Social services for disadvantaged groups in the strategic plans of municipalities: TRC region example

In recent years, the concept of social municipalism has gained prominence as the principle of the social state has become increasingly influential in local governments. Social municipalism refers to the provision of comprehensive social services by municipalities that go beyond traditional infrastructure and spatial organization tasks to address the needs of disadvantaged groups such as women, children, disabled, elderly and refugees. These social services are defined as multidimensional interventions that aim to improve the quality of life of these groups and to implement the principles of social justice and equality. The aim of this study is to assess the scope and quality of social services for disadvantaged groups in the 2020-2024 strategic plans of municipalities in the TRC region through document analysis. In addition to revealing the diversity of services provided, the research aims to comprehensively analyze the differences between municipalities and the strengths and weaknesses in strategic plans. The findings show that services for women, children and persons with disabilities are widespread, while social services for the elderly and refugees remain limited in some municipalities. In addition, deficiencies in monitoring, evaluation and sustainability of services were noted. In this context, the study recommends that municipalities strengthen monitoring mechanisms and develop sustainable policies to increase the inclusiveness and effectiveness of social services.