Among the most important changes in the social contracting mechanism is the introduction of minimum and maximum duration of the contract for a social service. The contract is as usual signed between the municipalities and the social service provider. It is proposed that the available term of the contract for social service delegation to be not less than two years and not more than five years. At the moment no such statutory minimum and maximum limit for assigning the management of social services exists. This has created inconveniences for social service providers to develop a long term service and achieve sustainable outcomes.

Another positive change is the adoption of available services in cases when the municipality does not provide the necessary facilities. In such cases, it is scheduled that the municipal council takes a reasonable decision to determine the way of ensuring the facilities for providing the service among candidates of social services and ensuring a competition in the conduct of the procedure of awarding the management of the service. If three months after the opening of the social service the necessary equipment required for its execution is not provided, the service is to be closed by order of the Executive Director of the Agency for Social Assistance.

The text of the draft Council of Ministers Decree amending and supplementing the Implementing Rules of the Social Assistance Act and the report can be found on the Public consultations platform - www.strategy.bg. Opinions and comments on the proposed changes can be sent till 21.09.2016.