ADMINISTRATION AND 1.

Determination of goals and/or setting of

SUPERVISION IN SOCIAL WORK objectives

REVIEWER 2. Formulation of policies

3. Maintenance of an organization
4. Formulation of plans
5. Securing of resources
PREFACE
6. Selection of technologies necessary for
operations
 Administration is a system of
7. Design of programs and service
cooperative efforts at all levels of the
8. Optimization of organizational behavior
organization and not the sole
9. Evaluation of results for the improvement
responsibility of high level executives.
of services; and
10. Accounting for resource utilization

UNIT I
THEORETICAL CONCEPTS OF SOCIAL
Administration is a continuous process that
WORK ADMINISTRATION
leads to organizational growth and
development. Administration, therefore, is a
Section 1. Why We Need Administration
phenomenon occurring in governments,
schools, business firms, labor unions,
Administration is an important area
hospitals, and in any organized goal-
in organized human activity. It has been
seeking group of persons.
considered a process, a method, or a set of
relationships between and among people
Characteristics of Administration
working toward common objectives in an
The basic characteristics spelled out in
organization. Every organization requires
pertinent literature include the following:
administration to function effectively to
1. Administration is a human enterprise that
achieve its goals. Administration is
involves the activity of people in the
necessary to orchestrated the myriad
organization.
activities of the organization.
2. It is a continuous, dynamic process for a
common purpose or goal that is pursued
through uninterrupted, continuing interactive
 Herman Stein describes the concept of
activity between and among people in
administration as the process of
vertical and horizontal positions in the
defining and attaining the objectives of
organization.
the organization through a system of
3. The resources of people and materials
coordination and cooperative effort.
are harnessed and coordinated to achieve
organizational goals.
Administration as a method of practice
4. Leadership is implicit in administration.
revolves primarily on the following activities:
Leadership has been defined as the ability
of an individual to influence, motivate, and influence over the work environment”. As
enable others to contribute toward the such, it is primarily a proactive than a
effectiveness and success of the reactive activity.
organization of which they are members.

Leadership occurs at all levels of An organization comes into being when:

organization. The task of leadership varies a. there are persons able to communicate
with the position that it occupies in the with each other,
organizational hierarchy, be it at the top- b. Who are willing to contribute to action,
level, mid-level, etc. and
c. To accomplish a common purpose.
Coordination, cooperation, and participation
are the means for achieving the While communication, willingness to serve,
organizational goals. Complementation - and common purpose may be found in all
working and acting together- involves organizations, efficiency and effectiveness
people taking part in organizational tasks for would be essential for its continued
shared goals. existence.

Elements of Administration
1. Organization - is the setting up of the Administration in Human Service
framework or structure of the different units Organizations
of the system to carry out or perform distinct
tasks for the attainment of the goals of Social administration, social welfare
administration. administration, and social work
2. Management - is the activity that administration are found in soial work
allocates and utilizes resources to achieve literature as they apply to human service
the goals of the organization. organization. Conceptually, they need not
- it is the scientific utilization be differentiated as they are not separate
of manpower, money, machines, materials, nor mutually exclusive entities although they
methods, time, space, and other resources focus on the macro to micro continuum in
for the attainment of organizational goals. organizational development.
- it involves the tasks of
establishing and maintaining an According to Archie Hanlan, social
organizational climate or internal administration focuses on the policies,
environment in which people working planning, and administration of goods and
together in groups can perform effectively services in relation to the political, social
and efficiently towards the attainment of and economic institutions and to the
group goals. determinants of the distribution of national
- It can be “conceptualized resources to social welfare needs.
as various ways of shaping and exerting an
Social administration - used to refer to As a part of social work practice, the
administration in the field of health, Code of Ethics equally applies to it. The
education, and other social development same core values such as worth and dignity
fields. of persons, service, social justice, among
Social Welfare administration - refers more others, apply to social work administration.
specifically to the administrative processes In administration, there are greater chances
in social welfare agency, the formulation of of ethical conflicts than being a direct
its policies and plans, and their service worker, because the greater number
implementation into programs and services of stakeholders involves in the organization
for specific client groups. It is also referred and the need to meet numerous obligations
to as social agency administration. within and outside the organization.

