Beijing's Dongcheng District is showing the way by recruiting service providers for public welfare services.
It is learned that the district is currently recruiting service providers for 18 classes of public welfare service including dining services for seniors, community mental health services, free vocational training for unemployed workers, and free employment searches.
A representative from Dongcheng District government said that NGOs who want to join the program should contact their local community center or log onto the website of Dongcheng District to post messages online. The spokesperson stated that NGOs needs to submit their plans on how they will provide a service, and they will be monitored and assessed by the relevant department before they are chosen to provide the service.
Wen Qingyun, an official from Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, said that the public welfare service will be financed with government-funded capital and from the welfare lottery fund.
Currently there are more than 7,000 social organizations in Beijing. Compared with traditional public tendering processes, it is believed that purchasing a service from professional NGOs will both save the government money and support the growth of these non-profit organizations.
