The Social and Cultural Planning Office of the Netherlands is a government agency that undertakes independent scientific research. It covers all areas of government policy as far as social and cultural aspects are involved and its’ main fields are health, welfare, social security, labour market and education, and in particular the interfaces between these different social fields. Its reports are widely used by the government, civil servants, local authorities and academia. The staff consists of 90 scientists that represent very different disciplines and the  researchers involved in the CINEFOGO Network of Excellence are at the ‘Participation and Government’ research unit. This unit places emphasis on social and political participation, public opinion, civil society and non-profit sector, (local) social policies and European integration. The publications of the SCP are available on www.scp.nl, some of which are in English and all major publications with an English summary.

Contact Details 

Address:

The Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP)

Sociaal en Cultreel Plan Bureau (SCP)

Participation and Government Research Unit

P.O. Box 16164

Parnassusplein 5

NL-2500 BD Den Haag

NETHERLANDS

Tel.:

+ 31 (0) 70 340 74 34

Fax.:

+ 31 (0) 70 340 70 44

E-mail:

p.dekker@scp.nl

Web-page:

www.scp.nl

About Paul Dekker,  National Co-ordinator Netherlands

from Tilburg  University and the Social and Cultural Planning Office

Paul Dekker is Head of the Participation and Government Research Unit of the Social and Cultural Planning Office and part-time Professor of Civil society at the Globus Institute of Tilburg University (the Netherlands). His fields of comparative research are the non-profit sector, civil society, political behaviour and social and political attitudes.

He has been the local associate of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Non-profit Sector Project, and is Vice Chair of the Psycho-politics research committee of the International Political Science Association.

Paul Dekker has in recent years published on and contributed to publications about the third sector in Europe, civil society and social capital, as well as about volunteering.