Abstract

HERNANDEZ-PAEZ, Ruth F; APONTE-GARZON, Luz H  and  RAMIREZ-DUARTE, María C. Social Capital Institutional Indicators National Family Welfare System (NFWS) in Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia. Orinoquia [online]. 2010, vol.14, n.1, pp.89-104. ISSN 0121-3709.

We conducted a study to design an instrument for measuring social capital among the organizations that are part of the National Family Welfare System (NFWS) in Villavicencio. Information on study variables was collected by interviewing institutions' directors in three institutions in the educational sector, three institutions in the health sector, two centers of family welfare and one public organization for housing programs for underserved families. Results showed an unbalance between available resources and services demand among the organizations. More commonly, the hiring process is done throughout a type of contract for a predetermine period of time, which limits the opportunities to create a real bond between the employee who gives the services to the users and the organization goals. Services to the public across the institutions are given in a fragmented way, which create an important barrier to the completion of the policy for integration of services offered by the NFWS. We conclude that more efforts need to be done among the institutions in the NFWS in order to built social capital in each organization, increasing the chances to generate a network, to strength communication channels, and to develop actions that involve several institutions, improving the possibilities to offer an integral Family Welfare service. We recommend applying regularly the instrument designed in this study to measure Social Capital, and to follow-up of the specific interventions directed to promote the wellbeing of employees of the organizations and users of their services.

Keywords : Institutional social capital; Family welfare; Social conditions.

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