Edward Schwartz claims that the major Major Characteristics of Social Work
objective of social welfare administration is Administration
the enhancement of social functioning. He Include the following:
implies that social welfare as field of 1. The use of the principles and techniques
administration and social work as a of administration in general.
profession may be considered to have 2. The use of the philosophy, aims, and
shared objective. functions of social work, its methods of
social diagnosis, analysis and synthesis of
individual, group or community needs, and
Section 2. Social Work Administration of generalizations for change or
development in agency functions and goal.
Social work administration is a method of Its primary focus is a helping process for
social work concerned with the provision individuals, groups, and communities.
and distribution of societal resources so as 3. Working with people based on knowledge
to enable people to meet their needs and and understanding of human behavior,
fulfill their potentials toward empowering human relations, and human organizations.
their lives. It is assumed that in transforming 4. Methods encompassing not only in the
social policies into programs and services, services provided by the agency but also in
the social work administrator applies a the administrative process and staff
synthesis of social work methods in the relations.
administrative processes. As a secondary 5. Ethics playing a significant role.
method in social work, administration,
according to Walter Friedlander, is based Activities undertaken in social work
upon the principles and techniques of administration
administration in general but addressed to Harleigh Trecker spells out the
the specific social work tasks of defining and following activities as major areas of
solving human problems and satisfying administrative work and responsibility:
human needs. 1. Study and analyze the community
2. Determine agency purpose as basis for services, whether under public or private
clientele selection or people to be served. auspices.
3. Provide financial resources, budgeting, b. The societal action for improved or new
and accounting services needed by specific groups or the
4. Develop agency policies, programs, and community as a whole. There is decision-
procedures for the implementation of making at every level of administration.
agency purposes.
5. Select and work agency leadership, 2. Structure- the study of structure consists
professional, and nonprofessional staff, of:
boards, committees, and service volunteers. a. Studying it in relation to the organization
6. Provide and maintain physical plant, as an element of administration.
equipment, and supplies. b. Knowing that the social welfare agency
7. Develop a plan, establish and maintain represents the organizational structure in
effective community relations, and interpret social work administration.
programs
8. Keep complete and accurate records of 3. Process- Social work administration is a
agency operations and make regular report. continuous, dynamic, and total process of
9. Plan and conduct research on a regular bringing together people, resources, and
basis purposes to accomplish the agency goal of
10. Continuously conduct regular evaluation providing social services.
of program and personnel.
As a process, it is based upon
Importance of Social Work knowledge of human nature and human
Administration organization to establish and maintain a
Social work administration is the system of participative and cooperative
keystone for maximizing the effectiveness of effort at all levels of the organization.
social work programs in the solution of Tracker points out that as a process, social
social problems and in the betterment of work administration has important
social conditions for all people. dimensions that include:
Social work administration provides a. Central dimension - this is the task of
the framework for social work practice that work assignment within the agency
relates it to other agency functions. The structure. There is a wide distribution of
quality of social work practices is greatly responsibility in the agency with the
influenced by social work administration. allocation of tasks and functions for every
level of work. The community in which the
Aspects of Social Work Administration: agency works affects agency purposes and
1. Functions - the following are the social programs as it is the source of support as
work administration functions: well as the object of service.
a. The means by which identified social b. Psychosocial dimension - this
needs are dealt with by appropriate social presupposes that people release their
feelings and energies and that these A social welfare agency is a structured
feelings and energies, when properly framework within which the administrative
harnessed by administrators, constitute the tasks are carried out. It is an instrument of
human resources in achieving agency society, established through government
goals. initiative or through voluntary efforts to
achieve a social goal.

