The book chapter discusses a specific form of professional relationship between actors in labour market and social policy, namely partnership. Partnership can be distinguished from other common forms, such as coordination and cooperation, by a close relationship between partners. Partnerships are recognised as drivers of (social) innovation at the EU level, in particular in labour market and social policy. Social change can be co-initiated and accompanied by this form of equal relationship between institutions. Given the need to transform our world, declared by the UN's Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, actors at all levels of governance should strive for innovations that contribute comprehensively to social change.
Processes of change, however, may have negative impacts on vulnerable groups of our society when appropriate countermeasures for these groups are missing. Policymakers are called upon to act by looking at the least advantaged of our society and contribute to sustainable solutions at the local/regional level with programmes that strengthen partnership. The implementation of comprehensive participation and engagement processes to improve policy performance are indispensable. With the steering element of partnership an effective tool is at hand assisting in creating sustainable innovative solutions. This instrument, however, also requires clear management with regard to the desired form of cooperation: joint decision-making, shared responsibility, equal partners, and shared ownership are the hallmarks of a partnership that can be seen as a driver for innovation. Future evidence-based policymaking, therefore, means proactively steering the transformation of our systems, increasingly replacing "institutional silos" with working in partnership and fostering new forms of governance such as participatory policymaking and pooling of resources for partnership programmes to promote innovation. Please find the download only in German by clicking on this link.
