The initiative involved 18 different associations and NGO’s and financed several interventions in order to respond to social needs of most problematic groups.
In these recent years, the Municipality of L’AQUILA has been engaged in a complex and long reconstruction process, after the devastating earthquake of 2009 which caused more than 300 victimes and the distruction of a great part of the town. Therefore the Municipality of l’Aquila decided to invest in activating a social public-private partnership composed by public bodies and associations, able to support the local welfare system: to this network was assigned the important task of co-designing and co-coordinating services and additional interventions to the already existing range of social assistance's essential levels, managed by the city. The aim of this effort was to implement a decentralisation of social services’ access points within the territory, bringing the services as closest as possible to citizens (especially near new settlements after the eartquake) and matching their needs. This initiative envisaged two levels of experimentation: 1) to test a model of integration and interaction between the activities of the municipality and the different associations operating in the area, with the objective of enhancing and optimizing a mutual enrichment of knowledge. 2) To create and enable new and shared paths, able to provide clear and flexible answers, especially to fragile groups with specific needs. The initial foreseen interventions have been focused on three main areas: a) social mobility, b) centers for families, c) further homecare assistance.
Resources needed
Around 200.000 € have been invested in the different
Evidence of success
The basic strong point of the programme is the satisfaction of the social groups involved in the projects, who have received a range of services not available within the actual local care service system. 19 families living in the temporary housing units have received the support of the local volunteer associations, a total amunt of 57 people have avoided the eviction from their houses, several families received indirect financial help through the payment of bills and provision of basic supplies.
Difficulties encountered
The major lesson learned from the experience is the creation of new possible forms of dialogue and cooperation between the public and private sectors.
Potential for learning or transfer
The creation of a network of services like these could be easily replicated in similar contexts of challenges caused by an exceptional natural disaster, in other Italian or European areas. The initiative involved different volunteering organisations in a cooperation system based on social innovation. The main output of the sub-projects were adressed to the most vulnerable social groups and represented an innovative public-private partership which succeded in producing effective-tailored services for the community. The involved local associations have become a powerful tool through which public bodies were able to better provide answers to their citizens’ requests.
