The National Audit Office's report on the state service offices under new management

Ida Karkiainen (S)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by expressing my support for the committee's proposal.

In recent decades, there has been an extensive closure of the local offices of authorities. There has been a strong centralization, and people have seen how the authority signs have been unscrewed in their municipalities and how the state jobs have disappeared. It has contributed to the feeling that the public sector is withdrawing and that I, as a taxpayer, do not receive the service I expect. For, Mr. Speaker, even though it is now possible to resolve many authority matters via the internet and many digital services have been developed, there are many who want help with their matters from a human and not from a chatbot.

Mr. Speaker! That is why the government at the time implemented a historic service center reform. In 2014, there were 103 service centers. Since June 1, 2019, Statens servicecenter has been responsible for operating the state service centers, where citizens can receive personal service regarding their agency matters from Försäkringskassan, Pensionsmyndigheten, Skatteverket, and Arbetsförmedlingen. Expansion has continued since then, and at the end of 2023, it is expected that there will be almost 150 service centers in approximately 125 municipalities.

Given the rapid growth of service offices, it is welcome that the Swedish National Audit Office has audited the reform. They have asked whether the work is efficiently organized. The audit has led to the conclusion that there are several deficiencies in how the work at the service offices is organized. Premises and technology that are not fully adapted to the mission, long login times in the authorities' operational systems, and the need for interpretation services for people who need help in languages other than Swedish are some of the things the Swedish National Audit Office points out. They also point out the visit frequency, which they have seen to be lower at some service offices and higher at some others.

Mr. Speaker! This is a reform that is constantly evolving. Magdalena Andersson's government was also open to looking at how the service centers can take on slightly different forms, such as mobile solutions in some locations. Statens servicecenter began a pilot project during 2022 with a mobile solution for service functions that is specifically intended for socially disadvantaged areas. In some locations, pilot projects have also been initiated to co-locate the service centers with the municipalities' citizen offices. This is something that is very interesting to follow. Many synergies can arise from that cooperation.

The way of working at the service offices has also been developed so that service officers can help each other with cases across the country. In this way, offices with lower visit frequency can help offices that have higher visit frequency. I have personally tested this in my previous role as Civil Minister, and it was very educational.

Mr. Speaker! The observations made by the National Audit Office are important. Among others, they write as follows: "According to the service officers, there is a major problem with the fact that they cannot help visitors with matters concerning authorities that have been connected at a lower service level and whose operating systems they lack access to." I have myself met many officers who have said exactly this, Mr. Speaker. They point out that the government must carefully consider which tasks authorities should place on the service centers so that citizens receive the help they expect to be able to get from a service center.

Mr. Speaker! On one point, we Social Democrats do not agree with the National Audit Office's recommendations and what the government writes in its position. We believe that there must be a political direction regarding where the service centers should establish themselves.

The government has expressed itself somewhat cautiously on this point. That is the reason why we in the Committee on the Constitution have unanimously stated that we see it as important that a political assessment is made in the issue of establishing new service offices. We want to emphasize that it is not possible to only look at cost and efficiency aspects. It can be just as important for a locality that is 20 miles from a central town to have a service office, which may then have a slightly lower visit frequency, but where the benefit of the services available at the service office is incredibly important so that one can avoid traveling 20 miles one way just to pick up a document from an authority. This is what the committee has wanted to sharpen in its position, which is also an important signal for the future work.

Mr. Speaker! That the service centers may continue to be developed is an important reform. That the state presence and service throughout the country are strengthened is important for the legitimacy and trust in the state administration. The Social Democratic-led government, as mentioned, took a large number of measures to strengthen the local presence, and it is important that that work continues.

Mr. Speaker! Now the signs are being taken down again. It is, as said, a very appreciated reform.

I would like to take the opportunity to extend a big thank you to all the service officers who work at our service offices. They are people who have an incredible knowledge of Agency Sweden and the service that citizens expect from the public sector. They also have a much greater task than just contributing to increased service. They also contribute to the feeling that the public sector is there for me.

It is not just about the state delivering good service throughout the country, but also about maintaining trust in and strengthening confidence in our common society. It is therefore important that we continue to nurture and develop this reform.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ulrik Nilsson (M)

Madam Speaker! I will begin with an acknowledgment of something that I believe many of you have already seen through; I am a bit of a nerd. I enjoy reading this type of report and reflecting on what they say, what conclusions they lead to, and what they imply. The Swedish National Audit Office is a source of that type of reflection, which means that improvements can be made in the long term even if the problems are discovered in the short term.

Madam Speaker! This report is about the state service centers. It is a fantastic idea. It should be exactly so that citizens shall have a point of contact where they can get help with what they need in contact with state authorities and operations. Just as Ida touched upon, there is strong political support for this. It is a clear requirement that they should exist throughout the country and that one should be able to get help.