Evaluation of Organizational Peter Drucker outlines how a social welfare

Management and Leadership in Social agency in its simplest form comes into being
Work Administration when “several people see an unmet need,
want to meet that need, get community
10 areas for evaluation: permission to meet that need, and accept
1. ) Appropriate use of self in relation to the legal responsibility for seeing that the
agency’s organizational structure and resources secured, or made available, are
individual staff functions used for the specific purpose for which they
2. Effective communication and handling of were given rather than for some other
conflicts purpose.
3. Ability to initiate and maintain systems
for implementing ideas. Types of Social Welfare Agencies
4. Skill in assessing available information, Traditionally, the types of social welfare
including budgets, for planning. agencies include:
5. Initiative in analyzing and designing 1. Governmental or public agencies -
programs components organizations supported by public funds or
6. Skill in utilizing management information taxes.
technology 2. Private or voluntary agencies -
7. Capacity to coordinate activities, develop organizations supported by private
leadership, and delegate tasks in working contributions or donations or income from
with staff, committee, or coalitions services. These are popular referred to as
8. Ability to overcome staff or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
organizational resistance to task completion. 3. Semi-government or quasi-governmental
9. Ability to monitor and evaluate outcomes organizations - organizations that receive
and determine alternative strategies. some form of subsidy, either in cash or kind,
10. Capacity to strategically utilize self and a from the government.
variety of leadership styles to mobilize
others. Characteristics of Public Agencies
1. They are created through any of these:
constitutional mandate, legislative act,
Section 3. Social Welfare Agency executive order, presidential decree, or
letter or instruction.
2. Their existence, functions, and programs The social welfare may be a small
are created by law or executive order, organization with a few people involved in
hence, may only be changed or modified by the program or a complex social system
law or executive order. involving a great number of people. For a
3. Their organizational structure is large social welfare agency, the personnel
bureaucratic and less flexible than private would include administrators at various
agencies. levels, professionals, members of different
4. They must conform with government related professions, clerical, technical, and
procedures, especially the accounting and manual staff, as well as volunteers and
auditing of funds, property, and other paraprofessionals.
resources.
The DSWD is a good case illustration of
Characteristics of Private Agencies a large public social welfare agency. In
1. They are organized as a form of response addition to being a national social welfare
of private organizations to meet people’s agency, it has deployed social work staff in
needs in the community different countries where there are Filipino
2. They may be national chapters of overseas workers through the International
international organization such as the Red Social Welfare Services for Filipino
Cross, Young Man Catholic Association Nationals( ISWSFN). In collaboration with
(YMCA), World Vision, and others. the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and
3. They may have been established by the Department of Labor and Employment
sectarian or non-sectarian organizations. (DOLE), the Filipino migrant workers in
4. They are governed by their own charters, crisis situation and in need of special
constitutions and by-laws, and by a protection are provided proper assistance
governing board. by virtue of RA 8042 or the Migrant
5. Their organizational structures do not Worker and Overseas Filipino Act of
generally follow a bureaucratic pattern, and 1995. Smaller in scale and responsibility are
therefore, are more flexible in their policies the local government social welfare offices
and programs that enable them to readily at the provincial and municipal city levels
respond to people and community needs. which are established under the authority of
6. Private agencies can pioneer and initiate the Local Government Code (LGC). Private
demonstration projects which may agencies exists at the local level to meet the
subsequently be turned over to the needs or residents. An example of a small
government. The latter can adopt the agency in the Ph is the Philippine Band of
program on a larger scale with more Mercy.
available resources and organizational
capacity. Nature of Social Welfare Agencies
Rosemary C. Sarri and Robert D. Vinter
Size of Social Welfare Agency suggests that social welfare agencies “must
be viewed both as administrative
bureaucracies and as social systems”. Other types of social agencies may be
They are administrative bureaucracies in created by foundations set up by individuals,
that they are established to attain specific business corporations, religious
goals, and their internal structures, organizations, or even universities. An
technology and procedures are designed to example is the Philippine Business for
implement these goals. An example is the Social Progress (PBSP), a corporate-led
Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) of non-profit social development foundation in
agencies meant to guide agency workers in the Philippines that is committed to poverty
the performance of their tasks to serve alleviation and people development.
particular client groups in accordance with
agency goals. They are social systems that Section 4. Social System
adaptively respond to external and internal
pressures, and they generate informal A social system is a whole with each part
patterns that may both facilitate and hamper bearing a dynamic relation to every part and
goal attainment. all are interdependent. A system, according
to William Link, is “a purposeful organized
Being social systems, social agencies interrelationship of components in which the
are subject to pressures from outside and performance of the whole exceeds the
within organization. For instance, political individual outputs of all the parts”.
factors interfere with normal operations of When applied to social work
the public agencies as in the appointment of administration, it refers to the concept of
managers and their staff. Socio-cultural agency purpose and interrelationship of
factors such as utang-na-loob, (debt of different units as sub-systems of the
gratitude) and pakikisama (getting along organization. The interrelation and
with..) oftentimes characterize the informal coordination of the various sub-systems are
relationships that may contravene the formal brought about by the information and
tenets of the organization. The economic communication network, the decision-
situation also affects funding and support to making mechanism and other built-in
social agencies that may cause the cutting mechanisms which exist in every
down and/or elimination of existing organization.
programs. The professional culture
influences social agencies by establishing Basic Components of Social System
standards of practice which are mandated The components of social systems are the
through licensure requirements established following:
by law. R.A. 4373 has made a difference in 1. Input - the input into the system may be
the standards of professional staffing of both human resource, work method, or a set of
public and private agencies. beliefs from the environment. They find a
way of relating with each other within the
Other Types of Social Agencies system. A change in one input may affect
the entire system.
2. Output - the output represents what the by them. Thus, the social system is
system is doing in relation to its goals. influenced by its external environment, i.e.,
3. Throughput - this refers to the conversion the community.
process of inputs to outputs.
Multiple systems apply to the many levels
Figure 1. BASIC SYSTEMS MODEL of systems and subsystems. According to
Link, the study of a multiple system moves
Input ------- Throughput ----- Output from a small view, i.e., microcosm, to a
(Conversion Process) large view, i.e., macrocosm of systems.
Input (Staff, Budgeting, Building)
Throughput (Management) A program undertaken by a social agency
Output (Programs and Services) could be viewed as a system by itself or a
subsystem in relation to the various agency
In the foregoing illustration, the human, programs in the community. The social
financial, and physical resources represent administration, social welfare administration,
the inputs that are converted into programs and social work administration continuum is
and services with the management as the an example of multiple systems.
mechanism in the conversion process.
Systems equilibrium or stability is the
Properties of Systems tendency of an organization (system) to
Systems may demonstrate open and maintain a uniform and beneficial stability
closed properties, described as follows: within and between its parts. The
1. In an open system, the clientele to be management function in an organization
served comes from the community as well provides the mechanism for system
as the resource inputs for its support and equilibrium not only within the system but
maintenance. This is the characteristic of an also among the subsystem.
open system. Most systems are open and An example of systems equilibrium in an
the social agency is a good example of this. agency is see when staff morale is high and
2. A closed system is one that is not work performance is satisfactory. A further
affected by its external environment. In illustration is when the agency has
reality, there are very few closed systems. demonstrated relevance to community
The closed system may apply to an agency needs, and has at the same time maintained
the programs and services of which remain a network of relationships with various
constant despite changes in the socio- sectors of community.
economic and/or political situation.

