Developing a holistic system for social assistance services based on effective and sustainable partnerships

: We live in a complex society where social assistance services should offer satisfactory solutions for a large number of problems of citizens from different states. In this context, public institutions' partnerships with non-governmental and private sector organizations are a viable and sustainable strategic option. The purpose of the research was to know the main strengths and weaknesses of the social assistance system in Romania and in other European countries.The research is based on official data and information from the Unique Electronic Register of Social Services, The Ministry of Labor and Social Justice and from the local specialized institutions with attributions in the field and from EUROSTAT, but also from the website of the European Court of Auditors. The results of the research show that significant progress has been made in social services, but there are still a variety of problems that could be solved by resorting to more viable and sustainable partnerships with non-governmental and private sector organizations. This process needs a systematic approach to a sustainable development of the relationship between the public sector of social assistance and partner organizations from the private and nongovernmental sectors. The research results show the main vulnerabilities and difficulties in developing a holistic system of social assistance services in Romania. These results become interesting and can be used by public institutions in the field of social assistance services in Romania and other EU countries to make necessary changes in their social services systems.