ProDiSo ‑ procurement of ’digitalization’ in Social Services

There are currently high expectations surrounding digitalization within the Swedish social services. The Welfare Commission (2020) notes that “increased digitalization within the welfare sector has great potential to improve welfare by enhancing quality, accessibility, and efficiency, as well as by creating a better work environment.” At the same time, we see instances where these expectations are challenged, and where the benefits derived from digitalization do not always align with the time and financial resources invested.

Research indicates that a key factor in the failure of developing and implementing digital systems in the public sector is the way these systems are procured (Thai, 2001; Thai & Grimm, 2000; Moe, 2014). However, the dynamics of procurement processes require further study. Previous research has largely consisted of small-scale case studies, making it difficult to systematically compare and analyze why some projects fail while others succeed, and how these differences relate to various aspects of the procurement process.

The purpose of ProDiSo is therefore to examine the procurement of "digitalization" (digital "information systems") within the social services. This is done against the backdrop of existing knowledge regarding the causes of failure, covering an extended period (10 years) and focusing on how these procurement processes are understood, explained, and in effect, unfold. In other words, the study explores the complex process of "sense-making" that occurs among the participating actors throughout the entire procurement lifecycle - from the initial vision to the final, implemented "digital system".

Read the project’s final report: Slutrapport_Upphandling av digitala stöd i Socialtjänsten