Data management, data protection and cooperation in local integration work
Local authorities in Germany are key stakeholders in local integration measures. This fact is recognized by most actors, including the Federal Government, who highlighted their role in its National Action Plan on Integration. Similarly, it is widely acknowledged that a broad range of actors are involved in local integration processes and that immigrants come into contact with a number of different institutions, be they public or non-profit entities. Their contacts with these organizations seem to be characterized by constant repetitiveness: Immigrants are required to provide the same data and documents over and over again for them to be registered and (re-)processed anew.
The project “Hand in hand? Opportunities and risks of an integrated data management in local integration work” therefore tried to answer the question of whether and how a more integrated data management can bring about improvements in local integration work. The objective was to provide an overview of existing forms of (integrated) data management in German municipalities and identify persisting challenges and needs for further reforms.
