Human Services and the Concept of Efficiency

Abstract

This paper investigates the significance of the concept of efficiency in human service organisations. Our aim is to discuss how efficiency can be assessed in this kind of organisation. Many typical human service organisations chiefly exist within the public sector’s area of responsibility. Efforts aimed at, for instance, children who are faring badly, young people who are going astray, people who are sick, or people who are in need of care have obvious moral implications regarding how we use the available resources. Thus, the characteristics distinguishing such operations, and the demands that these characteristics place on the application of the concept of efficiency, are especially clear. The focus in this paper is on activities aimed at children and young people.