A person appealing the denial of financial social assistance may currently have to wait up to three months for a response. Why is this, and how can we reduce this time? This was the starting point of our collaboration with Oslo Economics and the County Governor’s Shared Services (STAF) to find better solutions for case processing.

Financial social assistance serves as the welfare state’s safety net. According to Statistics Norway, around 120,000 people received financial social assistance in Norway in 2021, with over 43,000 relying on it as their main source of income.

Each NAV office processes the applications. If applicants disagree with the NAV decision, the appeal moves forward to the County Governor. 80% of appeals are granted, with applicants receiving the funds they need and are entitled to.

Extremely important for applicants

Applicants often face a long wait for a response. On average, they wait 60–70 days for a decision on their appeal, with some waiting up to 140 days. The actual time spent processing the case is only 3 to 8 days.

Using a user-centred approach, we interviewed applicants, helpers, NAV caseworkers, and system providers. By understanding the appeal process from the user’s perspective, we saw the significant challenges for those involved.

For an applicant needing help to buy winter clothing for their child in January, receiving an appeal response closer to April is not helpful.

We also found substantial potential to make the appeal process more cohesive and understandable for both applicants and caseworkers.

Many need to collaborate for change

Many actors are involved in the process and together they must change the way they work.

Therefore, we developed a vision that everyone could work towards together, along with concrete solutions for both short- and long-term improvements.

The proposed solutions included creating a cohesive digital system for both the application and appeal processes. This would provide an overview and better understanding for everyone involved.

We further suggested standardising and automating data transfer between NAV offices and the County Governor’s offices. This would make case processing faster and more efficient. Additionally, we explored the feasibility of setting a shorter deadline for processing appeals.

"We have gained a broader understanding and thus a greater opportunity to do something about the causes of the problems."

-Michael Baumann, department director in STAF and leader of the project

The project received funding through the Stimulab scheme from the Directorate for Digitalization and DOGA. The project team had a broad composition, involving municipalities, County Governors’ offices, system providers, the Digisos team, the Directorate for Digitalization, the National Archives, and KS (Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities).

STAF will continue this work, with ongoing focus on the user perspective and inclusive involvement of all actors.

"This project has seriously opened my eyes to how costly the lack of standardisation of processes and digital infrastructure is for citizens and the administration."

-Bente Skipenes Meen, designer and studio manager