Right now, there should be service from Arbetsförmedlingen, Försäkringskassan, Pensionsmyndigheten, and Skatteverket at the service centers. In addition to that, different trials can be carried out. I saw something with Migrationsverket. As previously mentioned, one can also imagine combining it with, for example, municipal activities. It should be available throughout the country.

But the National Audit Office's report, titled "Slow down, hurry up - the state service offices in a new guise", suggests that there are some problems. One such problem is that it can become expensive not to own the pace of development for the local offices oneself. Not only the efficiency, in the sense of cost-effectiveness, but also the service level must be determined. There, one perhaps needs to have a broader alternative. At the same time, it is important that the National Audit Office points out that political decisions can sometimes entail costs, that is to say that the cost-effectiveness decreases.

Another problem that is raised is competence and the supply of competence. One probably has a number of different clients. One type are those who have tried all other variants to solve a tax-technical problem and who finally go there. That requires expert competence in the Swedish Tax Agency's area. It is perhaps not always easy to provide when one simultaneously must have both breadth and depth.

One must reflect on support systems and skills development. It must not end up like a good friend described after a visit: Everyone knew nothing. That is to say that there was no point of replication for that specific problem. It is something that should be addressed and reflected upon.

Furthermore, the Swedish National Audit Office states that there should be an assessment of the quality of the service, a more overarching discussion about what should be offered and how it should be formulated.

At that end, I took it upon myself to make a study visit, I thought. I went to the service office in my hometown Borås. It was supposed to be open. I walked up to the door, and the door did not open. I stood there for a while. Another client arrived, who also did not come in but shrugged and moved on. I thought it was strange and wrote to the service center and received a reply from the regionally responsible person that they have problems with that door. There was another door, but there was no information that I could go there instead. If I had been a normal visitor and not a curiosity-driven Member of Parliament, I would have said a few less well-chosen and well-formulated words about the service.

One has to reflect on such things. I could not know if it was because the door was locked, because they did not want to let me in, or because the door was not functioning. They later stated that it was not functioning. As was said, there was a risk in the service commitment, and it is also worth reflecting on how one handles that.

Madam Speaker! Overall, the National Audit Office's report gives rise to a number of questions that are worth considering and reflecting upon. My own experience provides a further deepening of the fact that one should probably have a comprehensive discussion on this.

When it comes to hurrying slowly, we should probably emphasize both. One should develop it for the benefit and use of as many as possible and as widely as possible in the country, but one should also have time to include all the demands and requests that are made. When it does not work, it is the public Sweden that ends up in the corner of shame. Then there are many who blame that state.

Madam Speaker! The National Audit Office's report is interesting. It deserves to be studied carefully. It deserves to be followed by thorough measures.

The Committee on the Constitution makes a reasonable assessment. I therefore wish to move for approval of the Committee on the Constitution's proposal.

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Malin Björk (C)

Madam Speaker! Regardless of where in the country you live, you have the right to service from our authorities. Regardless of whether you are digitally literate or not, you have the right to be able to carry out your affairs with authorities such as Försäkringskassan, Skatteverket, and Arbetsförmedlingen. And regardless of whether you fully master the Swedish administrative jargon or even have the means to buy a computer with a mobile connection, you have the right to understand how you should carry out and, in fact, also be able to carry out these affairs. This is a completely fundamental principle.

Providing service to individuals is not something an authority can freely choose. No, it is something authorities must do to comply with the law. In Section 6 of the Administrative Procedure Act, it is stipulated that "an authority shall ensure that contacts with individuals are smooth and simple. The authority shall provide the individual with such assistance that he or she can pursue his or her interests. The assistance shall be provided to the extent that is appropriate with regard to the nature of the issue, the individual's need for assistance, and the authority's operations. It shall be provided without undue delay."

Madam Speaker! That we for over a decade have had a number of service offices around the country where the authorities Försäkringskassan, Skatteverket and Pensionsmyndigheten in cooperation offer service to the office's visitors is very important and good. These offices are located in smaller towns in rural areas. They are also located in larger cities. They are also located in vulnerable areas. We in Centerpartiet want there to be more of them. And we want them to provide the service that visitors have a right to expect.

Madam Speaker! For a number of years, these service centers were operated in cooperation between the three agencies I just mentioned: Försäkringskassan, Skatteverket, and Pensionsmyndigheten. But a few years ago, the responsibility shifted to Statens servicecenter.

Now, the Swedish National Audit Office has audited how the service centers function in this new arrangement. The audit shows that it differs greatly between the centers regarding how many visitors go there. As a result, the cost of running certain offices is much higher than others, if one calculates the impact per number of visitors. It may appear less favorable.

