Research On Cross-Department Cooperation Mechanism Of Social Work In The Post-Disaster Service

After the "5.12" Wenchuan Earthquake in2008, social work’s practical extent and theoretical extent in Shanghai teamed up with the government in the group of "Shanghai Social Workers Post-disaster Reconstruction Services Group" to help the Dujiangyan city carry out the post-disaster reconstruction Services. It was the first time for social workers as a professional forces to participate in post-disaster relief and reconstruction service, also the first cross-department cooperation between the government (Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau) and the nonprofit organizations (social work academics and practitioners). However, the seemingly logical partnership was not "smooth sailing" and full of many challenges, dilemmas and conflicts during the actual operation.Accordingly, this study of the "Shanghai Social Workers Post-disaster Reconstruction Services Group"based on theinter-organizational cooperation life cycle, and embedded the structural cooperation issues in each of the different stages of cooperation relationship that including the cooperation elements, models, mechanisms, conflicts and disaster social work. Thereby the framework of this page could be extracted and draws the following findings:1. In the stage of the cooperation establishment:The key elements to establish the cooperation relationship of "Shanghai social reconstruction Service Corps" included the disaster community, professional community, and the core experienced characters playing the Internet pioneers roles, the trust between organizations, as well as the mutual interdependence of resources.2. In the stage of the cooperation maintenance:The Civil Affairs Bureau of Shanghai and four social work NGOs have formal or informal interactive communication in the fields of funding sharing, service delivery, and decision-making. However the interior of Shanghai Social Workers Post-disaster Reconstruction Services Group was the contractual cooperation guided by government rather than a true equal partnership.3. In the stage of the delivery services:"Shanghai Social Workers Post-disaster Reconstruction Services Group" played the important function at the aspects of the post-disaster social relationships reconstruction, the affected residents’ability of self-help and mutual aid, as well as the post-disaster community reconstruction. Because of the first time to explore and try, service groups had many shortages and objections at the service mode, service content and service effectiveness, etc.4. At the stage of partnership termination. Service group had many difficulties to continuous promote that included the insufficient human resources dilemma caused by frequent movement of personnel, operational funding dilemma caused by the lack of effective integration, the organizational function difference between expectation and reality, as well as lack horizontal and vertical communication between organizations. So that, with the scheduled short service time arrival, the formal partnership of the service group entered termination phase.By analyzing the "Shanghai social reconstruction services group" actually operates in practice, this study suggests that:under the guidance of the disaster management modern theory of the "Prevention is better than cure", if social work organizations wants to play irreplaceable professional role in post-disaster relief, they need to do the following:First, on the level of professional ability construction, that we should explore the path and method to enhance the disaster social work profession of the trinity including values, knowledge and technology; Second, on the level of cooperation capacity construction, thatsocial work nonprofit organizations should establish "Normal Social Work Action Coalition of the Disaster Prevention and Rescue." On the other hand, the cross-sector cooperation mechanism of the disaster management should be established between the government and the non-governmental social work organizations. That means to build the cross-sector cooperation philosophy, multiple communicational pipes, flexible cooperation modes, policies and regulations. Eventually, this study hope to provide valuable experience and reference sample corresponds to the local practice for the future of China’s disaster relief service.