening the black box of implementing activation in Ireland

Published Online: May 12, 2021

Page range: 87 - 106

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/admin-2021-0015

KeywordsActivation, labour market policy reform, implementation, Ireland, effectiveness

© 2021 Nuala Whelan, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Activation, labour market policy reform, implementation, Ireland, effectiveness