Shouldn't the service cost the same across the whole country? That is what a unanimous KU says no to. It must cost more to run a service office in a smaller location where few visit the office. We say, in any case, that it is a political assessment to decide where the offices should be located. One should not just look at the cost per unit. And where they should be located is not just one thing for Statens servicecenter to decide on. In order for us to have a country that holds together, political decisions that favor rural areas are also required, among other things.

The person visiting a service office should feel secure in telling what they want help with there. The person visiting an office should be able to be understood in the language they speak, and the person visiting an office should also receive the same service there as at another office they visited the week before.

Unfortunately, that is not quite the case today, as evidenced by the National Audit Office's review. The design of the premises and the way the employees at the offices provide service, often at a desk out in the premises, means that the visitor's personal privacy cannot always be guaranteed. It is a serious deficiency. When you come to an office and tell a government employee about your case, you should not risk other visitors finding out why you are there.

Many of those who visit the service centers have a mother tongue other than Swedish. Despite this, interpreters were used in vanishingly few cases of the total 2.4 million visits made to the service centers during 2021, approximately three times per 10,000 visits. A major reason for this is that it is so complicated for the employees to use the booking system for interpreters. The system is simply not adapted to how one actually works at the offices. The employee often solves this by instead turning to a colleague who can speak the language to get help, or else one asks the visitor to call someone who can translate.

This is, of course, also serious. In practice, visitors do not always receive the help they are entitled to.

The review also shows that the service is not always provided at the same level, as it can differ between the offices. This is partly due to the lack of clear guidelines and sufficient knowledge among the employees regarding what service should actually be provided.

Madam Speaker! This is an important review that shows several deficiencies that need to be addressed. We hope, of course, and expect that the review will help both Statens servicecenter and the authorities that offer their services at these offices to take the correct measures so that the service that the visitor actually has to expect is also delivered.

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Gudrun Brunegård (KD)

Madam Speaker! When my family moved to Vimmerby in the northwestern corner of Kalmar County in 1988, there was a small 24-hour hospital with an emergency department and a mixed medical and surgical ward. Försäkringskassan, Arbetsförmedlingen, and Skatteverket naturally had offices there and quite a few employees. In direct connection to the police station, there was also a courthouse where trials were held.

The only thing that was missing, which should have been among the self-evident things in a city with self-respect, was a high school. Those who wanted to continue their studies after ninth grade had to travel the two miles to Hultsfred. But because half of Vimmerby's population lived in the countryside, the bus trips and transfers became too complicated, so very many abstained from high school education. This meant that Vimmerby municipality did not only have the county's lowest but one of the country's lowest education levels, on par with the rural counties in the north.

Now, 35 years later, the situation is completely changed. The County Council closed the emergency department in the 90s. The night clinic was closed in 2001. The state's presence has decreased radically. Neither Försäkringskassan, Arbetsförmedlingen, nor Skatteverket remained any tens of years after we arrived there. The courthouse disappeared even earlier. Much of the service and welfare that the citizens took for granted was suddenly gone in this one of Sweden's oldest cities with city rights as early as the 1100s. This describes what Ida Karkiainen described earlier regarding the access to the public's presence throughout the country.

However, the municipality started a high school on its own initiative in the early 90s, and this access to both a youth high school, an ambitious municipal adult education, and a folk high school located in the town has resulted in the education level now being more average, and I can guarantee that from the municipal management's side we made many attempts to get the state to open some type of service office to get back even that state service.

Therefore, the decision to establish state service offices was very welcome in order to shorten travel times and increase accessibility for the residents. As we have heard previously, the service offices mean that one can receive guidance, advice, and help with forms and applications on-site. One can get information on ongoing cases, and one can get help to book a meeting with a case officer. It is an incredibly important channel for physical meetings, which improves the individual's right to service.

At the 135 service centers that exist today, between 2 and 3 million visits are carried out - truly impressive! Since 2019, Försäkringskassan, Skatteverket, and Pensionsmyndigheten have been cooperating within the framework of Statens servicecenter, SSC. The National Audit Office has conducted an audit to see how effective and purposeful the new organization is, which is the matter for today.

The review highlights a number of problems that are important to address, including what concerns the visitors' privacy and limitations regarding premises and technology. The National Audit Office also points out potential for improvement regarding information, training, and support. With a more uniform level of knowledge among the case officers, their ability to provide equivalent service would be improved.

The Swedish National Audit Office recommends that the government delegate to Statens servicecenter the decision on where offices should be located in order to enable trade-offs between good accessibility, quality, and cost-effectiveness. The Swedish National Audit Office also recommends that the government and SSC do not connect more agencies before it is ensured that the organization can deliver service of good quality.

