A transnational typology of public services with respect to vulnerable people’s experiences

Rethinking Public Services: From Receivers to Active Citizens

The INVOLVE project develops an innovative typology of public and social services, examining how institutions respond to vulnerability and inequality and how their practices influence people’s capabilities, trust and democratic participation. Drawing on the capability approach (Sen and Nussbaum), the research moves beyond traditional welfare state classifications by placing people’s lived experiences at the centre of the analysis. Across eight European countries — Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland — researchers and civil society organisations explored experiences with education, employment, housing and health services, focusing particularly on people facing social exclusion and multiple forms of inequality.

Based on 120 qualitative interviews, policy analysis and a collaborative research process, INVOLVE identifies three complementary dimensions of public services: Receiver, Doer and Judge (RDJ). People are not simply Receivers of material, social or emotional support; they are also Doers, capable of shaping their own lives and contributing to society, and Judges, entitled to express their views and influence decisions about what is good for themselves and their communities. These dimensions underpin three institutional ideal types: Resource Providing Institutions, Activating Institutions and Voice Fostering Institutions. Rather than examining only what institutions promise, the typology assesses what people actually experience: whether they feel supported, empowered, recognised and heard. Co-constructed by researchers and civil society partners, this framework offers a new perspective on how public services can move beyond assistance and activation towards genuine participation, strengthening people’s capabilities and creating opportunities for a more inclusive and democratic society.