ENSURING WELFARE PROVISION THROUGH INTERSECTORAL SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Abstract

The study addresses the transformation of welfare provision systems under conditions of heightened socio-economic uncertainty, structural risks, budget restrictions, and multidimensional crisis shocks. It proceeds from the premise that traditional state-centered models of social protection are increasingly constrained in their capacity to ensure sustainable well-being outcomes. The article aims to develop a conceptual model of welfare provision and to substantiate the role of intersectoral social responsibility as a structural mechanism for enhancing the resilience of quality of life. The methodological framework is grounded in institutional and systems approaches, enabling the interpretation of welfare provision as the outcome of interaction among formal and informal rules, resource configurations, and sectoral interests. The research applies theoretical generalization, comparative analysis, structural-functional analysis, modeling, and elements of synthesis to examine the relationship between cross-sectoral coordination and the resilience of welfare systems. The findings demonstrate that countries characterized by institutionalized intersectoral cooperation ‒ integrating public authorities, business entities, and civil society ‒ exhibit more stable socio-economic indicators under crisis conditions. Empirical evidence from EU countries indicates that diversified models of social service provision correlate with lower risks of poverty and social exclusion, higher Human Development Index values, broader social service coverage, and more sustainable social expenditure structures. A comparative analysis of Ukraine and Lithuania for 2020-2024 reveals divergent models of social resilience: an institutionally stabilized configuration in Lithuania and a crisis-adaptive pattern in Ukraine. The Lithuanian case illustrates the effectiveness of formalized public–private partnerships, municipal co-financing mechanisms, and digital transparency tools, while Ukraine’s trajectory reflects reactive coordination under wartime shocks and fiscal pressures. The proposed conceptual model structures welfare provision into three interrelated subsystems ‒ institutional-regulatory, resource-financial, and socio-outcome-oriented ‒ integrated through mechanisms of distributed responsibility and network-based governance. Social resilience is conceptualized as an integral outcome of this interaction, reflecting the system’s capacity to maintain functionality and adapt to external disturbances. The practical significance of the study lies in its applicability to national and regional development strategies. The model provides a methodological basis for evaluating intersectoral cooperation through measurable indicators and for transitioning from a reactive welfare paradigm to a proactive, resilience-oriented socio-economic architecture.