The kick-off meeting of the European SWINS project coordinated by IGOP took place on 6 and 7 February. The team members, Margarita Leon (PI), Zyab Ibañez (co-PI) and Charlotte Fernández (project manager) went to Prato (Italy) where the meeting was taking place.
The meeting organised by the PIN Foundation (in charge of the scientific coordination of the project) focused on presenting the objectives and tasks and kicking off the project.
Over the three years, SWINS will develop and test a policy-oriented toolbox for the ex ante evaluation of the economic and social returns of investments in social services throughout life. Emphasizing the complementarity of services aimed at developing human capabilities throughout life, it will explore the impacts of alternative social policy scenarios involving different configurations of social services (from maternal care and early childhood and early childhood education, to education and active labour market policies, and long-term care) on social and growth, as well as closing knowledge gaps on how these investments influence macroeconomic stability and foster the performance of the transition towards EU sustainability.
The project is made up of researchers from eight academic institutions, a think tank and a European network of NGOs. These are the members of the consortium: National University of Ireland Maynooth. Oslomet, Social Platform, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, University of Belgrade, Tarki Institute, Fondazione Pin, University of Antwerp, Institute for Future Fit Economies (Zoe Institute) and finally the UAB as coordinator.
Beyond project coordination, from the IGOP, we will be in charge of WP3 on critical challenges and policy strategies to foster multifaceted returns. WP3 will build on the work of WP2 that elaborates an advanced theoretical and analytical framework on the nexus between the rights-based social investment vision for social services and the transition to sustainable well-being.
In WP3 we examine in depth to what extent and how progress towards more sustainable well-being is being framed along four conceptual axes: 1) how digital transformation is affecting social services on both the demand and supply sides; 2) how eco-social objectives feed into the design and implementation of trade-offs between the principles of universality (de-commodification) and conditionality (commodification) in access to social protection; 3) the complementarities between formal and informal social services; and 4) the de-gendering of care throughout the lifespan.
In line with the SWINS objective, WP3 will develop this analysis by focusing on the policy areas most relevant for operationalising the life course multiplier and thinking in terms of complementarities/trade-offs (i.e. child poverty, active labour market policies, work-life balance).
WP3 will analyse public documents, monitor decision-making processes and conduct interviews with policy makers. It will track the evolution of eco-social well-being objectives on EU policy agendas and then delve deeper into the national cases that emerge as the most promising in terms of returns, comparing national strategies and policy approaches. This will include examining/assessing developments in policy objectives, identifying key policy actors and their relationships, and assessing the overall balance of cash and in-kind social benefits and regulatory policy instruments. Particular attention will be paid to changes and lessons learned on how social policies responded to the three major crises of the past two decades: the debt crisis of 2008-2012, COVID-19 and the current cost of living crisis. Policy analysis will inform and provide context for the interpretation of results in empirical research and simulations of WPs 4-6.
