Tverrsektorielt samarbeid og tidlig innsats for å motvirke ungt utenforskap

- Betydningen av lokale NAV-kontors tilnærminger og integrert tjenestelevering

Abstract

Youth exclusion is a complex phenomenon, and in this thesis, it refers to young individuals not in education, employment, or training (NEET), a term widely used in international contexts. This encompasses a diverse group of young people in varying situations and with different needs. In Norway, the proportion of young people in NEET situations is relatively low compared to the European average. However, Norway has a subgroup facing higher risks of health problems, early school dropout, and early disability compared to other countries. Exclusion at a young age represents a higher risk of long-term marginalisation, potentially leading to negative consequences for both the individual and society. Therefore, ensuring participation for as many young people as possible is a priority in international and Norwegian policy. The research literature identifies several measures and strategies, both at the individual and organisational levels, that are generally regarded as important when working with young people in NEET situations, such as early intervention and interagency collaboration. However, implementing these initiatives effectively is challenging, and there is a lack of research on their outcomes for young people at risk of exclusion. This thesis focuses on local NAV offices’ approaches to working with young people and how services addressing youth with complex challenges strive to integrate service delivery through interagency collaboration. I also explore how this relates to variations in NEET shares in Norwegian municipalities. The overarching research question is: "What approaches do NAV offices take to local work with youth, and how do different actors integrate service delivery to young people with complex needs? Can local practices help explain variations between municipalities in the proportion of young people outside education and employment?" The thesis primarily focuses on collaboration between the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), the Follow-Up Service (Oppfølgingstjenesten), and municipal substance abuse and mental health services. Interagency collaboration is analysed through the lens of contingency theory, using the concepts of integration and differentiation to examine challenges and strategies for addressing them. The analysis aims to identify patterns across contexts and compare practices in municipalities with differing NEET proportions. The research design enables comparative studies of municipalities with higher or lower proportions of NEETs than expected (the study’s outcome measure). A quantitative analysis ranked municipalities based on whether the observed NEET rate was consistently lower or higher than expected after controlling for various known risk factors contributing to youth exclusion. Subsequently, qualitative interviews were conducted to explore local interagency collaboration and practices as potential explanatory factors for variations in NEET rates. In the first article of the dissertation, I investigated how NAV managers at 18 NAV offices described the NAV office's role in counteracting youth exclusion. In the second article, I studied integration and differentiation in interagency collaboration between services for young NEETs. This study included municipalities with both higher and lower proportions of NEETs than expected based on the quantitative analysis. These were compared to identify systematic differences and similarities across the municipalities. The third article of the dissertation builds on the findings in the two preceding articles, and through a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), I explored whether NAV's commitment to early intervention and interagency collaboration, as well as integrated services, can explain why some municipalities have lower NEET shares than expected. The findings reveal important differences in how NAV offices approach youth work. Some offices adopted a proactive approach with a preventive focus involving collaboration with multiple services, while others described a more reactive approach with little emphasis on prevention or interagency collaboration. Further analysis shows that municipalities with fewer NEETs than expected have a higher degree of both preventive efforts and integrated services across sectors. In contrast, the services were more fragmented and reactive in municipalities with higher NEET shares than expected. Overall, the findings suggest that early intervention and an integrated municipal service apparatus are important for counteracting youth exclusion.