Role of Government in Social

Innovation: Chinese Case Based on China Social Innovation Award Program

Zhou Hongyun

China Center for Comparative Politics &

Economics

The 4th ANIS·Bangkok·Thailand·

10/08-10/10-2013

China Social Innovation Award

• Launched in 2010;

• First academic and

civil(unofficial) Award;

• Two years for one

round(first year: selection of

finalists and winners;

Second year: research on SI)

• Publication: Blue Book on

SI; Case study on SI; SI

forum and SI index

• Two rounds till now;

• 410 applicants

• 40 finalists

• 20 award winners

Three Parts

I. Understanding SI in Chinese context

II. Role of Government in SI

III. Some Findings

I. Understanding Social Innovation in

Chinese context

• Background facts

• Meaning of SI in China

• Number and categories of CSOs

• Institutional environment for SI

• Recent development of SI in China

Background

• Social reform is priority reform for Chinese government.

• Social innovation has become an important way to solve social problems, to meet the needs of the community, to promote the development of society;

• Impetus of SI in the social arena, such as poverty reduction, environment protection, education, disadvantaged groups and disaster.

In China, currently

Meaning of SI

• 1. Government innovation in Governing

Social affairs or Social Management

Innovation(社会管理创新), or Government

innovation in social governance

• 2. Innovation in civil society or social

organization’s innovation

Number & categories of CSOs

official definition : social organizations

(446,000,by the end of 2010)

Social associations

(245,000)

（社团）

Civil non-enterprise organizations

(198,000)

（民办非企业单位）

Foundations

(2200)

（基金会）

Academic estimate

Institutional Environment for SI

• Party and governmental policies

• Legal framework for CSOs: No CSOs’ law

• Current working system for CSOs: Dual

Management system

• Macro level: encourage

• Micro level: Strong administrative control

Social Innovation Categories

Sources: China Social Innovation Award(2010-2013)

What did SI do?

Taking a role in social management Taking a role in social service

delivery

1. Supporting and fostering NGOs:

Such as NPI; CCPG

6.poverty-reduction

2. Rural governance: 7. post-disaster reconstruction

3.Community governance 8. Helping vulnerable Groups

4.Environment protection and

philanthrophicial advocacy

9. Volunteer service

5. Social stability 10. Disability and disease

1. “Loving Heart Package”,China Foundation for

Poverty Alleviation

2. “A Reciprocal and Mutual-Assisting Network for the HIV

Carriers in Remote Ethnic Minority Areas” , Center for the

Development of the Female and Children, Ruili City,

Yunnan Province

3. “Social Enterprises Hatcher for the Disabled” ,

Canyou Group of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

4. “Participatory Governance in Urban Communities”,

Shining Stone Community Action Center, Dongcheng

District, Beijing City

5. “Gardener for Civil Society” (Amity NGO

Development Centre, Amity Foundation, Nanjing City,

Jiangsu Province)

6.“Guard of Huaihe River” ,Research Center for the

Ecologic Protection of Huaihe River, Shenqiu County,

Zhoukou City, Henan Province）

7. “Ecology Preservation in Rural Communities”

,Research Center for Ecology and Poverty of Dabashan

Area, Tongjiang County, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province

8. “Consoling Angel” (Shanghai Hand in Hand Life Care

Developing Centre, Pudong New District, Shanghai

City)

9. “New Model on Integrating New Immigrants”

,Promotion Association of Social Integration, Ningbo City,

Zhejiang Province)

10. “Gesang Flower Education Assistance” ,Gesang

Flower Education Assistance Association, Xining City,

Qinghai Province)

II Role of Government in SI

Central level

•Current reform priorities;

•Social organization management system

reform;

Local level

• Local government innovations which favor to the development of SI in China

Grassroots level

• Community development and grassroots innovation

Central/national level

• Social construction

• Social development

• Social management

• Social governance

• Governmental responsibilities devolution, etc

Social reform on the central level • Dual management system reform: such as direct

registration system for trade associations, register

system for social organizations on community level

• Getting rid of the administrative reform

• Supporting and fostering social organizations reform

• government purchase service delivered by social

organizations

• Tax system reform: Tax preference/deduction

• Transparency reform: keep the public informed of the

financial affairs

• Assessment system reform

Four models on local level

Guangdong case: governmental

responsibilities devolution

Zhejiang case: focus on community social

organizations development

shanghai case: partnership between

government and social organizations

Sichuang case: social issue-oriented

Roles of Government in SI

• Providing institutional environment for SI

• Providing financial support for SI

• Providing technological support for SI

• Building partnership between Gov’t and civil

society on social service delivery

III. Some Findings

• 1. Social Innovation is a common interest for

government, enterprises and civil society in

China; in other word, there has been a consensus

in social reform.

www.chinainnovations.org

Common Interests of Government and Civil

Society in the Fields of Innovations

• 2. Social reform would be a prelude of further

political reform.

• 3. Social organizations in China are playing

increasingly important role in the next further

reform in China; in other word, a civil society

with Chinese characteristics has been

emerging and exerting role increasingly.

4. Successful social innovation depends on good cooperation

between civil society, market system and government.

Most applicants were featured with substantial

cooperation among governments, social organizations,

media and enterprises.

5. Much more dynamic of social innovation in the local

rather than in the central; in civil society rather than in

government; in eastern China where economically more

developed rather than in western China.

• 6. Social innovation is facing a lot of challenges

such as its dynamics and sustainability.

For more information:

www. socialinnovationaward.org

www.chinainnovations.org

zhhongyun@gmail.com