NOVA Rapport 18/11

The municipalities had made some changes between the first and second
round of data collection. Some of the common experiences at the end of the
project can be summarized as follows:
• Many employees were involved in interdisciplinary cooperation. Most
were aware of the importance of collaboration in creating better services
for the users.
• Several formal routines for collaboration have been established.
• Within the municipalities there were differing experiences of the changes
in routines. Some experienced many changes in routines, while others
didn’t notice that any changes.
• Collaborative skills had improved through courses and the practice of
collaboration itself.
• The respondents were generally more favorable to collaboration.
• Several focused on collaboration, and had a better understanding of its
importance.
• The answers show that management can improve their facilitation of
collaboration.
• Not everybody interpreted the changes that happened as results of the
project, often they focused on the changes themselves.
• In the second data set there were fewer differences between the
municipalities with regard to how collaboration was experienced.
• There were large variations in the degree interdisciplinary collaboration
had contributed to an increase in perceived efficiency.
• A main challenge has been to incorporate collaborative routines amongst
all employees.
• Staying focused increases the chances of success, without focus a model
can deteriorate easily.
• With time and patience many eventually succeed at having constructive
meetings, even if they felt meaningless in the beginning.
• There was less dissatisfaction with the routines for giving feedback.
(During the project a new law about the Child Services duty to give
feedback to someone who made a report was passed.)
– Sammen for barn og unge – bedre samordning av tjenester til utsatte barn og unge – 117