The promise, application and pitfalls of big data

Pedersen, John Storm; Wilkinson, Adrian

doi:10.4337/9781788112352.00005

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Given the initial expectation of some scholars (Pederson, 2019) that dataism is likely to prevail in the digital welfare state, the outcomes of our study are relevant for academia and society.…”

Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years, there has been a transition from a welfare state toward a digital welfare state and this is expected to develop further in the future (Pederson, 2019; Blauw, 2020; Coene et al, 2020; Eurofound, 2020). According to Alston, the rapporteur on extreme poverty to the United Nations (UN), “There is little doubt that the future of welfare will be integrally linked to digitalization and the application of artificial intelligence” (Alston, 2019, p. 21).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the one hand, so-called dataists are convinced that decision-making about the allocation of public services should be based on large data sets and the use of algorithms rather than individual human judgments, therewith assuming that, potentially, weak spots of human judgments, such as personal prejudice will be remedied (Pederson, 2019). There is, furthermore, a strong assumption that the use of data tools will improve service provisions to citizens and result in more efficiency.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Alston warns that the “digital welfare state” should move away from “obsessing about fraud, cost savings, sanctions, and market-driven definitions of efficiency” if it does not want to become a dystopia of control and punishment (2019, p. 1). Nevertheless, according to Pederson (2019) it is likely that the dataism model will outcompete the relationshipism model eventually.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The changing roles of frontline bureaucrats in the digital welfare state: The case of a data dashboard in Rotterdam’s Work and Income department

Kersing

Zoonen²,

Putters

et al. 2022

Data & Policy

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The welfare state is currently undergoing a transition toward data-driven policies, management, and execution. This has important repercussions for frontline bureaucrats in such a “digital welfare state.” So far, impact of data-driven tools on frontline bureaucrats is primarily described in terms of curtailing or enlarging their discretionary space to make decisions. It is unclear, however, how daily work practices and role identities of frontline bureaucrats change in situ and which norms they develop to work with new data tools. In this article, we present an empirical study about the impact of a data dashboard in the Work and Income department of the municipality of Rotterdam. We answer the following research question: Which role identities, work practices, and norms of appropriate behavior of frontline bureaucrats in the social domain are reshaped by the introduction of a data dashboard? We use a multiple methods design consisting of semi-structured interviews, ethnographic observations, and document analysis. Our results reveal two role identities among frontline bureaucrats: (a) the client coach, and (b) the caseload manager. We show that the implementation of the dashboard stimulates a shift from a client coach role identity toward a caseload manager role identity. This shift is contested as it leads to role identity conflicts among frontline bureaucrats with a client coach role. Furthermore, we establish that the accommodation of the institutional void in which the introduction of the dashboard takes place, is centered around three themes of contestation: (a) data quality, (b) quality of service provision, and (c) data representations.

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Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The changing roles of frontline bureaucrats in the digital welfare state: The case of a data dashboard in Rotterdam’s Work and Income department

Kersing

Zoonen²,

Putters

et al. 2022

Data & Policy

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“…Digital social services have contributed to changes in relations between counsellors, service users, and technology (Breit et al, 2019;Margetts & Dunleavy, 2013;Pedersen & Wilkinson, 2019). According to Pors (2015, p. 178), digital social services require the introduction of new tasks, which change service providers' professional practice towards a greater emphasis on welfare support rather than on service.…”

Section: Service Users With Complex Needs Becoming Digital Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Talking About Algorithms: How Can Interdisciplinary Translation in the Automation of Public Sector Casework Be Facilitated?

Geirbo,

Røste

2023

Lost in Digital Translations: Studies of Digital Resistance and Accommodation to the Welfare State in Practice

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Motivated by the need to save resources, increase efficiency, and reduce human error, public authorities are increasingly developing digital systems for the automation of casework. Since professional practices and algorithmic systems co-evolve, it is crucial that the expertise of caseworkers is included in the design of these systems. This presupposes that the algorithms can be scrutinised and discussed across professional boundaries. Recent literature on the digitalisation of public administration has called attention to several problems of translation associated with the development of algorithms. This chapter discusses two related problems: the problem of transforming laws, and transforming professional practice into algorithms. Based on interviews with system developers and caseworkers in the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), the chapter presents and discusses tools and methods for overcoming these problems, and facilitating translation between professional groups in the development of digital decision support systems.

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