Madam Speaker! The location where service offices are established naturally has significance for cost-effectiveness. Service offices in suburban areas with large populations have, for natural reasons, more visitors and thus lower unit costs. In smaller towns in rural areas, with large distances to the main offices, there are, for natural reasons, fewer visitors and higher unit costs.

I want to emphatically stand behind the Committee on the Constitution's position. It is not only efficiency and cost aspects that should be considered when deciding where service offices shall be established.

All of Sweden must function. One must be able to receive a share of state services even if one lives in the countryside, or, to take up the thread from my introduction, even if one lives in the rural areas of northern Småland.

It was a day of joy when the service office in Vimmerby opened in 2018. But the question is whether the number of visitors is high enough or if that office would risk being closed if requirements for cost-effectiveness were imposed, despite the fact that it serves the residents in both Hultsfred and Vimmerby municipalities and reduces the travel distances by five to six miles one way for the individual resident compared to if they would have to travel all the way to Västervik for their visits to the authorities.

No, Madam Speaker, politics is best suited to making the trade-off between the citizen's perspective and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, these issues should not be delegated to SSC.

Before I conclude, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Speaker and my colleagues, the Chamber Office, our own committee secretariat, and my colleagues in the committee for the good cooperation during the year. I would like to wish you all a very good and rewarding holiday with recovery after an intensive year of work.

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Jan Riise (MP)

Madam Speaker! I agree with much of what has been said by my colleagues in the committee, and I intended to add just a few things.

We in Miljöpartiet have a vision of a sustainable Sweden where it is easy to live, stay, and work in the entire country. Choosing to live and work somewhere other than in the large cities requires an infrastructure with, for example, public transport, broadband, and schools, as well as access to other high-quality social services.

The government service centers that now exist in 100-150 locations in the country are important such hubs for community services. In the best of worlds, the service centers mean that the positive side of the family's or the individual's considerations regarding moving out to the countryside increases a little more.

These government service offices were reorganized in 2019 in such a way that Statens servicecenter took over as the principal for the operations. And during 2022, the operations were evaluated by the Swedish National Audit Office, which submitted its report to the government in December 2022. The Auditor General visited us in KU the day after, on December 20.

Today we are discussing the result of this review; a report from the Swedish National Audit Office with the ringing and elegant title Proceed with Caution.

It should also be said that, primarily, Statens servicekontor currently concerns a cooperation between Försäkringskassan, Pensionsmyndigheten, Skatteverket, and Arbetsförmedlingen. The purpose is above all to be a place where one as a citizen, taxpayer, job seeker, person on sick leave, or pensioner can get help with matters at these agencies.

Madam Speaker! The investigation that laid the foundation for the new agency primarily had the goal of proposing an organization that could be efficient in terms of both costs and delivery of services. An important purpose of the service centers is to ensure and strengthen access to certain state services across the entire country.

The National Audit Office's mandate was to monitor the development from the establishment of the new organization in 2019 up to and including 2022; i.e., during a build-up phase with a number of challenges. The conclusions that the National Audit Office draws point to problems with excessively rapid growth and a need to ensure a service level that is not too specialized but also does not just handle basic issues. Those working at the service center shall, therefore, be able to handle tasks for all connected agencies.

The National Audit Office further discusses how the work is organized, where the approach from the authorities' side can be perceived as following an overly rigid template that has been difficult to adapt to local conditions.

The National Audit Office also warns against connecting more agencies before the current organization has settled and been able to create routines and working methods that function in the different contexts the offices may be in.

For a relatively outsider person, for example a member of the Riksdag's Committee on the Constitution, it may appear that the participating authorities' pursuit of efficiency and coordination may have been pushed a bit too far. It may seem counterproductive to measure the existing service offices' work by the same yardstick when the conditions are different. The idea itself was, after all, to offer people across the country a comparatively equivalent service. This leads, one might imagine, to the conclusion that traditional efficiency measures, for example cost per visitor, are not appropriate.

With this said, Madam Speaker, I would like to say the following in summary. With an idea of being able to choose to live, work and act anywhere and everywhere in our beautiful country under as equal conditions as possible, what we measure must be accessibility and fairness. It is about access to broadband, fossil-free public transport, charging infrastructure, schools and healthcare within reasonable distances. But it is also about an expanded structure for increased proximity to state services, perhaps first and foremost those we are talking about here, that is Försäkringskassan, Arbetsförmedlingen, Skatteverket and Pensionsmyndigheten, and in the long run also others.

The Riksrevision’s concise summary of the assignment to review the development so far, that is, to hurry slowly, seems to me completely relevant and easy to grasp. I would therefore, like other speakers, suggest that the report eventually be added to the records.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 19.)

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