The Integrators

The municipal administration is one of the central places where government action becomes tangible for people in their everyday lives. Yet municipalities have been under significant pressure for years: migration and demographic change coincide with strained administrative structures, a shortage of skilled workers, and growing expectations regarding the state’s ability to perform. Integration is largely determined at the municipal level, as it is here that the first contact between newcomers and state institutions takes place, and where participation is either enabled or hindered. The Integrationsmacher:innen project creates experimental spaces in which new forms of collaboration, digital solutions, and participatory approaches can be tested.

The goal of the project is to make municipal integration work more efficient, more resilient, and better equipped for the future. Integration improves where it is directly experienced in everyday life: in the processes, services, and interactions between municipal administrations, newcomers, and the local community.

In the participating municipalities, concrete and practice-oriented solutions are being developed that address the challenges of integration work. All project activities are created from practice, for practice, and are designed in such a way that they can be continued beyond the project period and transferred to other municipalities.

The funding covers two sequential project cohorts as well as a Changemaker Program.

Municipalities across Germany can apply for the project cohorts by submitting the integration-related challenges they aim to address. A targeted matching process then pairs a project team within the respective municipality with an external “maker” whose skills align with the specific task. During the implementation phase, the teams take part in a support program designed by our partner organization Lokalprojekte. The entire process is systematically evaluated to ensure learning, impact, and transferability.

In parallel to the project cohorts, a Changemaker Program is implemented for committed public administration professionals. The program consists of three in‑person sessions complemented by online-based, transformative learning circles. This combination enables both intensive personal exchange and ongoing learning and reflection processes integrated into everyday administrative work.