The growth of socio-demographic and material-resource problems puts the state in front of the need to involve non-state organizations in providing the population with social welfare services. New principles and tools used in the social welfare sphere are consonant with the theory of Good Governance. Based on the cases of three Russian regions – leaders in the process of diversifying the social welfare service sector (Bashkortostan, Perm, Ugra) – the article assesses the effectiveness of the development of social welfare services, which is based on the analysis of regional registers of social welfare services providers and other materials of federal ministries and regional authorities.
The authors proceeded from the assumption that different models of institutionalization of new service providers are possible in the regions, which correlates with their resource potential, as well as with management approaches implemented by regional elites.
The following models are distinguished: institutional substitution – transformation of state and municipal institutions into non-governmental organizations (mainly Bashkortostan); Institutional inclusion – Inclusion in social welfare services of existing small business entities (mainly Perm); Primary institutionalization – the emergence of new actors in the market of social welfare services, initially focused on activities in this area (mainly Ugra).
It is concluded that the model of institutional substitution is least intended for developing a competitive market of social welfare services and thus correlates with the principal of Good Governance.