In considering the closed and open Relation of the Systems Approach to the
properties of systems, it should be Management Process
remembered that the social system is
permeable to other systems and is affected
“Manager’s Hob: A systems approach” By d. Provision of guidance, direction,
Seymons Tilles to relate the system supervision, coordination, and fiscal control;
approach to the management process. e. Provision of continuous interpretation of
the agency to the public, including the
Through planning, organizing, controlling, preparation of the annual report;
and administering, the manager takes f. Provision of continuous evaluation to
certain resource inputs and converts them in improve agency standards; and
order to achieve some value utility or output. g. Representing the agency in councils and
Levels other organizations in the community.
The various levels in the organization
include the following: 3. Supervision level - the supervisor enables
1. Policy level - at this level are the following the worker to perform their functions more
parameters: effectively and provides the means for them
a. Policy-making in public agencies is a to grow their jobs. His/her functions are:
function of higher officials based on a. Ensuring that work is done as mandated
constitutional mandate, legislative act, and expected (administrative)
executive order, or presidential decree. b. Provision of guidance in the best use of
b. In non-governmental organizations policy- worker’s knowledge and skills and assisting
making is vested in duly constituted board of in the development of competence required
directors. The other functions of the board by their functions (educative)
are to: c. Provision of support and assistance
(1) Review and approval of whenever needed by worker (service).
recommendations, reports, and budget;
(2) Negotiation, contract signing, and 4. Direct service level - the direct service
other legal matters; workers have direct/field contact with the
(3) Upholding of professional standards; people or clients needing agency services
(4) Provision of directions for the reports; or assistance in the context of professional
(5) Provision of directions for the values and ethics. The functions of the
interpretation of the agency to the direct service level workers include the
community; and following:
(6) Fund raising a. Interpretation of policies and procedures
in rendering services and in helping the
2. Administrative or executive level - the client system (individuals, groups and
functions of the executive are: communities) in the context of professional
a. Participation in the formulation and and ethical values.
determination of policy b. Provision of concrete, psycho-social, and
b. Provision of guidance and direction the other services needed by the clients.
planning process; c. Referral of clients to other services in the
c. Staffing and organizing; community when indicated.
d. Advocacy on clients’ behalf for needed
services or benefits
e. Use of a range of interventions in helping
the clients in order to empower them to
become independent and self-determined to
help themselves.
f. Provision of opportunity for client
participation in decision-making
g. Preparation of appropriate and timely
agency documentation
h. Use of information technology to enhance
ability to help clients.
i. Availment of assistance/service
experience in helping evaluate programs
and services. This serves as the basis for
the agency to transform or modify policies to
meet more effectively the changing needs of
individuals, groups, and communities.