Practical wisdom can bridge the gap between government and citizens
The Mind the Gap research group is focused on bridging the gap between government and citizens where it is greatest: at the margins of society. The central question is how we can include those people in society who are difficult for the government to reach. The research group aims to help professionals and policymakers enhance their usable skills and make it easier for them to provide tailored solutions. There are three key development lines: more effective service provision, better organisation of learning and improvement, and refining the research methodology.
Roughly a third of all costs incurred in the social domain are spent on around 1% of all households. The vast majority of those households are also known in the safety chain. From the point of view of government, they are difficult-to-reach groups: drop-outs, care avoiders, former prisoners, addicts, mentally disturbed individuals, vulnerable people or at-risk youth. The people themselves usually view their situations very differently: rather than seeing themselves as the problem, they blame the complex bureaucracy they are confronted with that offers them little help. Professionals dealing with these groups face the challenge of reconciling what is permitted and what is necessary with what is possible and what helps. It is a complex and seldom straightforward judgement call that demands practical wisdom. But how do you develop that practical wisdom?
