Research and Development at the University of Applied Sciences "Solothurn Nordwestschweiz", School of Social Work

Three years ago Switzerland started with the implementation of "Universities of Applied Sciences" (Fachhochschule) in the system of professional education. Some of the consequences were:

a reformulation of the curricula (with more impact on scientific knowledge)
a merge at the level of the "Kanton Solothurn" of the former schools of engineering, economics and social work
the emergence of a department of research and development two years ago

We define our task on the basis of two different but complementary sources of orientation.
First: A strategic choice of fields of inquiry that are at the moment:

Urban Community Development
Social Welfare Systems and Poverty
Occupational Social Work
Professionalization of Social Work

Second: We see ourselves as partners of the social work practice and want to be a partner in local knowledge production that is focussed on the demands of the practitioners and that uses their experience for both, the development of scientific knowledge about what happens inside the organizations of social work and to improve these services. In other words: We seek to support the learning and development processes in innovative social work problem solving by cooperating with the practitioners and by enriching these cooperations with our methodological and theoretical competence. From this derive the following additional topics of interest and activity:

Evaluation Research
Non-Profit-Organizations and the Management of Social Work
Development of the Methodology of R&D-Projects (particularly methods of "Action Research" in the tradition of William Foote Whyte and Chris Argyris for example)

The development of this young department of Research and Development is characterized by a fast growth. At the beginning of the year 2001 there are 8 persons working in teams from 2 to 6 persons on in total 8 r&d-projects (see list below). Three projects have been terminated last year.

List of current projects

Children in poverty. How do they experience their situation?
Cost-benefit-study of occupational social work
Evaluation "Contact Netz". What impact does the merger of several organizations in the field of drug abuse have on the organizational culture?
Processes and outcome of interventions by the public social welfare organizations
(De-)Professionalization and gender. A study of the social construction of the border between professional social work and volunteers and of the division of labour between those groups.
Evaluation and project development "centre for war and torture victims"
Social disintegration and housing. Towards strategies for the improvement of socially disintegrated housing areas
Evaluation and project development "housing culture"

List of completed projects 2000

The knowledge society as a challenge to the Universities of Applied Science. Forms of knowledge production, application and valorisation in the field of Social Work
Evaluation "SMAT". Effect study of a alcohol and tobacco prevention program with 12-year old pupils
The Public Social Welfare of the Kanton Solothurn in the view of the clients

Further information about these projects you find at www.fhso.ch or by contacting:

Peter Sommerfeld
Director Research and Development - Social Work
Fachhochschule Solothurn Nordwestschweiz
Weissensteinstr. 5
CH-4500 Solothurn
+41-32-6255434
peter.sommerfeld@fhso.ch