Levers of social services integration: performance management system and Lean-related management tools

IMPACT

This article provides a novel perspective on the use of Lean-related management approaches in the context of social services integration. While the literature on Lean and performance management systems in public services is growing, little has been published about social services. As the demand for such services is likely to keep increasing, organizations will be under more and more pressure to deliver accessible services. This article shows how organizations providing social services can leverage management systems and their tools to favour integration and improved performance.

ABSTRACT

This article delves into the seldom studied phenomenon of Lean-related management tools in social services. Through qualitative inquiry taking place in the youth programmes and protection directorates of a large, recently merged, Canadian healthcare organization, this article provides insight into how an integrated performance management system can leverage control rooms and status sheets to improve collaboration, favour the vertical and horizontal integration services, and improve an organization’s contingent capacity. By focusing on social services, this research also extends the literature on Lean-related management tools that has been mostly focused on healthcare.

Keywords:

• Lean
• control rooms
• integration
• performance management system
• public healthcare
• Québec
• social services
• status sheet

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).