NEED, ALLOCATION AND JUSTICE - ON PRIORITIES IN THE SOCIAL-SERVICES

Cuts in public spending and financial constraints faced by Swedish mun icipalities have led to an increased interest in issues concerning pri orities. This interest reflects a practical need to meet current ratio ning with accurate allocative decisions, where the interests of differ ent areas and categories of users are dealt with in a well-considered way. In social work, these needs today are obvious. The article raises issues concerning priorities with relevance for social work in the Sw edish social services. The purpose is to develop a conceptual and theo retical framework regarding how priorities on different levels of deci sion-making are made, where the main focus is on different principles as grounds for and forms of prioritizing. Central are the following qu estions: What actors can be identified in the process of shaping prior ities in social work? What are the principles behind allocative decisi ons made on different levels of the municipal organization? Which cate gories of potential and actual users gain advantages or suffer disadva ntages from different allocative principles? A theoretical division in to first- and second-order decisions and of allocations from notions o f efficiency, justice and self-interest offer the main structure for t he article. First-order decisions are political decision-making concer ning the total amount of resources distributed to various sectors or p rograms. Second-order decisions deal with the issue of how to allocate given resources among claimants or possible users. Efficiency is disc ussed from the aspects of productivity, marginal utility and longterm effects. Material principles of justice dealt with are the principles of need, increment, contribution and merit. Self-interest is discussed in terms of self-serving bias, group-oriented interests and professio nal gain.