Co-management – A Tool for Enhancing Satisfaction of Stakeholders in the Social Ecosystem

This paper examines how the direct participation of users, together with institutions, in resource management is a key aspect of modern management practice. The paper presents results of an in-depth study related to proving the need for the active involvement of stakeholders from the social sphere in the process of joint management, which is a prerequisite for achieving a number of positive results, ensuring the enhancing their satisfaction at the regional level. The field work is conducted in 2023 and “structured questionnaire survey” method was used for its implementation, which is one of the most popular quantitative methods for collecting data in scientific research in the fields of sociology, economics, and marketing. Two target groups are surveyed - representatives of various institutions included in the Council on Social Services in Bulgaria, and representatives of/or the users of social services themselves at the local level. Based on the results analysis with descriptive statistics and an in-depth processing of data it is proven that the role of integrated knowledge and learning in the process of implementing the co-management approach is decisive for its full implementation towards achieving stakeholder satisfaction in the built ecosystem. It is confirmed that only through sustainable interactions, active involvement and building the necessary capacity, can a sustainable basis for management be built that meets the needs of stakeholders at the local level.