Disentangling multidimensional welfare-to-work policy programmes

Disentangling Multidimensional Welfare-to-Work Policy Programmes investigates the persistent challenge of long-term unemployment and examines how governments can most effectively support social assistance recipients in their search for work. The dissertation focuses on a relatively new policy approach, multidimensional welfare-to-work programmes, which seek to overcome the limitations of traditional activation policies. Instead of relying on a single intervention, these programmes combine a mix of policy measures tailored to the client, allowing for a more effective response to the diverse and complex situations of job seekers. At the same time, they aim to improve the service delivery chain by fostering closer and more effective collaboration across the different organizational layers and actors involved in implementation.

Drawing on two in-depth case studies in the municipalities of Rotterdam and Pijnacker-Nootdorp, this dissertation analyses how multidimensional welfare-to-work programmes unfold in practice, which mechanisms drive their outcomes, and how contextual factors shape their effectiveness. By exploring these dynamics across multiple levels and perspectives, from the municipal organization and street-level bureaucrats to job seekers and employers, it offers a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the practice of employment service delivery. In addition, the research adopts an action-based approach that moves beyond merely studying policy implementation by involving stakeholders directly in the research process to address the challenges encountered in practice through the use of learning evaluation and co-design.

The findings offer new insights into the conditions under which multidimensional welfare-to-work policies can effectively support vulnerable job seekers, while contributing to broader debates on evidence-based policymaking, policy learning, and the governance of complex policy programmes.