What experiences can be found around the world that can serve as inspiration. SocioÉco selects several readings and documentation that can illustrate the importance of co-construction of public policies.

Written by Françoise Wautiez, SocioÉco.

Under the impetus of the national network to support the promotion of the social solidarity economy in Mali, the Government of that country adopted a national policy to promote the social solidarity economy in 2014, as well as the first five-year action plan. With civil society, the country is beginning to draft a SSE law, while in Tunisia, the government has developed a new legislative framework for social and solidarity economy, which is soon to be approved by the Council of Ministers and the Assembly (see article A draft law on the social and solidarity economy in preparation).

What does the documentation tell us? The public policy component of socioeco.org consists of 1) a legislation page, 2) maps and 3) a set of 11 thematic dossiers.

  1. The legislation page lists the draft laws, laws and decrees already identified in various countries in Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia and Europe. A redirection is indicated for cooperative-specific laws. We hope, despite the language difficulties, to be able to draw inspiration from existing laws or draft laws before the final validation vote.
  2. Two maps of public policies, the first classified by needs (food, housing, etc.), the second, the same policies but this time classified by Sustainable Development Objectives with examples of public policies in support of SSE around the world.
  3. Specific files, including the one we are going to put forward today, in line with the interview on Greece: Co-producing and co-constructing Public Policies: the role of SSE.

On this theme, it is worth mentioning the work of Yves Vaillancourt (2014) who points out that these notions refer on the one hand to the participation of civil society and market actors in the implementation of public policies (e. g. management and service provision) and on the other hand to the participation of actors in the definition or elaboration of policies (setting general orientations and policy foundations). It shows us how social and solidarity economy actors in Quebec, alongside other labour market and civil society actors, cooperate with the State to develop (co-construct) and operationalize (co-produce) policies that aim to serve the general interest.

You can read:

–  Yves Vaillancourt, Marie-Noëlle Ducharme,, François Aubry, Stéphane Grenier, janvier 2016 : AccèsLogis Québec (1997-2015) : les hauts et les bas de la co-construction d’une politique publique, Cahiers du Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES) Collection Études théoriques – n° ET1601

– Yves Vaillancourt, Montréal, décembre 2014 :  Note de recherche sur l’apport de l’économie sociale et solidaire dans la co-construction démocratique des politiques publiques: réflexions ancrées dans des expériences canadiennes, québécoises et latino-américaines, lors du RIUESS, Lille, mai 2014, Copublication du CRISES et du LAREPPS, UQAM

– The AccèsLogis Québec Program: 15 years of Partnership Between the State and the Social Economy, Canadian Review of Social Policy / Revue canadienne de politique sociale, no 1, p. 16-29. Marie-Noëlle Ducharme,, Yves Vaillancourt, 2012

The work of Chantier de l’économie sociale, also in Quebec, for example:

– L’ÉCONOMIE SOCIALE : élément incontournable d’une stratégie d’action jeunesse complète et cohérente. Mémoire présenté par le Comité jeunesse du CHANTIER DE L’ÉCONOMIE SOCIALE au Secrétariat à la jeunesse à l’occasion de la consultation publique à l’égard de la Stratégie d’action jeunesse 2005-2008, juin 2005

But there are many other examples in Europe:

– L’économie sociale et solidaire au centre d’une nouvelle économie : l’expérience de la mairie de Barcelone, Séminaire sur la coconstruction des politiques publiques locales, 4 novembre 2016 Bordeaux, RTES.

– THE IMPETUS PLAN FOR THE SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY ECONOMY 2016 – 2019, Ajuntament de Barcelona, April 2017

– PLAN DE IMPULSO ECONOMIA SOCIAL y SOLIDARIA 2016 – 2019, Ajuntament de Barcelona, abril 2017

– Présentation de l’élaboration de la Charte de la vie associative de la Ville de Saintes, Témoignage dans le cadre du séminaire sur la coconstruction des politiques publiques locales, 4 novembre 2016 Bordeaux, November 2016, RTES.

– Brighton & Hove Food Poverty Action Plan – A whole city approach to tackling food poverty. Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, 2015

At the 2011 FIESS, case studies were presented, such as:

– Mamadou GOÏTA, Madani KOUMARE, octobre 2011 : Étude de cas maliens Emploi et travail, sécurité et souveraineté alimentaire et économie sociale et solidaire

– Susan Steinman, October 2011 : National case study Republic of South Africa.The need for a State-Civil society dialogue to develop public policies for the Social and Solidarity Economy, International Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy

– Ana Maria Dubeux, Ana Mercedes Sarria Icaza, Alzira Josefa de Siqueira Medeiros, Gabriela Cavalcanti Cunha, Mariluce Paes de Souza, octubre 2011 : Estudio de casos brasileños La dinámica de relaciones entre los foros de economía solidaria y las políticas públicas para la economía solidaria en Brasil, Foro Internacional de Economia Social y Solidaria

As part of CIRIEC’s work:

– Anders Bro, Claes Gunnarsson, Olle Westin, October 2013 : On the road towards reinforced cooperation: Emerging structures for coproduction between the public sector and the social economy, 4th CIRIEC International Research Conference on Social Economy University of Antwerp, 24-26 October 2013

– Juan Fernando Álvarez Rodríguez, CIRIEC Colombia, septiembre 2017 : Economía social y solidaria en el territorio: significantes y co-construcción de políticas públicas

or others, such as :

– Claudia Sabrina Monasterios, Cynthia Cecilia Srnec, 2012 : La co-construcción de políticas públicas innovadoras en torno a la economía social

Have a good reading!