Foster Carer Contributions: A Customer Service Participation Approach to Public Policy
Kimberley Kammermann, Research/Project Officer, Office for Foster Care Relations, Department for Families and Communities, South Australian Government
Paper presented to the Public Policy Network Conference, Adelaide 2007
This paper outlines public participation in the policy cycle within a customer service context and illustrates this by examining a case study from the South Australian Department for Families and Communities.
In social welfare policy making, customers are disenfranchised by circumstance and do not have the same opportunities to participate as other citizens who may have an interest in the area. This paper argues that participation of customers is important as it contributes to a level of understanding between policy makers and customers. Utilising the customer, in this case foster carers1, gives those who use the services an opportunity to contribute to the direction of policy.
Ms. Kimberley Kammermann (email) Research/Project Officer Office for Foster Care Relations Department for Families and Communities Business: South Australian Government
